29/10- Order resumed with two starts to the Chain Gang‏

Malc Welcolmes James Bennett To His First Chaingang

The Hastings Chain Gang has been getting too popular for its own good with a number of potentially dangerous situations arising when there were about 34 riders, including several first timers, out last week.  There were also several reports of ragged riding and some even feeling uncomfortable enough to sit up and drop out of large unwieldy groups. So the proposed two fast group start was introduced this week and it worked very well.


Stuart and Barney set off calling the shots in a gang of 10 as 14 waited chatting for two minutes before their start. It was surprising how many had stayed to ride the second group, some had thought everyone would be clamouring to ride with "Stuart's fast group". At one stage in the roll out at 19:29 there seemed to be a reluctance to join the first group and it looked that it might have been a bit short of riders. Perhaps billing both groups as fast helped by making sure those in the second group were not tarnished with the label slow! It certainly was not slow.

Nick  Shows Off his Strange Attire!

With a smaller group Stuart soon had everyone well organised and working together smoothly to set a quick pace. A couple dropped off after a while and had the option of sitting up and waiting to jump on to the second group as it came past.


John V, Ivan and several other strong riders made sure the pace of the second group soon wound up, and they made sure others did their stint on the front. Some riders were shed to pair up or go solo to the gathering point on the concrete apron to the gate just before Pevensey roundabout. I enjoyed a ride on my own off the back, passing first timer James who had punctured before the crossing but said he did not need any help, and then turning back after descending Spookey Hill so that I could see how the return leg shaped up on the final run in along Cooden Drive.


Since it was a warm and dry evening (although the roads were wet) and there were only about 24 riders, a wet afternoon must have put quite a few off, the first group had decided to chat and wait for everyone to arrive before setting off back to Bexhill. Care was taken for the first mile as the whole group raised the pace and started to line out in the run up to Galley Hill. The rise seeded several groups and by Cooden Drive, where I was chatting to President Stuart, there was an impressive lead group of eight riders working very well together at high speed. Several groups had formed and were also working well together on the run in to the end of the ride. A scattering of solo riders that had not been able to hang on to their group were in TT mode rather than siting up to wait and join the next group as it came along.

One Pub Lock Lock was Not Enough

A Post Pub Ivan manages To stay Upright!

The general consensus at the Bexhill lights was that the two group start had worked very well and should become a regular feature until the numbers drop below 18 when conditions deteriorate.

Nine of us ended up in The Anchor to rehydrate, chat about equipment, the weekend rides and the Chain Gang. All agreed that groups of 4 to 8 riders are easier to organise in a good through and off routine with lots of short sharp shouts so everyone knows what is going on, leaving riders who have come through too fast to hang off the front (several names mentioned ......) and recognising those that are on their limit and cannot pull a turn on the front.



Chris Parker