2011.06 June
Saturday 4th June 7.30am ride.
MA, PT, JR and FL set off at 7.30 having agreed to set off at 08.15 with plan to make contact with RT who said he would be out at 07.30, but could only make 08.15 following the excesses of the night before.
Main peleton had a short ride to the tank and met RT at Chanrty Post on his way out (!). All headed for the ancestral home for a hearty breakfast.
Saturday 11th June – postponed Monarch’s Way ride.
CB,JR,DS,FL & RT set off from Findon at 07.15am, meeting MA at Worthing Station, where breakfast was taken at the cafe opposite. PT awaited us on the platform as we went for the 08.25am train to Havant.
Saturday 18th June 2011.
Considering the deluge of the past two days we were blessed when we assembled this morning with sunshine and it remained with us for the early part of our ride. RT, PT, CB, FL and GD were on parade at Pond Green at 7.30am for the ‘GD trek and brek’.
CB was the last to arrive and even before the formalities of a greeting he was off back up School Hill to put his bike away; PT kindly brought his spare Specialised for CB to try out. As soon as CB returned he realised PTs machine was sporting pedals with toe clips so he was off back up School Hill to retrieve his bike again. When he returned there was a two minute pedal change and CB’s bike was deposited in LSV2 before we were finally away.
The modest peleton left the village via Stable Lane, past Gallops Farm and outward towards Chanctonbury. On the first hill, parallel to Buddington Bottom, the air was full with the sweet perfume of wild garlic that grew stronger the more we sucked air into our lungs. On reaching the top CB changed bikes with RT, for comparison purposes, and we were off again towards, Chalk Pit Wood where we took the SDW past Cross Dyke and up to the top of Chanctonbury Ring. CB reunited RT with his machine and we continued, westbound, on the SDW.
It was at this juncture, on the downhill section, the immortal words, Blast eeet rang out from RT as a very sharp medieval flint lodged itself firmly into his rear tyre. But, with a little help from his friends, he was back in the saddle in no time and making his descent with the peleton towards Washington and the A24. We regrouped in the car park before braving the A24 crossing and having all made it across intact we began the climb towards the barn.
At the end of the tarmac section, just before the stile, CB tinkered a little more with his loaned machine, this time changing the siting and angle of the saddle. FL kindly presented his allen key for the purpose and when CB had completed his operation he returned said key to FL. CB then gave it a test and decided it was not quite right. FL, ever astute, did not put his tool away at this stage and it was with a raised eyebrow and a tilted head our friend said to CB, Mmmm I thought as much, I did not put it away! It was another priceless moment for the FGCC, recorded here and now stored forever.
We headed off into a moderate prevailing wind on Highden Hill up towards the Barn and there turned south back towards Findon. Stopping twice more en-route back to GDs, once to view a pile of GDs PUCKAMUCK at the site of his new office at Muntham farm; (This gave the gentlemen of the FGCC ample ammunition to wax lyrical amongst themselves about GD, his manure and a tractor! Enough said!) and the second stop was at Kings Wood, at the top of Findon Crematorium where PT, who was out in front, was found wandering back along the bridleway towards the peleton. Bizarrely, he had lost his chain, it was discovered some 30 or so metres back on the track. PT, CB and RT commenced repairs whilst FL and GD returned to ‘The Studio’ Findon where GD helped serve up a hearty brek lovingly prepared by Mrs GD for the riders, DS and his ankle biters.
No rain until we were safely at the table tucking in. A short but good ride and another great Saturday morning for the FGCC.
Saturday 25 June – after the EPM
RT PT and FL braved a grey and overcast morning. After returning to Nepcroft to replace RT’s stumpy, which had a noisy wheel bearing, We continued over Cissbury and up the metalled track to Langmead. Runners, riders, walkers and dogs emerged periodically from the gloom to enliven procedings as we rode through the clouds to Chanctonbury, then descended toward North Farm. Detouring through Gallops Farm we re-entered the village down Stable Lane. 9.5 ish miles