November 7- Saturday's Bacon Butty Ride (BBR)

Nine intrepid riders assembled at Di Paulos between 9:30 and 10:00, enthusiastically tucking into coffee and cake, and rather less enthusiastically getting their act together for what they expected to be a wet ride. Chris Parker, club secretary, gave a few of the more reluctant folk some encouragement and we eventually rolled out at about 10:10. But hey, who is keeping score here - we do this for fun!

Our merry band had two junior riders (Theo and Fabien) and a returning Ollie (young adult..?), back from a year off the bike. I think he could have picked a better day for his first road ride, but at this time of year dry days become increasingly rare. Last week's BBR also saw a good number of younger riders, something we really welcome. It was great also to see Shirley, late of her epic Lands End to John O'Groats adventure, braving the elements with some style - chapeau Shirley! The ride is a great opportunity to ride with experienced cyclists over a mix of road conditions and weather, perhaps testing yourself against some of the faster riders or going at a pace of your choosing.

Malc D was looking lean and mean on his fixie as he led a breakaway group of Theo, Ollie and me  into a fairly strong headwind, along the sea front to Cooden. Turning north at the Cooden Beach Hotel brought the wind to our backs. We surfed the breeze past the golf club and through the more exclusive back roads of Little Common and . From there, we headed north west-ish to the ancient woodlands of High Woods, then up-hill and down-dale to Hooe Common. The group was splitting and reforming according to speed, the head-on south-westerly wind sorting us according to strength and stamina.

Having sprinted up Peter Buss Hill, we pressed on down Kiln Lane, taking extra care in the more challenging surface conditions this lane presents, before hopping over to the Horsebridge lane to Jacob's Ladder (the steep climb into Wartling). This is preceded by a technical descent that demands concentration and good handling skills to avoid potholes, a loose surface and overhanging plants. The group gave each other space and respected the risks this presents, before busting our lungs up the short, steep climb to The Lamb Inn's car park. Malc D proved strong out of the saddle, closely followed by Theo, who nipped by me as I lost traction on a patch of wet leaves, such is my awesome power (yeah right Neil).

Malc D employed Theo's young eyes to help him spot the puncture he picked up on the ascent, before Chris P said 'meet you at the cafe', giving the faster riders licence to ride at a higher pace. We set off with Theo and Ollie close behind us, turning at The Bull (not all the navigation points are pubs, dear reader) and heading towards Herstmonceux and the turn towards the church. This busier road is at least wide enough to allow traffic to pass safely but we were soon back on lanes bordered by reeds and ditches, bent low into an increasingly strong wind. A squall of rain barrelled over us, the water at least clean, if cold, but it was a short-lived shower.

The section of the ride that heads south from near Cricketers Lane to the junction near Rickney Farm is one of my favourite stretches. In summer, the landscape is as beautifully striking as it is simple - tall brown and green reeds, blue sky, green fields and mirror-smooth waterways reflecting the blueness back to the sun. In winter, the beauty is a more acquired taste - the sky often a boiling mass of grey cloud, the reeds shorter, bent-over red and gold, the surface of the ditches chased this way and that. The narrow lane demands close attention - its surface is scarred by heavy farm trailers and bad weather - but it is always rewarding. Sharp bends, snappy slopes and short straights make this a linear crit race. The wind was smack in my face today, making it a hard slog as I tried to hang on to Malc D's wheel, with Theo and Ollie close behind me.

The turn eastwards towards Chilley Farm provided a welcome respite from that intense session, the wind again pushing us along at a good pace as it rippled through the reeds and hedgerows to our left and right. The verges were free this week of Range Rovers and horse boxes, the hunt having a week off, or perhaps chasing a scent somewhere else in the county. We turned into Chilley Farm for more coffee and for bacon butties, egg baps, sausage rolls, flapjacks, cans of coke, a box of fudge and a cheese scone. Had we really consumed so many calories in the ride from Di Paulos that we needed this amount of food to make it home? I'm not sure we did, but as well as the ride providing a great chance for fresh air, it provides a chance to enjoy the treats that (I presume...) most of use sacrifice during the week. Well, maybe!

Look What The BBR Has Done To Neil's Lovely Shiny TCR!

Mal C, Steve 'Gadget' Ferguson and I set off back to Bexhill before the others as we were getting cold, enjoying an 15km wind-assisted blast home to hot showers and, er, more food. We'd certainly earned the fast return, having slogged hard on the outward leg, and I guess we may have deserved more tuck once we were clean and dry.

'Angels With Dirty Faces'....Well Gadget And Malc Anyway!

The more regular BBR riders will know that those strong in the leg and thick in the head do a ride before the BBR (the 'Pre-BBR'), either to Beachy Head, or (as today) a flatter route around the lanes. The pace is faster and the ride generally more demanding than the BBR, typically 50km in length (that's 30 miles in old money), arriving at Di Paulos for well-earned refreshment at 9:30. Given the forecast for this morning, you could be forgiven for thinking that the pre-BBR would be cancelled, but no-siree - Mal C, Steve F and I all made it to the Normans Bay starting point at 7:45. Mal talked Steve and I out of doing Beachy Head today as he feared the wind would be an undue hindrance on the long drag to the start of Dukes Drive (the start of the Beachy Head climb-proper). We gave in reluctantly, keen not to make the poor chap suffer too much.

Our Intrepid Author Remains Fresh Faced!

The flatter route takes in more marshy lanes and, as a result, a lot of mucky standing water. The rain mostly held-off and the wind was tolerable, but for the riders behind my mudguard-less bike, the result was a rather amusing speckled effect that covered faces and clothes in neat brown spots. Steve seemed to come off the worst, riding behind both Mal and me. Our backsides were also heavily covered in mud, our lower halves wet-through and our bikes looked a right state. Surely proof - if indeed proof were needed - that each of us needs a titanium winter bike capable of taking mudguards. 'Yes!' I hear you chorus - you will be quoted in my negotiations on this point...

 As ever, the tough outward leg into the headwind was rewarded with a firm push by the wind, all the way from Pevensey to Bexhill. Up to a point, the only limit on our speed was how fast we could spin our little hairy legs -we felt bionic. Well, semi-bionic with some bits falling off. I waved them off at Galley Hill as they returned to St Leonards, dripping as they pedalled and covered in wet, slimy mud. Ah, so many bikes to ride on so many roads and not nearly enough time. Best keep at it then.


Regards, Neil