Record turn out for the Di Paolo's Bacon Butty Run

I was expecting a low turn out, probably just me with youngsters Finlay and Fabien (now just turned 13) for the BBR. The BBC radar forecast had large light blue patches running across the SE suggesting light rain at times. It was right, a grey morning with rain in the air but not properly wet. As I rode over Galley Hill I thought it was Paul B coming back the other way in a BCF top and then saw Ivan also coming back from a ride but quickly doing a u-turn to ride with me to Di Paolo's for a mug of tea. Just as we were locking the bikes up at 9:30 Paul B rolled in having decided to also do a u-turn to join us for a coffee. We were not the first there as Angela had already ordered a full English for Fabien and Bob. Before long it was something of a club gathering with 15 of us in the cafe, including President Stuart.

Ten of us set out at 10:00 and within a few minutes picked up Clive to set the record of 11 riders on the Di Paolo BBR. We decided to vary the route, after Whydown turning right to go up to Ninfield rather than the usual left to Hooe. We regrouped at the garage before the Bulls Head at Boreham Street then went down the lane direct to Wartling and down the hill. It was a mistake to take the closed road past Chilley Farm. There was a series of large holes covered in metal plates and a lot of mud churned up by the lorries on the road. Finlay remained clean thanks to his full length full width mud guards but most of the others looked as though we had been riding a mucky spring classic. Trevor was making a guest appearance and missed the mud by turning back to ride up to Tenterden.

From Hankham we went to West Ham and then to the Eastbourne Crem roundabout where we turned left. Malcolm had remembered the left in to Netherfield Avenue to avoid the big roundabout. On the right off Netherfield Steve B came off on the concrete slabs then Finlay on the next left turn. Over all the years we regularly used this cut through to the famed Sandwich Inn cycling cafe I can never remember anyone coming off there before, was it diesel on the damp corners?

Nine off us stopped off in Pevensey Bakery and then we did the usual return run up to Pevensey and back along Normans Bay.

It was very much a classic sociable club run with me calling the route as we went along and identifying regrouping points so the stronger riders could go on ahead and stretch their legs. Malcolm D rode at the front calling the shots and I rode at the back with Matt and the young lads.

Paul B had seen three of the regulars on the 8:00 Pre BBR on their way over to Lewes for a change so can we break the record of 11 riders on the Di Paolo BBR in the coming weeks?

Chris Parker