29/12 HSLCC Club Ride- Ice Is Not Nice

David Earle Comes Out Of Retirement!

Steve Perseveres despite being In Pain!

Having had terrible wet and windy weather all week, many of us were looking forward to getting out on Sunday's club ride where the weather was forecast to be dry and sunny with light winds. What none of us had considered was the possibility of ice! First warning that all was not well was when Ivan sent me a text stating he was not coming because of ice, then a few minutes later Simon G rung me up telling me that there was ice all over Turkey road and that he wouldn't be coming either. To avoid the ice I decided that instead of heading inland we would have to do a coastal route instead so chose 'Reverse Beachy' . Only a few of us turned up at the Harrow but surprisingly David Earle was there, having come out of 'cycling retirement'. Along Bexhill road there was no sign of ice except on the bonnets of the cars. I was a bit apprehensive about Herbrand walk as I know it does get icy along there and would have chosen the marsh road to Pevenesy instead. The others thought it would be OK as long as we took it easy. Steve D had gone off ahead and out of sight. As we carefully negotiated the tight bend into Herbrand walk we were shocked to see Steve sprawled out in the middle of the road. He had lost his front wheel (presumably on ice) and had gone down hard on his side. Being made of hardy stuff Steve continued the ride with the rest of us. I don't think we have ever ridden the back road past the star and on to Pevenesy so slowly, we were all scared of coming off. Our wheels were churning up what looked like light snow but was in fact melting ice. It was a good job we hadn't come along this road an hour earlier! From Pevenesy onwards there was no sign of ice and as the light brightened it became an easy pleasant flat ride. Once we reached Jevington the terrain started to rise upwards as we rode at our own pace before regrouping at Friston. Steve was in quite a lot of pain by now with his ribs hurting every time he breathed in. This indicated a strong possibility that he had cracked one or two ribs?. He wasn't up to climbing Beachy head and so headed off through the centre of Eastbourne leaving the rest of us to enjoy what was a fabulous ascent of Beachy in glorious sunshine that was so strong I could feel it burning my pasty white flesh. Despite only recently returning to cycling Dave was climbing well and overtook me on the long drag. On the way through Pevensey most of us stopped for a very enjoyable breakfast at the cafe before a gentle ride home.

27/12 HSLCC Friday Night Ride

Taking Shelter Before the Rain Suddenly Stopped!

All the weather forecasts declared that the strong winds and rain would have come to an end by the late afternoon. So trying to encourage everyone out I made the unusual step of emailing everyone to let them know that it was going to be dry and that I at least would be there for the friday night ride. As the afternoon dragged on there was  little sign of the promised dry weather and by the time I left home and met up with Simon G it was still raining. Taking shelter under the trees we didn't expect anyone else to be crazy enough to ride. Sure enough it was just us two but  then suddenly the rain stopped, we had made the right call after all, the others were going to miss out ! Battery hill was particularly nasty as it was covered in lots of wet slippery road grit but just like last week the flat riding to rye was easy with a medium tail wind behind us. We kept a special look out for the pothole that nearly claimed Trevor's front wheel last week and were surprised just how deep it was but a few meters further on we found an even deeper one opposite the shops. Simon kindly gave me a tow all the way up to Broadoak . While shedding some excess clothes we discussed what condition the Stonestile approach would be like but in the end decided to give it a go. In the event the road conditions there were fine with no apparent flooding (maybe they have put some drainage in?), so another good call.

26/12 Boxing Day Early Bird

First HSLCC Ride For Martin

Dave HH Loves Fixing Punctures!

At last, a short period of dry weather with light winds before the next batch of storms were due to arrive. Joining us for the first time on an early bird were Barney's son Cameron and partner Susan. Also, welcome to Jon V's friend from running , Martin. This was to be a short 30 miler rated medium for hills. Dave HH was supposed to join us but had gone to the wrong cafe by mistake. After a quick phone call to Dave we were all assembled and started the route with the stiff ascent of Harley Chute road. The air temperature was lower than I expected and it made our lungs hurt breathing in all the cold air. Jon advised me to  breath through the nose but this is not easy to do when you have blocked synapses, lol. Continuous climbing up through Crowhurst and on to Catsfield followed. At this point I realised that Susan , Barney and Cameron were missing but it turned out that Cameron was suffering too much with the cold conditions so they had decided to break away. Myself and  Dave HH had no such problems, our layers of blubber do come in useful during the winter! There were a few places where the roads were quite badly flooded, it was tempting to  speed up and plough through these areas but that would risk hitting a hidden pot hole so we cautiously  passed through these flooded areas at low speed. More surprising than the flooding was the unwelcome appearance of a few patches of ice which Ivan on a fixie, found his rear wheel slipping about on. After more steady climbing up to Cripps Corner Dave was struggling with the hills due to a combination of weight gain and difficulty training following from his neck injury last summer but I reassured him that from here on it was mostly down hill. Having fixed a puncture we enjoyed the five mile decent down the Udimore road before turning off at Float lane. This lane is often in a bad condition but it does bring you at on a nice quiet section of road around Winchelsea station. This turned out to be a bad decision as almost immediately Dave punctured and then a few minutes later I hit a hidden pothole and suffered a pinch puncture. Stu, Martin and Jon had family duties to intend to so had to go off on their own.Now the sun had come out it was rather pleasant and with the buzz of being outside again we gently rode on chatting about future cycle trip plans to France such as climbing Mont Ventoux in 2016 (yes I do like to plan well ahead!) . To save time we stuck to the main road all the way back to Hastings, Dave was struggling again so we all road at our own pace with the others disappearing into the distance up Guestling hill with Dave bringing up the rear. More good weather is forecast for the Sunday club ride when we will try out a new route suggested by Mark, the 'Benenden Buster'.

20/12 HSLCC Fri Night Ride- Pot Hole claims Another Wheel?

Rare Friday night Appearances for Trevor And Stuart!

Despite strong winds we had a good turn out of six riders including Trevor and Stuart who we haven't seen on a Friday night ride for a long while. The ride commenced with the usual scary decent down Battery Hill in the dark. I took it easier than the others , allowing myself to get dropped but I knew that it wouldn't take much to catch up with Malcolm along the sea defences as he was riding a fixed wheel with a low gear. The wind was so strong that we were doing 30 mph with no effort at all. With us having all dropped Malcolm we decided we would wait at at the temporary traffic lights near some road works at Winchelsea. As soon as the lights turned amber we started to move again, by this time Malcolm had caught up with the group and shot past us at a tremendous rate of knots. Suddenly as the rest of us picked up speed, there was a loud clunk and Trevor had to pull over. He had hit a small but deep pothole and  suffered a blow-out on the front tyre. Knowing the others would catch me on the Broad Oak drag , I left them all  to fix the puncture and gave chase to Malcolm, hoping to catch up with him before the end of the climb. I must admit I really enjoyed climbing at my own pace in the dark with just the sound of heavy breathing for company. I did make ground on Malcolm  but arrived a couple of minutes after
 him at Broadoak. After waiting some time we wondered where the others were. We tried to ring them but no one answered so assumed they must be on their way. After some more time they appeared more or less together. Apparently the pothole had not just punctured the front wheel it had also punctured the rear as well. Also Trevor said his bike felt strange (rim damage?) so Stuart and Trevor decided to stick to the main road through Westfield while the rest of us made the usual ascent of Stonestile.

