2008.12 Dec

December 2008 FGCC rides
Sat 6 7.30am Saturday ride
RT Writes:
“Saturday’s participants in the ride were Messrs Bang-Sorensen, Leroux and yours truly.

M Leroux announced that he had to be back by 9.00am dead, or he would be. Short route was therefore determined – A24, Chanctonbury, Langmead, the gravel road and back round the side of Cissbury, conditions being such that Mr Bang-Sorensen had to get off and push his bike (the shame of it!). After we got back to Cissbury car park KBS and I continued to the top of Stable Lane and down it, forking right to go down past the Pest House, the pathway being extremely muddy as KBS said. After that we turned left through the farm down the concrete road and back to complete the return to the village via Stable Lane.

My free-wheel mechanism decided that it would operate 100% in one direction (correctly) and 90% in the opposite direction (not so correctly), leading to some energetic pedalling, and causing M Leroux to be late. I am pleased to report that he was observed later in worthing, so he survived. However, he was acquiring tree lights to wire in from his shed, and whether he survived that is another matter.

The free-wheel mechanism has since been replaced.”

Mr B-S adds:
“Didn’t you forget to mention the last bit of our ride through the very muddy single track towards Pest House ?
I still remember the despair in the face of those two riders we met :-)”

RT adds:
“I forgot to add re our Saturday ride that after we got back to Cissbury car park KBS and I continued to the top of Stable Lane and down it, forking right to go down past the Pest House, the pathway being extremely muddy as KBS said. After that we turned left through the farm down the concrete road and back to complete the return to the village via Stable Lane.”

Sat 13 7.30am
RT by himself? He writes: “it was a solo ride for me – I had thought that it would be a good opportunity to test the wet weather gear in anticipation of the next C2C (surely we cannot be so lucky with the weather again). Decided that a ride to the tank would be the best option.
Ride out seemed to be a breeze, but I only noticed why when I realised that I was freewheeling the wrong way up the last post (gun club road section) courtesy of the gale from behind (!). Unbelievably heavy going with thick mud even along the top tracks. Turning off the main track to go down to the tank I couldn’t get enough traction to pedal into the wind, so I regret that I gave up at that stage and started the journey home. This time it was into the wind most of the way home and progress was so slow that work-to-rule postmen would most likely have been faster – took me one and a half hours non-stop to go to the tank and back – not very impressive. (Paul, for the record it was a pathetic 9 miles – and last week was only 13 miles!)
Arrived home and about the only dry part was the fast balding patch on my head which was protected by the infamous plastic bag – note you who mock it, it works!

Sat 20 7.30 am
CB FL JR KB-S RT PT climbed through Muntham to the barn (some cutting of the corner was evident) and then down to A24 and up to Chanctonbury the hard way. South to Cissbury car park, where PT and CB returned to Findon, while others went west of Cissbury ring to descend into the valley, to join PT at the Lingalonga for a brek courtesy of RT (instead of lunch at Nepcroft).

Sat 27 7.30 am Saturday ride
PT departs alone at 07:45 to climb Cissbury, north to Chanctonbury then return via Pest House and A24. 6.6 miles in sunshine, with frost and ½ inch of ice on puddles near Chanctonbury.