29/9 Tuesday Training - Our Last One Of 2015

A very enjoyable night for the final 'Tuesday Training' session of 2015. Now that it gets pitch black during the latter part of the ride, its time to says goodbye until May next year.

Steve D And Derek's First Tuesday Ride!

Meeting up at the FairlightLodge with the regulars were Derek and Steve D. As usual Steve was impatient to get going and keri was running late. Normally we only wait for riders until 6:05 but as we knew Keri was on his way we decided to wait until 6:10 and keri made the start (just!)

The theme of the night turned out to be rear LED lights. I was dismayed to realise that I had left my spare light on another bike and that my main one was running low on power so had not choice but to leave it off for the first part of the ride while there was still some daylight. Gareth was proudly showing off his £8 moon light from Aldi which did give off an impressive but not too blinding light even on a low setting. Steve F had no less than three LEDs stacked one upon the other but they had been left on all day and so were running low in power and difficult to see. On reaching the sea defences we were joined by Mark I who had a rear 'exposure' LED light that  put even Gareth's to shame.

Mark had such an easy ride on Sunday escorting his missus around  the 'Rotary Tour Of Romney Marsh' that he wanted to push himself hard but everyone else felt like taking it a bit easier than normal.

Mark shot off up the Broad Oak drag and would not be seen again until the planned regrouping at the top. Steve D broke away from the rest of us but we caught him up halfway up the drag . By the time we neared the end Steve D complained of feeling done in, this is the result of a number of weeks off the bike with no training at all. Derek on the other hand was going the best I have seen him ride for some time, he now seems to have put his sciatica problems well behind him. keri is also steadily improving.Waiting with mark at broad-oak was the familiar figure of Malc D. Malc had been determined to join the final Tuesday ride but had gotten the start time all wrong and so had had to do the ride the other way round instead.

With myself and Gareth knackered from the Rotary ride, no-one except Steve F and Malc really pushed themselves on the Stonestile climb. Steve D was so completely done in that he had to do the 'walk of shame' for part of the climb.

We are going to miss doing this ride. We also miss the moniker of 'Tubby' which we feel indicates that this is not a fast ride , so despite the risk of putting some people off, we are renaming this ride 'Tubby Tuesday Training' for next year.

Steve C

27/9 Rye Rotary- Tour Of The Marsh

The weather for the annual 'Rye Rotary' was almost perfect with lovely blue skies and only moderate winds.

The fast group led by JV and Lee had ridden over to the start while myself Nigel and Malc C drove over.

We all assembled at around 9;15 and were a bit miffed to find out that the Rye Rovers group had already left at 9:00. JV and company had been looking forward to trying to putting Rye through their paces.

Setting off together, I knew that with cold legs there was no way I was going to keep up with the fast riders for long and within a few miles I was well and truly dropped, unlike Malc C who had managed to stay with the group. I did give chase and kept them in sight but was very much on my own into a moderate head wind.

A familiar voice called out to me and suggested I ride with his group. It turned out to be Sean Reed and a group of mostly ex Bayeux riders including John Gumble and Jamie Larkin. Their pace was perfect for me and tucked within a group of around eight riders  it was so much easier to hold a decent pace.

Before long we came across the lonely figure of Malc C who had inevitably been dropped, so Malc joined onto the group as well.

Our group stayed together with riders taking turns at the front and we made good progress towards the 'Railway Cafe' stop at Hythe. Unfortunately at one point I hit a bit of a pothole and the sudden jerk caused my seat bag to come flying off , hitting the ground somewhere behind me. It only took me a couple of minutes to reattach it, but despite my best efforts I couldn't get back to Sean's group but with only a few miles to the cafe stop I rather enjoyed the solitude.

Before long I joined the queue  at the cafe with Sean, Malc C and the others. There was no sign of the JV group, that was because being coffee connoisseurs they had headed off for a more upmarket cafe in town. They had all stayed together except for Gareth who had got dropped about 5 miles before reaching Hythe. They ended up spending a whole hour at their upmarket cafe.

Sean informed myself and Malc that they were going weren't going to hang about getting back. We took this to me they would increase the pace a bit so told them we would set off back earlier than them and try to tag on as they came past.

As we left the cafe the familiar figure of Malc D rolled in. We didn't know Malc was riding . He had been late to the start so had been playing catch up all the way to Hythe. We knew he would most likely catch us up before we got back so didn't hang around for him.

Malc Enjoys The Refreshments On Offer!