PS Many thanks to the kind lady who waited with he headlights shining on Trevor's bike while he fixed the punctures 

18 Dec HSLCC Chaingang - Seven Brave The Storm

If you've been watching the weather forecast this week, you'll know we were expecting a windy Wednesday.  And so it was that I set off for Bexhill seafront wondering if anyone else would be as daft as me.  I had some hairy moments and nearly turned back, but I pressed on to find six other 'bloody silly buggers' (thanks Stuart) gathered at the shelter.

Some of us questioned the wisdom of doing the ride, but as we'd made the effort to get out we decided to go for it.  We agreed it was a night to ride more moderately, stay together and give each other space when passing.  With southerly winds of 30 to 50 mph, gusts veering around buildings and steaming out of side roads, this was a difficult ride that demanded full concentration and discipline.

It was a bit easier once we got away from the town centre but obviously still tricky with such a strong, gusty side wind.  We stuck together as a group until Herbrand Walk (Cooden Corner was interesting...) and then Kie and I formed 'Team Smith' whilst the others made more headway.  To stay upright on Herbrand I used opposite lock ie if you want to stay left, turn right, as leaning in to a gusty wind can be unreliable in such changeable conditions.  I was most intent on staying upright and cautious on the corners; my hip is still painful from the off the other week.

Having Fun Even In Atrocious Weather!

The turn at the wood yard saw the rain arrive - sharp, stinging glass-like splinters that lashed my left hand side.  The odd leaf flashed horizontally through my torch beam but mostly I was in a small, dark world of roaring wind and water.  Spooky Hill was not too bad and we pedalled on through the mayhem to make the roundabout.  We didn't hang about!  Back we came, with the usual split developing between the faster and slower riders on the way back up Spooky Hill.  Tom stopped at the top and turned back for home, shelter and sanity in Eastbourne.

'Team Smith' reformed for the descent, but I could see that Kie was too far left - he'd hit the big pot hole if he didn't move out.  I shouted several times but the wind tore the sense from my words and all he heard was noise.  Thump!  Straight through the hole and out the other side, losing his water bottle.  I was amazed he stayed on and he now knew why I was shouting.  'Do you want to go back for the bottle?' I bellowed, but again I made no sense to him and he twigged too late to turn back.  We caught another rider when the level-crossing barriers came down and then did more sideways riding down Herbrand, before turning into a fierce headwind on Cooden Drive that was then more with than against us for the drag into town.  There was time for a quick team photo and then we all headed home - really not a night for hanging around.

I presume everyone made it back safely.  With hindsight, conditions were rideable but marginal. Had the wind been a little stronger or gustier, I think most of us would've stayed at home.  But I knew I can't ride again until Sunday, so I was determined to get out.  Christmas panic is mounting as I see mountains of food ahead of me and reduced chances to ride, as family descend for festivities...  Next chain gang will be New Years Day, I think.  Merry Christmas everyone.

Neil Smith

14/12 HSLCC Early Bird- High & Over

First HSLCC Ride For Andy

All Together On High And Over!

The fantastic weather brought out a great turnout of ten early bird riders. This included on his first ever HSLCC ride, Andy Ashby. Andy commutes from Bexhill to Eastbourne every day , so as you would expect he turned out to be a strong rider. Also on their first ever early bird were Pete Buss and Malcolm Carr. Pete felt apprehensive and things did not get to a good start for him when the front dérailleur bolt broke off, leaving him without use of the outer chain-ring . We set off at a steady pace along into Bexhill, and up towards Hooe. The route took us along 'Horse walk', this road seems to have its own micro climate and was a good few degrees colder than elsewhere. Great care had to be taken over the frosty and mossy surface. Derek's hands were completely frozen meaning he couldn't change gear forcing  him to drop way back as he tried to do the climb in the wrong gear .Rather than take the proposed Sustrans route through Rickney, Jon proposed that we take the B/C roads through Stonecross, as with all the recent rain, the condition of the Sustrans route was very poor. This was a very good call and we made fast peloton style progress into Hailsham. So far the ride had been flat and easy. This was all set to change once we got to Alfriston and tackled high and Over. This was a good chance for the faster ones to really stretch their legs and gave Andy chance to show off his climbing skills while the slower ones plodded  their way up. Newbie Malcolm C coped really well with the climb but Peter did struggle up this first test. Next up was the Cuckmere Haven climb, so much easier since they resurfaced the road last year. After this all that was left was the climb up reverse Beachy. Normally this is a stiff test but today it was easy as we had a strong wind behind us all the way up. With the wind at our backs the ride down into Eastbourne was exhilarating and the wind blew us all the way home, making it easy to gain lots of STRAVA achievements. It was great to have such a good turn out,everyone enjoyed it, Peter found the hills a bit of a shock but is determined to join us again.

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11 December- HSLCC Chaingang

Good conditions prevailed for the Wednesday chain gang: cool but not cold; clear sky with some moonlight; no wind other than a slight north-easterly tickle; wet roads but freshly salted.  Now, could I keep it 'shiny side up' tonight after the weekend's unscheduled lie down?

It wasn't a great start.  I'd only ridden 100m when I had to brake and swerve around a badger blindly bustling across Little Common Road.  How it didn't get hit by the cars I don't know, but it made it safely across and into a gap in a fence without making me brake too hard.

I rode past the shelter but no one was there, so I scooted up Galley Hill.  Jupiter was again shining clearly to the east, whilst to the south the moon was over half-full and bright enough to cast a silvery path across the waves.  Malcolm and Kie were in residence at the shelter and eventually a dozen of us set off at a good pace for the exotic climes of Pevensey...  Barney was strong at the front and amongst the other riders were two Simons, a Peter and a Stuart (curiously dressed in a white top, of which more later).

My strategy for this ride was to stay in the big ring and try not to over-spin.  I can ride at a high cadence but I'd wondered if a lower cadence might recruit stronger muscles and achieve more speed.  If I got tired I would go up the gears and spin for a while.  It seemed to work quite well as I managed to stay with the fast bunch a bit beyond the turn onto Cooden Drive, and on the return leg I managed to stay in touch until the descent from Spooky Hill.  By the end, Kie and I were not too far behind the lead group and overall I did my best average chain gang speed to date.  And I'd stayed upright.

The highlight of the ride for me was the return leg on Herbrand Walk, along the stretch that's open to the shore.  The only sounds were the waves, the wind and the bike sweeping along the road.  At the Sackville Road lights there was lively banter about BMX saddles (Barney's saddle clamp had broken leaving him with a very adjustable seat) and Stuart's white top and helmet, each spattered with winter salt and slime, which clearly upset a few fellow riders.  "What was he thinking, coming out dressed like that?" I think they said.  Each to their own.

There was also chat at various points about recent road conditions, with many chain-gangers reporting 'unplanned dismounts' by themselves or people they know.  Dare I say that we need a good downpour to wash the roads clean?  I think the rain arrives Friday night.

Dec 7th- Bacon Butty, Neil takes A Tumble

Five bacon butty riders assembled at the Bridge Cafe more or less at 10:00.  I met the famous Toby Field, whose Strava escapades I have followed for nearly a year now.  Also in attendance were Peter Buss, Paul and Malcolm.  After a brief route discussion - "We'll go the long way" - we set of at a steady pace under grey skies and with light and reasonably warm airs from various directions...

It was my first time out on this ride and very pleasant it was too.  I saw some bits of Bexhill I've not seen before and revisited some roads perhaps better ridden in the summer!  But it was good bike handling practice and Jacob's Ladder (which most if you know as Horsewalk) gave our legs and lungs a good stretch.

On we sped and met a very spic and span elderly lady who turned out of a side road and came towards us.  Red hat, coat, lipstick and gloves, scarf flying in the breeze, sensible shoes and a cheeky 'hello boys!' greeted our polite waves.  That made us all smile.

