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