Heading back on the main road Malc C reckoned he knew the route so when my Garmin indicated we needed to turn right I didn't pay too much attention to it but after a while I realised that following the main road was not the way to go. So we headed back towards where the indicated turn was but then saw Sean's group heading down the main road. We assumed that they knew the right way, and so did a U turn in the road and gave chase.We almost caught up with them but then got stuck behind two slow moving cars. After a good six miles or so of riding on the main road it occurred to me that when they said they were not hanging about getting back they must have meant they would main road it all the way back. We would much rather ride on the quiet back roads so we headed east until after five miles were were back on the official route.

Myself and Malc are a very good training match and we rode at a pace that was ideal for both of us. With the moderate wind now at our backs we were having a great ride.

Suddenly in the distance we caught side of a bunch of  familiar red/blue Hastings tops. All our comrades from the fast group plus Malc D, were there trying to fix a double pinch puncture in Andy's tyres.
We knew they would easilycatch us up, so didn't stop until we got to a refreshment point where we munched a few biscuits and cups of orange squash. Another familiar rider appeared, this time mark and his missus. They were also enjoying the ride in the fine weather.

Double Puncture Fixed, The Fast Group Are Back Up To Speed!

I decided to wait for the JV group to try to get some action camera shots as they rode past . For some reason the puncture fixing took ages. I almost gave up waiting but then suddenly there they were but then just as suddenly with a whir of rotating chains they were gone, being too far into the 'zone' to bother with stopping for biscuits and squash. Lee and Nigel were setting the pace and for much of the way back they were riding at around 23 mph. In the end it was only JV, who with a lot of suffering was able to stay with them. Nigel said later, that of all the club riders JV is the best one at being able to suffer and keep going.

Myself and Malc settled back into our own  rhythm, taking turns with each other at the front, so although we started to feel tired, it didn't take too long to get back to the HQ

The sandwiches, cakes and biscuits that were provided for us were  a very welcome treat.

Well done to the organisers of this event. The route was well sign posted and there were lots of marshals out at various points. As long as the weather is OK, I look forward to being there again next year.

Steve C

Wednesday Chain Gang sans Monsieur Buss

First Chain For Three years For Mike!

This week's chain gang saw a great turnout - some 30 riders in all, all keen to make the most of the dog-days of summer. Last week was wetter; this week was dry but with a strong southwest wind, so it seems we like the wet rather less than the wind. Now, before I go on, I must pay homage to one Stuart Hodd who reminded me at the start of the TT season that he had not missed a single chain gang last season and surely deserved a mention. Rain or shine, ill or well, ice or wind (or all six!), Stuart made every session. Consider yourself duly recognised as a 'chain gang supremo' - ultra fast and ultra dedicated. We salute you Stuart!

A large group of faster 'ultra' riders sped off a little before 7:30 in order to miss the trains at Herbrand Walk level crossing, with the fast 'supers' following on shortly after. The latter group soon split into two, but remained as a large group, gradually thinning out as faster riders sped on, hard behind the ultras. I loitered in the tail, really not keen to beat myself up into the wind and with little appetite to work hard or compete, enthusiasm most definitely lacking! I'm glad to say that everyone else seemed far keener than me, with strong riding evident throughout the groups that rode last night. Last week's ride also saw sustained riding at a good pace from all present, as (most of us) come into the autumn with bags of summer fitness.

First HSLCC Chain Ever For Ed

The return leg saw this lazy rider make more of an effort, because there was some wind behind me - simple as that. Off I went with the 'ultras', pelting along, rotating in behind Michael Maxwell as he quickly upped the pace with each turn at the front. We hit the base of Sluice Lane incline at around 45kph, the speed exhilarating and slightly alarming as we rode close around tight bends on dark roads. But here ended my ride with the elite of H&StLCC - as so often happens, I was left to slog up the west side of Spooky Hill alone. Even so, I managed a PR, averaging 44kph / 27.5mph up and down the steepest part of the hill. Fast as that was, it was not fast enough to stay in touch!

I rode on alone until Herbrand Walk, when Ivan, another chap and Ruth sped by me, coming from nowhere. Well not literally, but let's just say I was surprised. Again with some help from the wind, I made an effort and managed to tag onto Ruth by the Cooden Hotel and up the sharp rise there, then along Cooden Drive and all the way to the lights. That felt more like it and perhaps next week I will feel a bit more enthusiastic.

There followed a pleasant ride back with Stewart and Tom, with me riding again to Pevensey roundabout for the hell of it, bumping into Ruth and that cheeky Neil Shier, pausing to rebalance our sugar levels. What egged me on was the thought of another wind-assisted blast to Bexhill, not as fast as riding in a group, but fast enough to feel like a cycling demi-god, just for a short while...  See you next week.