We rattled through Herstmonceux and then entered the boggy badlands of Rickney Marshes.  Recent floods had subsided, leaving the early turns and stretches of the road covered in wet, black mud.  This gave me serious stress - I'd cleaned the bike!  Look at it now!

The stretch across the marshes is one of my favourites.  I love the simple landscape of reeds, sky, road and water-filled ditches, especially in the sun.  Pressing on, we turned towards the farm and Toby warned me about the 'bull turkey' (!) that might have a go as we went by.  I announced that my strategy would be to go faster.

And so it was that I came to the bridge, jinked left and then right, seeing a large area of brown muck covering the whole road.  'I'll warn the others' I thought, but then quickly changed my mind as I could see I would need both hands on the bars.  Instead, I decided to warn them by losing the front end and crashing.  Smack!  The bike went left and I went right, landing on my right hip and arm.  It bloody hurt.  The others gathered round and said, kindly, that they wouldn't take the piss as they hadn't seen me come off.  I was touched.

The bike was ok and I had recovered enough to carry on.  Chilley Farm provided the refreshments, gave Toby a chance to fix the puncture he got at the farm gate and gave me a chance to survey the damage.  On the bike, some scrapes to the levers.  On me, lots of that brown muck, a hole in my new coat and a sore hip were the worst of it.

You know that moment, when you could come off but hope you can retrieve it, but then you quickly find out you can't and you're going to hit the deck...  Crap isn't it?  It's going to hurt AND it could be expensive.  Thankfully, no real harm done.  Made me think I ought to refresh my first aid training.

Refuelled, we rode a bit quicker across the Pevensey Marshes and went our separate ways.  I enjoyed the chat at Chilley Farm - winter tyres and the saga of the the Normans Bay automated level crossing - and the ride.  Well, mostly!


Neil Smith

Dec 7- Hack Bike Ride To brighton

We Finally Got To Meet 'Mile Muncher' Jason

This year we had a record turnout of 13 riders on our annual hack bike ride to Brighton. This included first timers Nigel, Nick and legendary mile muncher  Jason Kind. It was brilliant to finally meet the legendary Jason, who was doing this ride on top of the 400 miles he has already done this week! Having assembled at Glyn gap we rode up through Sidley meeting up with Pete B and Steve S on the way. Pete T is not very good at shepherding riders and before long myself and derek had been dropped,with the ever thoughtful  Nigel staying with us. We knew roughly where they were going and expected to see them waiting for us at the top of Boreham Street but they hadn't waited and we didn't finally catch up with them until the first stop at The Golden Cross pub at Hailsham. This was a new pub stop for us and turned out to be excellent with a roaring fire and some very nice friendly (and attractive) young barmaids.After a quick first pint and the obligatory group photo, myself and Nigel looked round to see that Pete had shot off again with the group.Yet again I had got left behind and it took some while before myself and Nigel caught up with Derek and Steve D who had fallen off the back of the group. The next pub stop another excellent pub 'The Green Man' at Ringmer. We were all feeling a bit peckish by now so Steve D treated us to an enormous 0.5 kg of salted peanuts, which we soon demolished. By the time we left, dusk was falling and it was time to switch on the lights. This time the whole group did stay together and before long we arrived at Lewes for our usual pub stop in the town centre. So far the ride had been pretty flat but now we had the steepish climb up from Lewes and onto Plumpton. It was now pitch black and I was very grateful to have the road light up by my moon 500 light.Although we were all very spread out due to our wide range of abilities, there was no fear of getting lost as wherever you looked ahead you could see a string of red lights bobbing up and down in the pitch dark. Our favourite pub stop at the half moon pub at Plumpton did not disappoint , we could easily have stayed there longer. Pete launched a new competition where each of us had to predict the order of the top five riders up the Ditchling beacon climb. There were no

First Pub stop at Hailsham

Pete Triumphant On Ditchling

prizes for guessing who would be first but the other placements would be much harder to predict. Jason was feeling a bit apprehensive as surprisingly despite all his mammoth mile munching he had never had the pleasure of ascending the beacon. We all agreed that we would stay together until the start of the climb to give everyone a far chance. On reaching the start Malcolm and Dan launched a savage assault to bypass Pete T, Pete responded but as he did so his right foot pulled off the pedal and by he time he was rolling again they had created a bit of a gap. Despite this, the inevitable happened and he was able to reel them both in before the top. At least Malcolm and Dan had the pleasure of knowing that they had made pete really work for the first place submitter this year . Also storming up the climb was dark horse Nigel who is so strong that despite being on one of the heavier bikes and carrying panniers and a rack still managed to come fourth behind Malcolm in second place and Dan in third. Steve S was a very creditable fifth place. Steve D had correctly predicted all placing and so had one the £13 prize but graciously decided to keep the money in the kitty. I found this climb really tough and it took me over nine minutes to make it to the top. Having got our breath back we realised that Jason and Steve D were missing. Eventually Jason appeared, he had suffered a puncture near the bottom but rather than try to fix it there in the dark had decided to press on for

Even 'Tractor Tyres' Can Puncture

Jason' s 'Wine Bar'

the top and fix it with the help of all our lights. Steve D soon appeared as well, his foot had come out of the pedal and not being used to spd-r cleats he couldn't get his shoe back in the pedal and and had trouble getting going again.We all found it ironic that Jason was the only one to get a puncture as he was using very wide 'tractor sized' touring tyres! Pete T switched to freewheel for the decent and to get up some reasonable speeed had to tuck into a super aero position for the decent, we all dutifully followed behind him on what was a much safer decent than previous years when we have had to descend in howling wind, rain or fog.On safe arrival in Brighton we enjoyed a massive blow out curry in a curry house near London Road before heading to the station for the journey home. Amazingly, both Nigel and Malcolm were not with us as they had decided to cycle back to Hastings. With so many of us using the same train there was a real problem getting all the bikes on board. Fortunately the train guard was a friendly sort who agreed to let us all on as long as we took off some of the wheels. Jason and nick had their own 'wine bar' with them and it was a good laugh on the train until some agressive 6ft 5inch gorilla got unpleasant with us on the way home.He was getting off at Hastings so we decided it would be prudent for all of us to get out at st leonards instead.

This was great fun day out, thanks to everyone who came and made it a day to remember.

6/12 HSLCC Fri Night Ride- Cycle Path Washed Away!

Our beloved Cycle path Is Washed Away!

It was just Joseph and myself who turned out tonight. We set off and found our way blocked again on the nature reserve path by barriers. Thinking it was just stones across the path again we walked around and continued on. At the turn towards the harbour all seemed fine and no stones. It was then I noticed that there were huge sections on the left hand side where the shingle was missing. Just a few meters further and we came to an abrupt halt as the path was broken and a section about 10m square was lifted. Beyond this there was nothing as the whole path and shingle bank had washed away with the surge tide last night. There was extensive flooding on the nature reserve and no way to continue. It will take a massive rebuilding programme to put the path back with a large section gone and the whole bank washed away. It was quite epic in the dark and we had to turn back and take the long way round via Winchelsea beach. We decided to take a different route back and time trialled it along the main road back to Hastings. There was surprisingly little traffic but White Hart hill does not get any easier. So for the rest of the season we will have to stick to the road and avoid Rye Harbour.

 Jon Stainsbury

HSLCC Chaingang- Dec 4

Up at 06:00, out to London for meetings, back home for Doctors appointment, log back on to work laptop, phone calls, emails, papers, hassle, deadline of 17:30 met, prepare evening meal for wife and kids, bung it in oven, wash up last nights dishes - aargh!  Can I go now please?

