Bacon Buty Run 5 March and Juniors

Joe Jenner has a good cycling pedigree. His Dad Peter was a leading light in the Hastings and Rother CTC section and was one of the main drivers behind the very successful 1066 Randonees which ran for about four years c. the late 1990s. 100s of riders used to enter with a good turn out of continental riders - it was part of the Belle de Europe Series (remembered it correctly?), a variation on Audax / Sportives. Peter used to take a tandem and attachment over to France so Joe and older brother Ed have many foreign miles under their belts.

My favorite memory was the time a French club booked the wrong date and came over a week early. They had a coach with special enclosed trailer for all of their upmarket bikes. We had a joint club run with them round the course. Meanwhile the families had been exploring then popped in a supermarket to buy up loads of stuff for a tasty picnic at the top of Galley Hill at the end of the ride. A really great day out, and that was after meeting up with them for a drink the night before.

Joe was racing at Herne Hill Saturdays last year and will be doing it again this year, our only member with track pedigree other than Simon Newell who used to take his lads up to Herne Hill and also thrash round on his track iron.

Peter and Joe also went up to Manchester to watch the recent round of the world track racing, which was pretty well covered on BBC.

Joe brought along his friend Wil (also 14) who has only had a road bike since Christmas but has had an MTB for a while and used it at Bedgebury. Hopefully Joe and Wil will be the core of a team of juniors in the local GHS heats with a view to getting places in the National finals later in the year.

With Pete C, the four of use had a steady ride out to Rye then bacon butties all round in the Strand cafe before a ride back.

While in there Bronwen (and Craig) came in after a training session with the Rye girls in preparation for Sundays' Kent CA three up time trial - Rye will be out in force there rather than ride the ESCA Hard Riders. Which reminds me that we should be sorting out teams of reasonably matched riders for the East Sussex CA two up team time trial on Sunday 3 April. A 24 mile test based on the HQ at Laughton Village Hall just west of Hailsahm, first rider off at 8.00am.

Chris Parker