New bike report
"You want me to do what?" I asked Stewart.  He had asked whether I, on my way back from London, could collect his new bike from Eastbourne and bring it to Cooden, on the train.  It's not that I minded, it's just that it seemed an odd request.  Things got stranger...

"Ok, you've upgraded the Grifter to a handmade, bespoke, one-off race machine?"  Yes, came the answer, and further more he was busy at work and it would be a great help, and I owe him one, and so on.  What a liberty.

Well, having hunted down the dusty workshop of Albus Retch Sports Equipment, I was rather shocked with what I saw - a creation that defied all the norms of modern racing 'weapon', eschewing carbon for steel and glossy paint for, er, I'm not sure what. This was indeed a unique creation with some eccentric additions. Pictures speak louder than words, so feast your eyes on this!


The maker of this beast gave me a lecture on the merits of upward-angled chrome-sprung racing saddles (yes, see next picture) and on the safety value of tambourines and umbrellas. I was confused - this made some sense as a touring machine, but as a racing tool? I was far from convinced. But I guess Stewart knows what he is doing. I for one will not miss the screeching of his old bike's brakes - hard rubber on wet chrome rims certainly clears your ears. I look forward to seeing Stewart taking a turn at the front on this 'special' bike. Allez Stewart, plus vite!

"Congratulations on the new steed Stewart, it's a beaut!" I lied, walking away, sniggering. Next week, I'll review Peter Buss's new skin suit. Did you know he's a model for cycling clothing?

Neil S

Part Deux - Pre BBR and BBR 'And the winner is.......'

09:05 - Outside the 'bogs', top of  Beachy Head.

Sunshine On Beachy head!

"Would you like a drink Tom?", I asked in a very concerned manner.

Tom has developed a habit of coming for long rides without any water; I'm sure he has his reasons.

"Oh, yes please", he replied with an air of desperation.

"Well, if you go in there the urinal flushes every two minutes and you could cup your hands and get a decent slurp"

I, of course, thought this was quite witty, but I'm not sure he thought so.

  I had met up with Adam at Normans Bay border crossing and informed him that it would only be the two of us, and suggested we could have a bit of a 'stroll and a natter'.  He seemed keen and we set off quite happily; exchanging pleasantries and having a 'catch up'.  I haven't seen Adam for ages and he explained that he had had a change of routine and had been away for a lot of mini breaks.  Half way up Sluice Lane we saw Tom approaching, and as pleased as I was to see him I knew the pace would be 'upped' as he doesn't like to linger.

Boasson Hagen's Lips Were Once Around This Bidon!

The three of us headed for 'Beachy' at a fair old pace.  I had decided I would save some energy for the BBR and by the time we reached the seafront a bit of distance had crept in between them and me, and although I would have been happy to go at my own pace and meet them at the top they very gallantly waited for me at the pier.  By the time we got to the top we were very spread out and I was last to arrive.  I took a couple of snaps for the blog and couldn't help but notice Tom's arm warmers and gloves which gave an overall effect of ladies velvet evening wear - it only required a diamond ring over his gloved finger for the full effect; the little glimpse of flesh between the bottom of his sleeve and the top of the arm warmer added to the allure. Adam requested that I also rake a snap of his bidon - discarded by Edvard Boasson Hagen the winner of this year's T of B (see pictures.)  I suggested he should 'flog it' on Ebay but Adam said he would prefer to keep it as a momento.

Pete Now Works As A Model For Tenn!

We headed off back to De Paulos at a cracking pace - taking turns on the front until towards the end of Cooden Drive when Adam 'fell off' the pace.  Arriving at 'The number one restaurant in Rother' I congratulated Giuseppe on their prestigious new award whilst assuring him that my vote went to 'The Picnic Basket' around the corner.

Peter Baker was already there and took no time in mocking my Tenn ensemble; which I am trialing on behalf of the club to see whether the quality is up to the standard of 'Force GB' before we consider giving them any orders.  I put it down to jealousy because he could obviously see how majestic I looked wearing it.

We were shortly joined by Neil, Derek, Ian, Fabian, Andy, Steve C, Steve F and total newbie Ed. Feeling much refreshed we set off on the standard BBR route.  The ride to Chilley Farm was without incident , with us mostly staying together and regrouping when required.  Peter B turned back just short of Horsewalk claiming he didn't have time and needed to get back to Bexhill , personally I don't think 10 mins would have made any difference and he could have turned back at The Lamb, after Horsewalk , still some people in life will always take the easier option (sorry Pete but you should have just said how great I looked in the new Tenn kit.)

The BBR Gets A Big Thumbs Up From Ed!