A manic day; we all have them.  It's tempting to flop on the sofa and watch the telly, or grab a four-pack of beers, but I know that I'll feel a million times better after a hard ride in the cold, sharp, night air.  So, tyres are pumped, lights charged and clothing decisions made.  It's going to be a chilly ride, just 2 degrees C, but there is very little wind and the roads have been gritted.

'Team Raleigh' Reunited

Crackle and pop went my tyres as I flick off the pavement and cut across the salt, heading through the evening traffic to the chain gang rendezvous.  There are already two or three riders waiting and 19 eventually make it out across the marshes.  It was suggested that it was too cold for some of the Eastbourne-based riders to come out, otherwise we could've had a higher number.  There was at least one honourable exception (nice one Tom).

It was a starry night, the roads were largely dry and the lead riders set a good pace.  It was great to be out, although a motorist seems displeased with our presence as we turn off South Cliff onto Cooden Drive.  It was hard to fathom what the problem was as all he does is lean dramatically on his horn.  Jealousy?  Anyhow, the lead group stretches away at this point.  By Herbrand Walk, those of us who ride more steadily watched the rear lights grow smaller as the group make the right hand bend at the wood yard and cross the rails.

I fall into a group with some familiar faces and we rode in a small but perfectly formed peloton and picked up a straggler or two from the front group, before breaking up and making for the turn point.  The pause at Pevensey brings home how cold it is but we were soon on the return leg across the marshes.  This time, I managed to stay with the front group until Spooky Hill, but did stay ahead of the smaller rear group, riding solo along Herbrand and Cooden Drive, with Jupiter shining in the East to mark the route back.

No personal records broken tonight, I was just too frazzled to really push hard, but I felt a 1,000 times better than I had all day.  By the way, I met some bloke who said he was Stuart, but he didn't look anything like the bloke I met last week - he had loads of freckles.  He seemed harmless enough though.  I rode back along the front, keeping Tom company as far as the Cooden Beach Hotel, before heading home and logging back on to the work laptop again.

Neil Smith

30/11 Early Bird- Sandhurst Circular With Wooden legs

Dean Needn't Have Worried About Keeping Up

Nick swaps Ally For Carbon!

During the summer I plotted a new ride going as far North as Sandhurst. This route did not score well as there were some unpleasant dangerous road sections. I still thought that the ride had some potential but needed modifying. This modified version would  then be the route we would be following. Nick was there on his new carbon Willier, also present was Mike who has only just started riding again recently after three months off due to being knocked off by a horse box. Mike had brought along his friend, Dean. Dean was a bit apprehensive about keeping up but needn't have been as I was me who would struggle on this ride.Paul K completed our little group of five riders. Nick has been doing a lot of training lately in order to get ready for another epic ride into Europe next spring. It was soon clear that Nick's fitness was at least one notch above the rest of us but Nick was happy to stay with us as he would be branching off on his own once he got to Cripp's Corner. My legs felt a bit stiff but this is normal for me so I fully expected them to improve once we got warmed up. The hills on this route were relentless, there seemed to be almost no flat sections, not surprising when there is 4,300 feet of climbing in just 47 miles! I found the long drag from Robertsbridge to Brightling really tough, instead of improving , my leg muscles were aching more and more. After struggling up the long drag of Netherfield Hill , it was a welcome relief to fly down the three kilometre decent down to Battle. On the decent we passed a small group of cyclists, at first we thought they were 'bacon butties' but it turned out they were a local group known as the 'Cooden Casuals' . I got chatting to one of them and made contact via Strava so potentially we may have gained some new riders? Dean and Mike broke away from myself and Paul at Battle. There was only about 7 miles to go but on taking the dogs leg at Powdermill lane to ascend the minor road to Crowhurst my legs were refusing to work. This was the closest I have come in a very long time to having to get off and walk. I managed to keep going and when I caught up with Paul, he suggested I eat something. I didn't feel hungry but eating my one remaining snack bar did revive me a little. Thankfully there were more downs than ups remaining to get back to Hastings but we only had 25 minutes to make it to Witherspoons for our planned breakfast. Flying down the descents more recklessly than usual was shaving a few minutes off our time and was giving me more momentum for the next climb, but despite this, by the time we reached the old Grove school we only had around 12 minutes to get to the town centre. Rather take the flat road along the coast into town we cut through St leonards and got there with just four minutes to spare (which the girl serving us gleefully informed us). I was really pleased with how this route turned out , the roads were in surprisingly good condition and with all the hills its an interesting /demanding 5* route. I think my wooden legs may be due tot he fact that I have finally given up sugar and my body hasn't quite adjusted yet, I do hope so!

Bothy adventures in the Lake District and trail riding in North Yorkshire

It was about two years ago that my younger brother introduced me to the world of the Mountain Bothy Association http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/index.asp.In some of the most remote parts of the UK there are basic shelters which provide a refuge from the elements to anyone who passes or stays the night. These are free but you can become a member for a small fee to contribute towards the upkeep. You need to be self sufficient if staying and take fuel for the fire. There
is no heating and there is always chance of meeting other intrepid adventurers. This is one step up from camping but is not for those of a nervous disposition if you have nightmares of staying in a deserted hut on the moors or in the woods!

Having built my mountain bike up this summer from an inherited Cove stiffee frame and tested it on the South Downs and around Bewl Water I wanted to get more adventurous. So when my brother suggested a biking trip I knew there would be a bothy or two involved.
We drove to the Lake District and after finding the only shop in the village we stocked up with the essentials - Port and cheese! and as dusk fell drove to the head of the valley and put our bikes together. It was at this point that my brother discovered the perils of keeping your bike in the loft as a mouse had chewed through his rear brake cable. As the light faded and the temperature dropped, we had an hours ride ahead of us with heavy packs weighed down by 5kg coal for the fire. In a scene from Apocalypse Now, two helicopters buzzed over the ridge silhouetted against the clear night sky and disappeared up the valley to drop off what we later discovered were trees to reforest the slopes. As silence returned and the cloak of darkness wrapped itself around the hills we set off towards the bothy at Mosedale Cottage. Stars started to pin prick the sky and our eyes started to adjust to the gloom. Passing by a deserted hill farm we had to push the bikes up and over the head of the valley. Riding was difficult with boggy ground and streams but our lights picked out the path and soon the bothy appeared ahead with its whitewashed walls standing out. I was so happy to finally get my pack and the coal off my back. We had the bothy to ourselves and soon had the stove alight. It was very tidy inside with several armchairs (don't expect to find such luxury in any other bothies). The previous occupants had left coal and candles. We ate like kings and supped the Port from mugs. As it started to snow lightly we slept infront of the fire and woke to find a clear morning.On the ride back down we were treated to a wild stag and two hinds on the ridge above. I don't know who was more surprised.We found a bike shop and repaired the brake before heading on to Ambleside for a 22km loop. Riding light we followed bridal paths across the hills and passed several riders . Around us the sky's darkened and we skirted the edge of a hail shower to make it back to the car as the light faded. It was then a drive to Honister Pass with a pit stop for beers. Leaving the car at the slate mine we took the decision to leave the bikes and walk up to Warnscale Head bothy. This overlooks Buttermere and is a rebuilt stone hut on the side of the mountain. It took two hours to get there and as we were about to climb back up in search of it, I 
found it around a rocky outcrop. No armchairs this time just a 12ft x 8ft hut with stone sleeping platforms. Luckily we were alone again and another bag of coal was duly lit. Open fire this time which was very smokey to start but soon heated us. Yes there was more Port naturally and candles giving it the feel of a hobbit house! Daylight gave us stunning views and showed us where we had strayed from the path. Our return only took an hour and we headed to To Ullswater to ride HIghstreet. This promised a long ridge ride after a tough climb and as we left the carpark the top of the hills were shrouded in low cloud and it looked like we would see some snow. The ride soon became a slog over streams and walls and even saw us carrying bikes up a steep bank for a short distance. This was shaping up to be the 'epic' ride my brother had promised. We pushed up,up,up towards the cloud and across the snow line. Descending walkers said it was icy on the top and thought we we brave/crazy to be wearing cycle longs. Into a world of white where the grass was encased in ice and the ground crunched beneath our wheels. It levelled out and we turned for the summit with a last push to the top. Stopping briefly to put on an extra layer and bite into an energy bar we turned for the descent back to the ridge. This was proper mountain biking against the elements and there was a huge grin on my face as I skidded and bumped my way down. Following the ridge along the old Roman road we kept the height but unfortunately did not get the magnificent views because of the cloud. For the whole 5 mile traverse we saw no one but saw tracks in the snow. Dropping beneath the cloud we glimpsed the lake and turned towards the car. There was a sweeping grassy track with jumps to get the pulse racing then another slog up and over in the dark, to drop into the valley. Riding at night down the mountain track focuses your mind and was the highlight for me. I was thankful for putting my light on the bike as an afterthought! Tired and with cold and wet feet I was pleased for the heater and dry socks. Then we drove to North Yorkshire to stay wih my brother in law and squeezed in a visit to the trail centre at Dalby forest near Malton. This had been used for a World Cup x country race so we had high hopes. It did not disappoint and a three hour single track ride gave us a real taste of the course through some amazing scenery. The tracks are in good condition and well thought out to give something for all levels. There is a decent bike shop and a cafe to complete the experience. I recommend this to all. It was like riding Bedgebury x 10 and only cost £4 to get into.

