With a week off work I was able to chose any day for a week day early bird and so chose Tuesday as it promised to be the driest day of the week. So, I was surprised in the morning to see heavy rain outside my window. Checking the forecast again it was supposed to be sunshine and showers improving later so undeterred I set off for the harrow . On the way there the heavens opened and the rain was descending in biblical proportions. The sky was so dark it felt like 8:00 pm and all the cars had their headlights on. Waiting at the Harrow was the lonely figure of Andy Lancaster on his first ever early bird. Having made my introductions to Andy it was clear that Andy was going to have to go home as he had not rain jacket with
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| Brief Interlude From The Rain ! |
him and was totally soaked through. Steve B had also turned up in his car but we both agreed that it was too dangerous to ride. Just then Nigel also turned up, being dropped off by car. We were just about to tell Nigel that we were cancelling the ride when suddenly the rain stopped and a beam of sunlight shone down upon us. The ride was back on but Steve had also failed to bring a raincoat so we agreed to meet Steve back at his home at Broad Oak to give him a chance to pick one up. Setting off along the A28 to Westfield the heavy rain had started again , I was shocked to discover that when pulling on the brakes very little happened, rim brakes and water are not a good combination. I squeezed off some speed but then suddenly the sharp dogs-leg past the car scrap yard was upon us. Normally I would have scrubbed off some more speed but this was impossible so bracing myself for a Chris Froome style slide I tried to get round as smoothly as possible and somehow made it. It was a pleasurable relief when we reached Brede hill and could generate some useful body heat climbing the hill faster than normal (not surprisingly I got a pb on this), in fact so enjoyable was the climbing we actually rode half a mile past Steve's house and had to ride back. After being fortified by snack bars and coffee we emerged to see the weather had indeed improved and it was now sunny and quite warm. After a few miles we had to take off our rain jackets as we were overheating but within a few minutes it had darkened and the rain had started again. This pattern was to repeat itself throughout the ride, as soon as we overheated and the jackets had to come off, the heavens would respond by sending another deluge onto us. The route we were following was the Wet Wittersham route but we were doing it in reverse, this proved to be just as good as a route as the 'normal' way round. Slowly the weather was improving and by the time we reached Rye harbour it was actually really pleasant. Nigel and Steve B suggested a breakfast stop at the 'Bosun's Bite'. Our timing proved perfect as no sooner had we sat down than a torrential downpour of rain and hail came down battering our poor bikes outside. This was to be the last of the rain, from now on sunshine was back in charge. The combination of high tide and a strong easterly wind had brought the level of the sea level to a height we had never seen before, the water threatening to overflow the cycle path out of the harbour. It was a relief to finally get to the base of battery hill and get out of the wind, having had an easy ride I suggested Nigel went for a PB and sure enough Nigel blasted off leaving myself and Steve floundering in his wake, hats of to Nigel who did indeed get a PB moving into the top 50 of all time. I'll try to organise another week day early bird early next week, hopefully the weather will be rather easier to cope with?
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| A New Cafe Stop For HSLCC! |
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