I would like to give a 'big up' to Derek who hasn't been on the scene for a while due to, as he puts it: 'old people's problems" - I assume he was referring to his sciatica and not incontinence - in any case he gave a good account of himself and kept up with the pace for most of the ride.

I settled down with my Americano and egg and bacon bap and got more acquainted with Ed - he seems like a nice chap and would fit in well with the club.  He claims to be a doctor at The Conquest, which he may well be, but equally there's a guy works down the chip swears he's Elvis.


  Next week I may well quiz him on all the bones in the hands and feet; that should sort things out.  Neil, as usual, drawled all over my bap while refusing to buy one for himself.

"How's the bap"?

"Why don't you just go and buy one, you a******e?", I enquired

"Oh, shut up, you t****r!", he replied

We have recently started this very juvenile, but nonetheless enjoyable game of hurling insults at each other (see my Strava entry for Saturday which shows a further example of this.)  I would like to add that Neil started it.

Steve C assembled us for a group photo which seems to be 'de riqueur' for most BBRs.  I think it adds to the sense of camaraderie and all BBRers would agree that there is a great sense of fun and lack of stress in these rides, but that is not to say they aren't sometimes quite pacey - depending on who's taking part - here's to the next one!

Smile For The camera Comrades!

Peter Buss

7 hours. 95miles. 17,000ft. Peyresourde. Aspin. Tourmalet. Soulour. Aubisque. Nuff said. Trevor.

15/9 Tuesday Tango!

After a day of shockingly wet and windy weather, and more on the way in the morning, we were really lucky to have a dry weather window for our Tuesday training.

Almost Every week most of the regulars are there (myself, keri, Gareth , Paul C) and then we seem to get one or two guests riders. This week our guest rider was 'Patrick' . Patrick was dressed in trendy black while myself, keri and Gareth are really into our day-glo orange jerseys. It may not be fashionable but as long is there is some daylight to fluoresce it really does show up incredibly well.

Tuesday Tubby Tango Training!

To make up for his black jersey, Patrick  was made visible with his impressive exposure light system This has a super powered light on the front which also powers a very bright solid red light on the rear. Most impressive of all is that on the back of the front light it displays how much time is left, showing that even at this setting there was an amazing 11 hours left!

Although the wind was steadily dropping in strength, we still had a powerful tail wind pushing us along towards Rye.We were cruising at around 30mph with almost no effort

Patrick is one of the fitter riders in the club, significantly fitter than us 'Tuesday Tubbies' but was happy just to be out for an easy evening ride, although he did get a chance to stretch his legs on the Broad-oak drag where only Gareth (who gets fitter every week) could keep pace with him.

I have used all the 'Tuesday Training' sessions to give me a chance to get used to my giant Defy 3 ,rather than my faithful CAAD8. At first the longer head tube annoyed me but as the season has gone on I am really enjoying riding the Defy and can feel the benefit of the longer head tube. It may not be quite as aerodynamic but I don't get the delayed stiffness in the upper back that the CAAD gives me . The Defy is certainly a great bike for the older gentleman rider!

By the time we reached broad Oak the wind had completely
died down and it was great fun descending down towards Wesfield.

Reaching the Doleham cut through ,Gareth said he could hear hissing from my rear wheel. Damn, another rear puncture! Fixing it in the light was easy enough and I soon had the new inner tube in place. Myself and Pete baker have become rather 'addicted' to using CO2 cyclinders. I just about stopped myself from wasting yet another one, with only a couple of miles to go the air pressure reached with my (actually very good) Lezyne pump was more than adequate for the taxing climb up Stonestile lane.

Steve C

9/9 The Chain-gang Season Begins

Welcome To The 2015/6 Chain-gang!

Our first  HSLCC chain-gang got off to an enjoyable safe start on Wednesday

Some of the regulars were missing (eg Neil, Dan S ,Tom, Ivan) and there were only a  few of this years crop of new members ,but even so we mustered just over twenty riders.

With fresh legs and quite a strong tail wind on the way out , the  riders in different groups would end up working together  to produce a good number of Strava PBs

Hopefully everyone had read Chris Parker's guidelines for a safe chain-gang ?
http://hastingscc.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/very-important-guidelines-for-riding.html

As usual the 'ultras' group had to assemble first. With  Barny, Stu H and Sean all in attendance they would have more than enough ride captains to maintain good order. On this first night a good two thirds of the riders put themselves forward into the ultras group.

The remaining third would form the 'supers' and 'stragglers', JV would be the ride captain for the 'supers'. We waited patiently for  just over a minute before  I called time and initially led the pursuit along bexhill road. By the time we approached Cooden Drive, myself  and Derek couldn't hang on any longer and so we formed a very small 'Straggler' group although we had Duncan for company as he didn't have a front light and so would have to remain sandwiched behind us for most of the ride.