So the Lakes were a challenge and lived up to the epic ride promised. The cooked breakfasts were excellent, the bothies wild and remote, the beer was cheap
and the welcome everywhere warm. Dalby forest delivered and my feet did eventually dry out.

Jon Stainsby

HSLCC Chaingang 27 November

In comparison to recent weeks, this Wednesday evening was relatively warm at around 7 degrees C.  It was not much drier, with in places a heavy mist that was almost drizzle and some rain on my ride home afterwards.  Roads were wet but mostly puddle-free.  However, there was no wind to speak of, so any improved times would solely be down to leg power!

14 riders assembled at the shelter, all waiting for Steve to arrive and lead us out.  At 19:36 (tut, tut) it was decided to leave without him, so off we went with two more late arrivals doing quick u-turns to join the peloton.  We made good progress past the De La Warr, along Western Parade, South Cliff and on to Cooden Drive, largely staying as a single group.  Herbrand Walk saw the faster riders stretch away from me and a few others.  The top of Spooky Hill was the mistiest place on the ride, my front light shining a solid cone of smoky light and my front tyre throwing bright beads of water into the beam.

The return leg began without much delay with another neat peloton streaking through the marshes (great fun), with the faster crew not getting away from me and Kie until Herbrand Walk.  The array of flashing & strobing red lights, reflecting off the shiny wet road, looked like one of those strange deep sea creatures you occasionally see photographs of, with odd reflective limbs & luminous blobs waggling to lure unwary prey.  And then they were gone from sight until we rejoined Cooden Drive.

It's frustrating not to have the legs to keep up but I think I'm getting a bit faster.  I enjoy the ride regardless and it feels good to reach the traffic lights knowing you've pushed yourself and that I, hopefully, will be stronger next time.  I thought the group discipline was good, with lots of loud clear calls alerting others to hazards and generally making our presence more apparent.

I saw Kate, Kie, Simon & Tom and Strava tells me there was also Barney, Nigel, Mike, John & Peter.  I met Stuart at the end and thought him a man of great taste & intelligence.  Hope to meet you all again next week!

PostScript - Aldi-special kit review
Kie & I (aka the 'Smith Boys') were both modelling Aldi's bib longs.  I thought the material and seat pad felt thin but in use I've found them warm & comfortable.  Good value at £30.  I also wore the wool cycling socks and I think they are excellent - warm without being too hot and very comfortable.  I can't remember the price but I think it was less than £4 a pair.

Neil Smith

Merida Brass Monkeys Winter Enduro Series Round 1

This was the first of a four round series, organised by the Army Cycling Union, and was also to become my introduction to bicycle racing. Now, for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with enduro off road racing (as I was until today) it seems, it is much the same as a cross country race with the main difference being that the terrain is far more technical than that demanded in a XC race. You'll see a great deal of very technical and narrow single track, with occasional fire roads to link it all up.  The course chosen for this race was peppered with exposed tree roots, some off camber and lots of short but steep technical descents/climbs, quite challenging all in all and plenty of "offs" to be seen. Although just one off for myself as my chain slipped when I grabbed a bunch of gears for a climb.

For this race in the series the laps were 7 miles long and there was a choice of two or four hours or, a one hour for beginners and a three hour for the hardcore vets. All plus one lap. This event was a sell out with over 500 riders in attendance.

I was to set off on the two hour with a friend Toby. The three hour event had started one hour earlier and the four just another hour before that.  We headed out to the start line with a keen 10 minutes to spare, only when we arrived we found the rest of the two hour field were an awful lot keener than we anticipated.   So we started off quite a bit further back than we would have liked! Lesson learnt.

The first lap was really just one big lesson for me, and somewhat a bit of a scolding for starting so far back. It was very tough to overtake once in the wooded single track, and with so many guys and girls in front, all wheel to wheel, as soon as one fell or another struggled to push through a technical section this would cause a bottle neck. This in turn also meant that the inertia gained from a descent could rarely be carried up the following hill. As the field started to spread out over the coming laps things did improve. This was a good thing for me because I felt quite empty after lap one and since I would probably be out for a third lap I needed to find a more comfortable pace and get back to carrying my speed through corners and over climbs. (Why do people drag their brakes going down hills only to then peddle harder up the other side?).  Toby had made some significant progress through the pack and gained some valuable time back. Overall he finished his third lap in 62nd place in a category of 95, some 12 minutes ahead of me in 73rd.  I'm pleased to have taken part today and I'm happy to walk away with my first race under my belt. But more importantly I've gained some valuable (if not frustrating) lessons that rookie racers like me need to learn and I'll be taking these forward with me to my next race. Unfortunately I can't attend the second round due to unavoidable commitments but I'm hoping to get out for the third round in January.  Tickets on sale if anyone fancies a go to http://armycyclingunion.co.uk/?page_id=24

Matt Schubert

22/11 HSLCC Friday Night Ride- Through And Off

Kie Makes It Look Easy!

