Weds Chaingang - 28 Nov

It was getting cold, as predicted, and on the way back we were splatted by two gritting lorries but it was not that cold as all 22 riders will testify.  Glorious full moon plus a day or so.

Nick G's First Chaingang

It was only a few months ago that Alan H came out on a bacon butty run, soon followed by a nifty Broad Oak TT time and now a debut on the chain gang.  Nathan F (not R!) hesitantly came out on a bacon butty run some two years go, not sure why since he was a second cat roadman not that long ago with Newark Castle CC.  See their web site which advertises a winter 12-14 mph chain gang on their home page, clearly not a ride Nathan would have been on, or is it megga hilly unlike our pancake flat 20-25 mph ride in the fast group ……….  Nathan brought along Nick G for a first outing with the club, not the best of first rides when recently off colour so hopefully he was not put off, it was good that Nathan rode with him since the Wednesday chain gang generally does not hang around for anyone, that is for all other club rides.Good also to see Dave HH out with us despite having had treatment last week for his heart ablation (heart rhythm) , Dave will have to take it easy for a couple of weeks but is feeling good.

Alan Masters The Weds Chaingang On His First Attempt

At the turn (please can riders move on to the concrete and please keep off the public highway ……) we thought one of the Trinity House lighthouses had come adrift and was being towed back westwards along the road.  As it happens it was not.  It was someone with a top end front light of 100 Giga lumens set to illuminate the stars.  Apparently it was bolted in place tightly and could not be adjusted en route.  We had to delay our return ride for 5 minutes as everyone waited to get back a bit of night vision.  Waiting by the Bexhill lights, almost breaking in to carols under the Christmas lights, we were almost blinded again as someone came in with a 100 Mega lumens front light set a bit high.
A few weeks back just after coming down off Spooky Hill towards Pevensey a car failed to dip its lights.  I was riding solo between groups and was blinded.  Despite holding my hand outstretched in front to block out the worst of the light there was nothing on the side of the road, fence or hedge, to pick out where it was.  I was drifting to the centre of the road set for a head on collision before the driver slowed down, still not dipping lights, before I could work out where to ride and find my side of the road.  I am wondering if the driver had been dazzled by the lights of the front groups so was getting their own back by blinding the tail end riders? But some cars even on dip have far too bright lights, possibly being set wrongly but possibly being unnecessarily powerful.  This can apply to certain bike lights too.

Dave HH taking It Easy Tonight

It was not that bad, our front lights, really but please set your front lights to illuminate the road not too far in front of you (we were not off road in dark woods on a moonless night) otherwise you will fail any proposed bike MoT, as cars do their MoT.

Chris Parker