At one point the familiar black clad figure of Nigel T shot past us. Nigel had arrived late and so was putting the hammer down to catch up with the front group and would go on to claim the KOM for Filsham to Cooden

I hope the 'ultras' didn't get too cold waiting for us to arrive at Pevensey ? Once we arrived and double checked no-one was behind us we set off immediately for the return leg. For a brief moment I was in front of the whole chain-gang but would repeatedly hear the clatter of fast spinning chains as rider after rider came past me and the groups reformed.

Myself and Derek always feel better on the way back and so for most of the return trip we managed to keep up with Pete Buss (trying out potential Tenn kit for the club)  and Iain to form a somewhat larger straggler group.

Regrouping at bexhill , many of the 'ultra's' had already departed but most of the 'supers' were there and judging by the amount of sweat that was pouring down Nick S's face, they had had a great workout!

lets all make sure that we  have an enjoyable and safe 2015/6 chain-gang season!


Steve C

15/9 Tuesday Training - Keri Makes It On Time!

Much to my surprise  keri actually made it to the meeting point with time to spare on this weeks ride.

Keri on time!!!

Joining us and looking slim after completing the epic 1200km PBP (Paris Brest Paris) ride a couple of weeks back was Steve B. On the way through the nature reserve there was time for Steve to regale us with stories about the pleasure and pain of completing the PBP. Steve and John S were the only HSLCC members to attempt the ride. Due to work commitments John was not as well prepared as Steve but ironically it was Steve's body that broke down the most with problems to his IT band ligament and finger tendons (John has promised a full report soon), he still loved it though and both John and Steve are already planning an even more extreme challenge , the 3600 km transcontinental!

Reaching the Broad Oak drag, myself, Nigel F, Steve B and Gareth initially worked together as a peloton. With Nigel F back riding after a long break I assumed the pace would be OK but Nigel and Gareth were inspired by the superfit Steve B and despite feeling strong and riding all the way up in my outer chainring, I was eventually spat out the back (both Gareth and Nigel went on to get top three three personal strava achievements for the drag)

Having regrouped at Broad Oak were were all together for the final third of the ride but somehow I found myself ahead of the others on arriving  Stonestile . Feeling a bit lazy I was honking my way up the initial slope when I heard heavy breathing from Gareth who was clearly going to drop me. Settling into more efficient seated riding and grinding my way up mtb style I not only held him off but manage to put some distance between us.Reaching the final slope I assumed I was too far ahead for Gareth to catch me and reverted back to standing on the pedals. However, I had underestimated Gareth's determination and with a huge acceleration he came shooting past me to win the Stonestile climb.Looks like Gareth has reclaimed his fitness after his holiday in Canada
and his injured ribs!

Afan Forest 2015

I have been going to Afan forest in Wales for several years now. Duncan has also come down
there several times and this time Malcolm D on his first visit.

Malcolm has been going out to Bedgebury Forest to do a loop of that before meeting us for
the Bewl circuit to get into practise for the miles of singletrack riding in Afan.

Afan has 4 main routes , there is Skyline which we never do as this is tour of 46k around the
high firebreaks in the Forest. It has tremendous views but little singletrack. There is then
Whites Level and The Wall which can be combined to make a 44k route . These have lots of singletrack riding both climbing and descending.




There is then Penhydd which is quite a lot of singletrack and finally Blade which is the
newest trail and cost £360,000 to build about a year ago. This trail is the best there with some
steep singletrack fast birms and forest tracks.

So we arrived at about 3.30 and were on the trails by 4 . We did Whites Level then Penhydd
with me and others doing part of it where Duncan and Malc climbed to the top to do it all.
This was 4 hours riding. The pub is on the way back so stopped off for a couple of pints then
back to the house we stay at for bangers and mash cooked expertly by Tim whose father
Chris organises this trip.

Next day we tackled Blade this takes about 4 hours and has some great trail riding .The climb
to the start however takes about an hour. Half way up Duncans chain broke. I keep telling him
you do sometimes have to change gear to get uphill. Luckily we all joined in with Chris
supplying the missing link .Duncan had his chain spliter and Malcolm had a length of chain
as 2 links were wrecked.

Malcolm was really getting into the riding but on the last run down to the village had a rare
misjudgement and came off buckling his front wheel badly. He then had to try and straighten
it out as it would not turn in the forks . He pushed so hard it took him off balance and he fell
back over the edge of the track and hurt his back. This was the only injury of the trip!!
He made a reasonable job of getting wheel to turn but a new rim is needed.