Great to see young Kie Smith out with us on the Friday night ride on a cold but almost windless night. It was an extremely dark evening with no moon light getting through the thick overhead cloud. The decent down battery hill was particularly scary for Kie who had never done it before and has only a mediocre front light. On reaching the flat road near Pett level we realised that Nigel wasn't with us. just then I received a text telling me he had punctured and would be back with us in five minutes. We decided to ride back to him to give him some extra light and moral support while fixing the puncture. As we rode up 'little Battery' I think we were all hoping that he had punctured near the bottom of the hill and not the top, LOL. fortunately this turned out to be the case and as we arrived, Nigel was just packing up his tools. Turns out he had ridden into a nasty pothole, this had caused a blow-out but unfortunately it had also put a dent in the front wheel. Nigel was gutted by this , as only a couple of weeks ago he was singing the praises of his new wheel set having had the wheels hand-built at Handsome Bikes. Despite the wheel damage Nigel was able to ride and we pressed on through to Rye, once again deciding to give the reserve a miss due to the stones we assume still cover the path (I will try to get down there in the next week or so to check it out). It being kie's first Friday night ride and with only a basic front light we decided to do 'through and off' all the way up the long drag to Broad Oak. Simon took control and we rode together trying to keep a fair pace with riders riding briefly at the front before the rider from the back came through to take over. This was something new to me and used to struggling at the back I actually went too fast on the one downhill section (gravity assisted) of the road as well as failing to prevent the usual habitat of speeding up at the end when the lights of Broad Oak appeared.This is something we will need to work on as a group to improve but It was good fun and did make the long drag seem shorter than normal. From here it was back to standard riding as we swept on down the silky smooth road decent from Broad Oak through Brede. Myself Simon and Kie were again thwarted by the temporary traffic lights which are still present down at the bridge before the turning. Kie is riding better and better each week and dropped me before we had even gotten to the base of Stonestile and was soon gone and out of sight.

20/11 HSLCC Chaingang

I watched the temperature steadily drop through the afternoon from 5 or 6 degrees to 1.2... Oh dear, would this mean an icy ride, a nice back-end slip on a bend across the marshes, or losing the front on the sharp left opposite the Cooden Beach Hotel? Only one way to find out and besides, I had a new front light and jacket to test.

My Second HSLCC chaingang (Neil Smith)

Eleven intrepid souls gathered in the cold, now accompanied by light sleety rain and a gusty north-westerly breeze. I counted two single-speed bikes and lots of steel frames, but I think no carbon frames - a bit of a surprise. Riding an aluminium bike, for once, felt quite exotic. Roads were wet and had plenty of standing water, especially on the marsh section, but it was quite manageable. I'm still learning names, but I recall meeting Tom, Steve, Barney, Simon - and Ivan who was telling a story about cycling from Cornwall via Bristol with only one knee. Maybe I heard that wrong. Apologies to the others whose names I was told but which I cannot remember. If you need this report as an alibi, you'd better tell Steve quick.

Six riders built a decent lead on the outward leg and I settled into a smaller (and slower) group that did its best to catch them. I got dropped on Spooky Hill but I managed to reel in one rider before the roundabout. We were all eager to set off again before we got cold, so it was a quick turnaround to start the homeward leg. My cunning plan was to set off quickly and build an unassailable lead. This lasted a few minutes before the express group whistled by and swooped up the west slope of Spooky Hill (why is it called that?).

Simon and I fell into a friendly duel, interrupted in part by the Cooden level-crossing. He rode a lovely looking Genesis Flyer single speed (fixie?). I let him pass me several times so I could get a better look. The last leg along Cooden Drive saw us steadily increase pace as we passed the chap in the tartan cap (who IS he?) and negotiated fire engines on the upward slope. The downward slope provided relief from the smell of the house fire and for also from protesting legs. I think the rain had stopped some while back but I'd not really noticed until we stopped at the Sackville Road lights, with me panting over my handlebars after making a big effort. The fast group had caught their breath and were busy chatting as I pulled away to ride home the long way after an enjoyable session.

By the way, the new front light was great. It makes a difference if you can can see where you are going... It's a Moon 500. A good strong beam and decent spread, with four power settings and a flashing mode (too bright). The coat also performed well. It's an Altura Night Vision and it was perfect for the weather last night. I particularly like the waterproof front pocket that will easily hold a phone and money. There is a good-size rear pocket and a small round rear light neatly stitched into the zip flap. My old coat was also an Altura that has lasted 10 years, although it seems very old fashioned compared to the new coat. Both bits of kit recommended.



Regards, Neil Smith

Ivan's Navigation Nightmare!

As you may know, Ivan had been away on a decorating job in Cornwall and was planning on riding the whole 270 miles back in ONE day. Things did not go to plan!

Ivan, Glad To Be Back On The Chaingang!

As he set off  from Bude following a paper map, the weather was dry and his progress was good for the first 20 miles. At some point he realised he was lost and had no idea where he was. hoping to identify a location from the map  he kept going for the next 20 miles enjoying a one and a half mile decent down an impressive hill before deciding he really should ask someone for directions. A couple of newspaper delivery girls informed him he was totally off the map and was going in completely the wrong direction, there was no other option except to cycle 20 miles back the way he come, including going back up the long hill. Finally back on the correct route, Ivan continued on his journey and plodded on mile after mile. By now the rain was falling steadily. The route was all on main roads and Ivan was terrified of being hit by one of the many cars that were passing  a foot or so from his head at 60 mph. He tried not to think about the traffic and  carried on but once more managed to get himself lost , this resulted in another wasted 20 miles. On reaching Honiton his knee was giving him all sorts of bother , he couldn't ride at more than 10 miles per hour and was hobbling like an old man whenever he tried walking to ease his knee. He struggled on for another 20 miles, until having reached the impressive total mileage of 170 miles he had to admit defeat and phoned his cousin for a lift to the nearest train station. Finally able to relax while sitting there watching the countryside flash past Ivan had a sort of epiphany and has come to the conclusion that its pointless doing these endlessly long rides, there is more fun to be had just do shorter distances. 

17/11 ESCA Reliability Trial

This was the annual ESCA reliability trial. This event is like a gathering of the clans with over 200 riders from many well known local clubs including: Eastbourne Rovers, lewes Wanders, Sussex Nomads, East Grinsted CC,Southborough Wheelers, In gear RT, and Worthing Excelsior.Unfortunately our club representatives were surprisingly few in number with only myself, Lee, Malcolm D and Tom.This is one of Chris Parker's favourite annual events and he was gutted to have to miss it due to feeling unwell. As we drove towards the head quarters at East Hoathley we were passed by impressively large petatons of riders who had already been set off. Having signed in we set off on our much smaller mini pelaton of just the four of us together with a couple of Eastbourne Rovers who had chosen not to ride with the main Rovers pack. The first ten miles were fast and easy as we set out on main roads towards Hailsham and on into the marsh at Rickney for the first check point. From here we changed direction, and soon it was more up and down as we headed North towards the high point at Brightling. Any idea that things would get easier from here were very misplaced as from here on we were either going up or going down steep hills, there were very few flat sections.There were some dodgy little lanes to negotiate , even Malcolm was getting a bit scared as sometimes were were descending on bits of unbroken tarmac only a foot a so across sandwiched between wet slippery mud on one side and large potholes on the other. There was very little room for error and I remembered how last year one rider came off and broke his pelvis. For the first time this Autumn I realised that winter really is upon us and its time to give the small technical

At The First Check point- Easy So Far!

lanes a miss until next spring Road conditions stated to improve once we passed Wadhusrt where there was a wonderful fast but safe decent past the railway station followed by a 'dogs leg' up a steady incline to the last of the four checkpoints. The rest of the ride from here was fantastic with lots of steadily climbing and fast safe descents through places such as Tidebrook, Mayfield and Cross in hand. With only 10 miles to go we all felt good. A lot more riders seemed to be around us now and I was quite pleased to note that I was able to beat about half the riders up the climbs and with gravity on my side beat more than that on the fast descents. All day the light was very poor, I noticed that a lot of riders (Like myself) are now equipped with powerful flashing front and back lights for day use. As the route ascended up a long main road  drag past Mayfield, it was quite a spectacle seeing what looked like an endless string of flashing red lights blinking their way up the hill. Despite it being a main road, we cyclists owned it and the car drivers had no choice but to stay behind us until we reached the crest of the hill .The final two miles were all fast descending as we shot back down to East Hoathley, only to miss the final check point which we had assumed would be in the pavilion. Doubling back to sign in, we fluffed things up and realised too late that we had come in five minutes too early so looks like we are unreliable again. This was a fantastic event, those who didn't come with us really missed out.
I have modified the best two thirds of this route into a new 70 miler so those who missed it may get a chance to do it sometime next year once the roads dry out.

HSLCC Friday Night Ride 15/11

What Do You Mean We Must Stay Together?

Last week  following some foul weather,the ever reliable Simon G was the only rider who turned out for the Friday night ride. With cold but calm weather it was a certainty that Simon would not be on his own tonight. However, with both Ivan and Steve B nursing knee problems, and Nigel out on the London to Brighton night run, it was only myself, Marcus and Jon S that were able to join him. Dropping down Battery Hill I was grateful for the extra 200 lumens that my new front light was throwing across the tarmac helping me get my one and only Strava achievement of the evening on 'Little Battery'. Deciding to avoid the harbour reserve path due to all the pebbles that we assume the council/sustrans have failed to clear up we headed in good peloton formation along the main road. Jon, Marcus and Simon are all stronger than me so I was grateful to stay behind them and leave them to swop front man between themselves. Reaching Rye I was looking forward to easing up a little rather than fighting to stay with them but they were having none of this and insisted that as we were low on numbers we would stay together instead, groan!!! Its amazing how much more effort you need to go one or two mph faster than normal up that long drag and it was a relief to reach the top, stopping for only a few seconds to remove my woolly gloves that were causing my hands to over heat. Having swapped the saddle for one with less set back my Defy felt more stable than normal and we all swooped down past Broad Oak and past Brede, Marcus was convinced he was heading for a PB on the decent but this was thwarted when we were caught by the temporary traffic lights at the bottom. With close to a full moon lighting our way we had a good safe approach to Stonestile before I had to ask one more effort of my aching muscles to get to the top and finally get some relief, LOL.

HSLCC Weds Chaingang- Year Of The Newbies

Nigel And Kie, Newbies No More!

After some difficult weeks battling into the wind on the way out followed by Strava busting wind on our backs during the return leg, it was a relief to ride in cooler but much calmer conditions. Although we have missed a couple of riders unable to ride with us this season (in particular chaingang master Chris Watson) we have gained more new riders than we have lost. Kie and Nigel are two of them. Kie is so new that he has not been able to build up a winter kit yet and is still riding in shorts and summer jersey (brrrr). Despite the cold this was his best performance so far and Kie was able to lead the slow group most of the way out to Pevensey. Nigel was as strong as ever and despite riding one of the heavier bikes in the club, he can now mix with the'big' boys in the fast group.We haven't seen much of Matt this season leaving Stuart and Sean as arguably the strongest riders of the front group on this calm evening. Our little post ride pub group has grown steadily with seven off us retiring to the Anchor pub in George street to peruse the designs for our new club kit sent to us from Chris W

Wiggle Hellfire Sportive 10 November

Through Strava, I've met a great bunch of cyclists that loosely style themselves as the Road Junkies.  We thought we'd fit in a final sportive this year before grinding out the winter miles on local roads.  This sportive fitted the bill nicely - we settled on the standard course of 54 miles, but there were short (23 miles) and epic (86 miles) options to suit your taste.

Starting at the Kent Showground at Maidstone, we set off down a steep, narrow, muddy, wet, rutted, pot-holed, slippery track - in single file - unable to pedal and shivering on the bars like jellies in the fridge.  Mix in a good number of riders fixing punctures, straightening wheels, gluing broken frames and setting fractured limbs (ok, slight exaggeration) and you'll get the picture nicely.  I'm afraid these road conditions were too frequent for my liking throughout the ride, although I felt a little smug as I rode through the chaos on 25mm winter tyres, but slightly envious of those on mountain bikes.  The upside is that we met very little traffic, but when we did it made passing difficult for all involved and on occasion tempers frayed.  I wonder if wider roads might be safer even if traffic speeds are higher?

To be fair, there were plenty of better roads on the route and the cool wind was fairly light.  The sun was shining as brightly as it can in November.  The late autumn colour in the cherry orchards and chestnut coppices was stunning, a real visual treat.  After the deluges of the recent Wiggle South Downs sportive, I was grateful that the only water was on the roads and none was falling from above, although some roads were completely flooded in places.

As for my companions, they dropped me after about 10km.  My excuse?  I tried a 'cube shot' energy block with caffeine and I think it disagreed with me quite violently.  My heart rate shot up, I felt sick & faint.  I nearly jacked it in at the feed station, but pride wouldn't allow it.  I felt well enough to continue after some rest, water and jelly beans, but I struggled over the rest of the ride and came in 30 minutes behind them, feeling disappointed.  A long solo ride whilst feeling crap was not the plan!  Has anyone else had this problem?

The Wiggle events do seem well organised.  Signing on is efficient, signage is generally good, the feed station was well stocked and I got a medal (woohoo) and goody bag.  I understand why they choose the roads they do but I wonder if it's always the best strategy to include a large amount of C (D?) roads in poor condition.  I think they're a bit pricey - £20 or so would be better value - but overall, despite the grumbles and self-inflicted discomfort, it was a good morning out

Neil Smith

6 November - Neil's First Wednesday Chaingang

I've been flirting with trying a club ride for most of the year.  This Wednesday I finally made it, although my enthusiasm was tempered by the weather forecast.  Winds of 25 to 45mph were expected, with a chance of rain.  Perfect conditions for a debut in the chain gang then...

Meeting club members for the first time can be a daunting prospect.  Would people be friendly? Would I be the only person with mudguards? And would I be the only 'enthusiast' to turn up on that stormy evening?  The answers were one yes and two nos - people were great, very approachable; a fair sprinkling of folk had mudguards & I guess 15 or so riders were in attendance.

The two features of the outward leg to the Pevensey roundabout were a stiff, blustery headwind and, once clear of the last street lights on Herbrand Walk, the darkness of the marshes.  I thought my front light was reasonably bright.  How wrong I was!  I couldn't see a thing but thankfully I was riding nip & tuck with a gent riding a nice carbon fibre Giant and an even nicer front arc light that lit my way very nicely.  I returned the favour by dazzling him with my rear light.

Having drawn breath & gathered in all the stragglers, we launched into the wind-assisted return leg.  The thought of surfing the gale homeward had kept me going on the way out, so I set off at the front, thinking I could perhaps build up a small lead.  I flew blindly into bends, my legs enjoying the relief of spinning with little resistance.  Where was everyone?  Soon enough, a pool of light started to grow around me as the H&StLCC express train reeled me in and then swished by.  There are clearly some fast riders in the group, with a range of abilities in between them and, er, me.  I fell into friendly competition with Kate (another newbie), doing my best to hold her off until I ran out of legs on Cooden Drive.

I enjoyed the ride.  It's a shortish but intense workout that gives you the chance to really push yourself, if that's what you want, in good company.  People decide on the pace they want to ride at and there is no pressure to meet a set speed.  I'm looking forward to riding with the club again in less extreme conditions.  My one piece of advice is to make sure you've got a good front light!

Neil Smith

The Lone Warrior

The 'Troll' Puts Stonestile To Shame!