After lunch we split group into 2 groups of 3 with me deciding which to go with. The others
had found blade a tough morning and did not want to climb much. Duncan and Malc wanted
to climb to the top again to do The wall. I decided to do the Wall . It’s a long climb on
firebreak but mostly climbing through woods on singletrack. Eventually you get to a café in
the middle of nowhere . It was just closing but the nice lady made us a well needed coffee.
After a slight direction error we got on the track called zig zag which takes you all the way to
the bottom and its name is exactly what it does. This route takes you a long way from our
start and we have then a steady climb of about 7k on a dissused railway track but we know
this railway track leads to a station ( which is now a pub). The others were still there so we
joined them for a beer and then they went off to start the dinner. We stayed on for another
beer but it was about 7pm by then and the midges were out in force and I got bitten so bad I
had to leave the others to get away from them.

Tim made an excellent curry for dinner.

Sunday is always a difficult day as by then getting tired and the drinks from evening before.
We often talk ourselves out of it but with Duncan and Malc this was not going to happen so
the others decided to call it a day ,and we headed back to Penhydd . This has a blue run called
scar that the others had done the previous day so the plan was to do that. I started but had run
out of steam so turned on next bailout point. Duncan and Malc did Blue scar then decided to
do Penhydd from halfway . These runs start at a mountain bike centre so I was happy to go to
the café and let them go for it . It was a hot sunny day and so I was more then happy to chill
and we were on the road home by noon


Derek

6/9 - Sunday Improver's Ride launch

In the past, several riders have asked for a slightly easier Sunday ride for riders who would struggle to keep up with the regulars on the harrow club rides that JV does such a great job organising. In the winter JV drops the pace a little but in the summer the regulars like to increase the pace and mileage starting very early in the morning .

Myself and JV have tried several options including having a second leader of a slower group and the club ride splitting off partway through but none of this worked out so we shelved the idea.

Recently however even more riders have appeared on the scene and so with the off road season faltering as it comes to the end of season I thought I would try again by leading a 'Sunday Improvers' ride'.

Taking advantage of this new type of sunday ride were: Andy T who has just returned to the club after a number of years away, father and son Nick and Zack Fawcett who are completely new to the club, Ivan who is recovering from concussion, Gareth recovering from damaged ribs, plus myself and Greg.

While waiting to see if any more riders turned up our main conversation revolved around all the various riders recovering from injuries at the moment with Pippa, Ivan, Gareth, Paul C all getting a mention. This rather alarmed Nick who wandered whether we were safe to ride with lol.

Riding with completely new riders is always a bit difficult as you are not sure what pace is OK. So as we headed down Westfield lane and into Sedlescombe I started slow and gradually increased the pace until it was apparent they were both actually stronger than I was.

From then on the average  pace was pretty relentless for the whole ride, ending up being only 0.8 mph slower than the 7:000 harrow group although they did have to ascend 1,000 feet more than us!
For me this was the ideal pace as I felt at the top end of my 'comfort zone' for the whole ride. Gareth would be the one who would suffer the most having put a few pounds on his noble frame from his two week holiday to Canada plus recovering from his injured ribs

We were following one of JV's classic routes, 'Ballsack'. A nice 55 mile route with lots of rolling hills giving a medium hill density. Some of the local road surfaces are beginning to deteriorate again but we loved the roads around Brightling, Rushlake green and Cowbeech which have decent road surface lots of sweeping bends and very little traffic.

like father, Like Son. Welcome to Zack and Nick !

Reaching Horam we took advantage of the excellent 'Lakeside cafe' for a half hour breather. They do an excellent range of food here and rather than the ubiquitous bacon butty I went for a big chip butty instead and two mugs of tea . This carbo/ caffeine  loading really payed off as I felt super energised for the last third of the ride , knocking off a few Strava PBs on the way back.

Our strongest riders were Andy and Zack who have similar slender frames and so were  often leading from the front.

Good to see that everyone had the route on their GPs device as this makes it so much easier to keep everyone together and everyone can take their turn at the front.

We had a great incident free ride apart from Gareth managing to break yet another rear spoke on his rear wheel (this is why I ride aksiums at the rear) and proved the concept of the 'improver's ride'

As long as there continues to be a need/demand for this type of ride, I
am happy to commit to leading one a month.

Steve C

4/9 Fri Night Ride - Autumn Twilight

With the Bewl water season officially over it was time for me to make a reappearance at the 'Friday Night Ride' . This would be my first one for several months.

Andy Now Rides A Much Better Bike!

The weather had turned surprisingly cold , you could really feel the change of the season into Autumn. Still, it was a beautiful still evening so it was surprising that only four riders were out. Never mind it was good to ride with Peter Baker and Dan S again. Also good to have  Andy Tester riding with us  who I hadn't  seen for years but recognised instantly. last time I rode with Andy he was on an old Carrera bike which wasn't very good, now he was on a carbon Basso which put my old CAAD 8 to shame. He was also a lot fitter than I remembered!

I made the most of the  evening light to help descend Battery hill, well aware that in a few weeks we would have to make this dangerous decent in pitch blackness.

Dan and Pete reported that the 'seagull smashing mussel shell' season had at last come to an end and we could now ride the Harbour without a 33% chance of getting a puncture. I forgot just how nice this section is and we stopped for a pee stop looking out over a lovely red sunset on a cool but windless evening.

Admire The View While Taking A leak!

Andy showed how much faster he has got and dropped the rest of us almost immediately on the Broad-Oak drag but working together as a peloton we managed to reel him back in about halfway up . Despite being the weakest of the four I felt pretty good and (helped by the others) managed to pull off my third best ever Strava time for the upper part of the drag .

Mystery Rider revealed As Mark Blaker

Somewhere near the finish we spied a rider up ahead, was he someone we knew?  He was riding a Giant defy (alloy) and had an enormous fluorescent backpack . We all stopped together at broad oak for a chat where the  mystery rider revealed himself to be Mark Blaker, a friend of Nicks. I now recalled coming across Mark before , as he commutes home from Rye and sometimes crosses our path. We persuaded Mark to ride the rest of the route with us , even though this would be tough carrying all his commuter gear.


Unfortunately at this point I discovered what I initially thought was a slow puncture. Not wanting to hold up the ride I used a CO2 cylinder to re-inflate it but the loud hissing proved that a replacement inner tube would have to be fitted. Being the second worst puncture repairer in the club (only Pete baker is worse)  this took some time everyone was getting increasingly cold . Our new acquaintance could wait no longer and set off on his own, but did promise to send us an email about joining our email list.






By the time we were moving again we were all feeling cold and didn't get properly warmed up until the strenuous  workout of Stonestile
lane.

Steve C

Very Important Guidelines For Riding The Wednesday Chain-Gang

The Hastings Wednesday Winter Chain Gang is a fast training ride and not a race

 The winter chain gang is starting soon so a few reminders.  Meeting time is 19:20 and we will set out in two or more groups.  The quick “ultras” just before 19:30 and the other groups soon after to beat the barriers at the crossing (or have train times changed?). You must have lights (if very bright angled at “dip” please) and a helmet and not use tri bars, which should really be removed for group riding.  Only experienced riders on fixed wheel please, they change pace differently from those on gears so be aware of who is riding fixed.


Specifics for the Chain Gang

1.      Groups must back off and not bunch on the approach to the bridge by the Star Inn – you cannot go two abreast across the bridge when a car is there, one fast rider can be very tight with a van coming the other way ………

2.      When waiting at the Pevensey turn to regroup please pull off on to the concrete in front of the gate and do not spread all across the road.

3.      Be aware of the bad pothole on the way back from Pevensey about a third of the way up Spooky hill – there are others too so find them in the light and memorise where they are and always call them out as you pull out wide


Please identify any new riders and let me know who they are and where they are from. Old hands need to brief new riders as to what happens and what is expected.  Can Stuart Hodd, John Vidler, Neil Smith and Steve Curtis in particular keep an eye on who is riding.  Juniors are not allowed without prior approval from me.


The Hastings Wednesday Winter Chain Gang is a fast training ride for several groups of riders who should be aiming to ride “through and off”, everyone taking a turn on the front even if only briefly.  Riders need to know what they are doing and observe the good practices of fast group riding. There were concerns on the conduct of the runs early last winter (in previous years too) but by mid season changes were made and new riders mostly got the hang of what was required. The general guidance on club runs and group riding applies but for very fast training ride road race level skills and techniques are required.  However the chain gang is not a race and there are no winners or losers.


Some of the most important basics are:

Predictability

Communication

Concentration


Predictability: ride in a straight line at a uniform pace with smooth acceleration and slowing down.