With 2 out of 3 forecasts predicting a dry night I was a bit surprised to find myself being lone chain-ganger.I wanted to ride what with Saturday looking grim and Sundays ride will be short so I can get to the Remembrance ceremony.Riding on your own in the dark certainly sharpens your senses and this was enhanced by coming across 2 lads in the gloom at the bottom of Stonestile with their car parked jauntily in the hedge.I was rather relieved when on enquiring they said they where ok as I didn't really fancy stopping.The rest of the climb up Stonestile reminded me a bit of Trollsfjord in Norway where some of the shapes and shadows get your mind a bit more active than it needs to be.Just an aside I Have signed up for the Tour of Flanders Challenge next April.Well it didn't rain and I am glad I got out,hope to see you all
, Simon G

Fri Night Ride 1/11-Wet, Wet Wet (aka Metin, Marcus and Nigel)

Despite heavy rain forecast for 8pm I left home just after 7pm and
headed for Fairlight lodge. I accepted that there might be rain
somewhere at 8pm, but my hopeless optimism assured me that not a drop
would fall in the Fairlight/ Rye/ Broad Oak area.
I was the only cyclist when I arrived at the lodge. As I waited I
watched small specks of rain passing though my light's beam, “it's not
raining - it'll pass” I told myself.
At 29 minutes past and still alone I was contemplating that maybe the
forecast was correct and everyone had more sense. Then Marcus turned up,
shortly followed by Metin. Read into that what you will.
As the roads were damp and it was only the three of us we decided to do
the usual route, but take it easy and stick together.
Marcus was up front as we crossed the brow of Battery Hill, but with
Metin and myself making use of our brakes for a cautious descent Marcus
soon disappeared into the distance. I pondered if Marcus had the best
tyres; failing brakes; or the biggest balls ? Once we'd regrouped on the
Pett Level Road I asked and Marcus explained his “brake aversion“ as
wasted energy (which I interpreted as bigger balls as wasting energy or
not I was too much of a wimp to go any faster on a wet descent).
Thanks to Steve's earlier email we knew the path through the nature
reserve was still covered in stones from the recent bad weather, so we
took the main road to Rye.
Although I was still ignoring the rain and in denial I could tell that
Metin, as he donned his waterproofs in Rye, was accepting the cold wet
truth. “He'll get too hot in those”, I told myself.
Minutes later on the Udimore road, like the Vietnam scene from Forest
Gump, it began to rain, “stinging rain...and big old fat rain. Rain that
flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up
from underneath”
Layers of water flowed over the road, pot holes hid in puddles, and one
of these bit Metin's front tube resulting in a pinch puncture. While
Metin changed the tube in particularly cold sideways rain any warmth
Marcus and myself had generated so far on the ride disappeared, I
suspected Metin was substantially warmer in his waterproofs.
Keen to try out my new Lezyne pump and warm myself up (and like a true
gent) I offered to inflate Metin's tyre, delaying us even further as
after inflation I let all the air out again by inadvertently unscrewing
the valve core from the stem when removing the pump.
Marcus and I were cold and wet by the time the ride resumed, and we used
opposite tactics to generate heat, Marcus pulling a high gear to get the
blood pumping, myself in a low gear to spin some heat into myself. I
noted Metin cycling normally, warm (and smug?) in his waterproofs.
Any heat we'd regenerated by the time we reached the Broad Oak cross
roads was lost during the descent. I formed an aerodynamic shape, not to
speed my descent but to minimise exposure to the cold air blowing
through my wet clothes.
The monsoon eased a little but the water from it still flowed off the
fields and across the road in centimetre thick sheets, so we skipped the
Doleham lane cut though and stuck to the main river (formerly known as
the A28).
I usually dread Stonestile but as a heat generating opportunity I was
keen to get there on this ride, there were a few impromptu fords to
negotiate on the approach but once we were above the water table we
blasted up the main climb.
We may have got cold and very wet but the feeling at the top of
Stonestile, while we gasped for breath and emitted steam, was strangely
and immensely satisfying - it felt like we'd taken on Nature and won.
Marcus summed up the ride up in two words, “character building”.

Nigel

3/11 Club Ride to Horam

Dont Look So Worried Malcolm, Its Only A Club Ride!

Tom 'Audax' Norris Joins Us For A Club Ride For The First Time

Today's club ride led by Chris P took us out to one of our top cafe stops, the 'lakeside' at Horam. Chris has a number of different routes to get to there but I must say that of all the ones I have been on, this was the best and longest. The route had a lot of up and down on quiet roads which were in surprisingly good conditions. The section through Bodle Street Green, Rushlake Green and Cowbeech were particularly enjoyable. With us on his first ever club ride was Tom 'audax' Norris from the Weds chaingang/timetrials .Normally Tom is well ahead of me but today he was slightly off the pace, not helped by riding an old comfortable but heavy steel Peugeot  road bike from the nineties. Another newbie with us was Malcolm C, this was only his second club ride. Malcolm had already done a fast 'bacon butty' ride the day before so to come out for another 60 miles was pretty heroic! All day we were buffeted by some strong gusts but once we left the (as always excellent ) cafe we had the wind at our backs almost all the way back. Just like at last weeks reliability trial ,I felt  unusually good on the bike and once we got to familiar roads decided to push a little harder and left Chris and Malcolm C behind with just Malc D staying with me. Thanks to Chris for yet again mapping out in his computer like brain an excellent route. I have saved this as a gpx file so we can repeat it again on a day when Chris is not available.

25/10 HSLCC Fri Ride- Rolling Stones

It was another warm and windy October evening for the weekly Hastings Friday night ride. When I arrived at Fairlight Lodge, Malcom, John Stainsby in his amazing super-reflective Castelli gear, Trevor, John Vidler and Marcus were all chatting. A few moments later Simon Grogan arrived on his Giant, John Stainsby called time and we set off down Battery Hill. Unlike last week, tonight the wind was pushing us firmly in the direction of Rye, and the 7 of us had to descend carefully down to Pett Level. I think it was Trevor, Marcus and John Vidler who made the first break, enjoying the crazy speeds possible with the tailwind, arriving at the gate for the nature reserve road before the rest of us. Much to my surprise Nigel had joined the group, having just missed us leaving but chasing on down Battery Hill after seeing the trail of red lights. Not easy! We were chatting while riding along the narrow nature reserve road when there was a big shout of “Stones!” out front. The shingle had spread across the right-hand side of the road, and with us riding two-a-breast, the rider on the right didn’t have much choice but to ride over it, bouncing and slipping over the pebbles, and hoping for the best. Luckily no one came off, but it was pretty treacherous in patches all the way to the left-hander taking you out of the nature reserve.

On the hill going up to the Udimore Road the pace of the climbing was brutally quick, despite the strong winds. After losing John Vidler’s wheel, I tried to stay with John Stainsby, who was sixth man, but I couldn’t hang on. By the time the road levelled out myself and Simon were left at the back. The wind was ferocious in sections, and we took it in turns to shield each other all the way to Broad Oak, which made it far, far easier. It’s a shame the road resurfacing work hasn’t actually improved the road at all here - there were at least two or three pot holes that were difficult to avoid, and the surface is ridiculously rough.

On the way down to Westfield we split again. Malcolm, Trevor and John Vidler were ahead and were first up Stonestile. John Stainsby peeled off homeward bound. I rode up the hill with Marcus, managing to stay on his wheel until the flatter section where he really piled on the speed. With the summit in sight Simon caught and passed me with some serious momentum, standing up and powering his way to the top. When I arrived the recent finishers looked to be in agony, hunched over the bars and gasping for air. I pulled up and involuntarily did the same. A few moments later Nigel arrived, we all agreed it was a good ride, said some hasty goodbyes and headed home. It was another really good Friday night ride. I’ll certainly be trying to make it whenever I can.

Metin