Do not swerve suddenly e.g. round a pot hole but smoothly change line giving warning if there is a pot hole or other danger

Do  not look over your shoulder when riding at speed in close company, you will veer off line, keeps eyes ahead may be with the briefest of glances under your arm

Do not suddenly pull off out of line if you rapidly up the pace, someone may be coming past from behind and you will cut them up

Do not pull up suddenly if you drop a bottle or light, and do not yo yo by frequently stopping pedalling, people behind will get irritated and may run in to your back, drop a gear and spin your pedals smoothly


Communication: call directions and warnings out loud, and relay them through the group

Call “inside or outside” when going past a rider – if a slower rider is keeping their line in the middle of the road others will sometimes go inside but must call clearly

Short sharp clear calls alert others to what is going on and ensure that everyone’s attention is raised

Warn of oncoming cars so riders pull in tight together, no more than two abreast

Warn if cars may try to come through from behind – it will stop others suddenly pulling out in to the middle of the road in front of overtaking traffic

Do not get upset if you think you are being shouted at

OK yes you may well be shouted at a times, probably by an old hand who thinks you have done something that could be dangerous.  Talk about it later



Concentration: you have to react very quickly when riding at speed in close proximity to others, so stay alert

Keep both hands firmly on your bars and keep looking ahead

Listen for all the calls and think if you need to relay the call on

Anticipate any potential problems (and alert others)

If in a group riding through and off hard it is not a time for social chit chat ……..



Chris Parker

07902 630574 – the robust mobile in my pocket so usually gets answered but runs out of memory if you send long texts

07597 557432 – the iPhone that lives in my rucksack and can deal with long texts and from which I make calls, if I have battery

ChrisParkerPett@aol.com the email address that I can usually pick up any time

Battery Hill Climb TT Wednesday 2 September

We Gave Up Waiting For The rain To Stop!

I had not been able to check out Battery hill until late afternoon on the day of the event.  As I walked round the corner to the village shop, having parked in Waites Lane, the sun was pretty much in line with the climb and clear of the trees, a concern that motorists may be partially blinded and have trouble seeing the riders at and behind the start line and on the first section of the climb. The start was over an hour away so I hoped that the sun would drop below the tress further up the hill.  The shop was due to close at 18:30 so with first rider due off at 18:45 there would be no problem with cars wanting to park just behind the start line.  Stuart had already put out warning signs and was at the car park extra early, only the car park was roped off since the surface was going to be redone over the following days.  We decided to sign on by the roped off car park entrance and send anyone with a car along to the next car park. Despite the sun there were a few drops of rain and by the time the first riders turned up to sign on it was getting heavy and persistent.  With officials in their cars and riders sheltering under trees there were a few promising hints of the sun trying to break through but the rain kept coming down.  It seemed to be blowing over so the delayed sign on and starting order were completed from inside the back of Malcolm’s van.  The rain stopped as riders went down the hill to the start, only for it to start again just as the first rider was due off.  At least there was no chance of motorists being blinded by the sun!  Several riders had flashing rear lights, something that is strongly recommended when time trialling (plus helmets to approved safety standards) and with dark overhanging trees at the top of the climb well worth using even in bright daylight.

 Several of the riders were wet and cold, having been caught out by the rain, so it was not the quickest of evenings.  Trevor Deeble (4:51) won the club event, with Malcolm Daly (5:44) second and Iain Webster (6:24) third on his first hill climb.

The last time we had a really wet ride up Battery Hill was in 1998 when only two brave souls attempted the climb in foul conditions with the finish timekeeper well protected from the elements in the bus shelter by the church, Tim Blower shading Peter Tadros to win.  But Peter says he beat Tim in the other Hastings hill climb that year, Elphinstone, and he was club hill climb champion on the aggregate time.  I think Peter only ever did one 25 for Hastings and it was a 1:01 so is not one of sub sub-hour testers but he went on to ride for other clubs from 1999 and soon became rather quick!  The attached table of times for Battery Hill only goes back to 1999, we did not do the event in 2014.


Peter was quickest (4:07) but is several weeks off his best hill climbing form which he is working towards for the National Championships.  His 13 year old son Theo (6:16) made a great TT debut on a fixed wheel and will be riding several Open Hill Climbs with his father in the coming weeks.  Daniel Pink (4:39) had looked round for some hill climbs to help him prepare for the hill climb season and being on holiday this week came down to Hastings from Orpington to ride and will have been pretty damp on his return trip on the train.  Rye Wheelers are holding their hill climb championships on Battery Hill on Sunday 18th October (check) so Michael Maxwell (4:59) had a useful work out and excellent sub 5 minute time.

The Rye event counts in the Hastings TT points series and if any first claim rider wants to challenge Trevor and is faster than 4:50.2 they will be crowned Hastings Hill Climb Champion for 2015.


H&StL CC

Trevor Deeble 4:50.2

Malcolm Daly 5:43.9

Iain Webster 6:23.6

Greg Blackwell 7:14.2

Keri Purves 7:17.9



Private TTs

Peter Tadros In Gear 4:06.6

Daniel Pink Bigfoot 4:38.9

Michael Maxwell Rye 4:58.2

Theo Tadros (13)  In Gear 6:15.3



Chris Parker