29/10- Order resumed with two starts to the Chain Gang‏

Malc Welcolmes James Bennett To His First Chaingang

The Hastings Chain Gang has been getting too popular for its own good with a number of potentially dangerous situations arising when there were about 34 riders, including several first timers, out last week.  There were also several reports of ragged riding and some even feeling uncomfortable enough to sit up and drop out of large unwieldy groups. So the proposed two fast group start was introduced this week and it worked very well.


Stuart and Barney set off calling the shots in a gang of 10 as 14 waited chatting for two minutes before their start. It was surprising how many had stayed to ride the second group, some had thought everyone would be clamouring to ride with "Stuart's fast group". At one stage in the roll out at 19:29 there seemed to be a reluctance to join the first group and it looked that it might have been a bit short of riders. Perhaps billing both groups as fast helped by making sure those in the second group were not tarnished with the label slow! It certainly was not slow.

Nick  Shows Off his Strange Attire!

With a smaller group Stuart soon had everyone well organised and working together smoothly to set a quick pace. A couple dropped off after a while and had the option of sitting up and waiting to jump on to the second group as it came past.


John V, Ivan and several other strong riders made sure the pace of the second group soon wound up, and they made sure others did their stint on the front. Some riders were shed to pair up or go solo to the gathering point on the concrete apron to the gate just before Pevensey roundabout. I enjoyed a ride on my own off the back, passing first timer James who had punctured before the crossing but said he did not need any help, and then turning back after descending Spookey Hill so that I could see how the return leg shaped up on the final run in along Cooden Drive.


Since it was a warm and dry evening (although the roads were wet) and there were only about 24 riders, a wet afternoon must have put quite a few off, the first group had decided to chat and wait for everyone to arrive before setting off back to Bexhill. Care was taken for the first mile as the whole group raised the pace and started to line out in the run up to Galley Hill. The rise seeded several groups and by Cooden Drive, where I was chatting to President Stuart, there was an impressive lead group of eight riders working very well together at high speed. Several groups had formed and were also working well together on the run in to the end of the ride. A scattering of solo riders that had not been able to hang on to their group were in TT mode rather than siting up to wait and join the next group as it came along.

One Pub Lock Lock was Not Enough

A Post Pub Ivan manages To stay Upright!

The general consensus at the Bexhill lights was that the two group start had worked very well and should become a regular feature until the numbers drop below 18 when conditions deteriorate.

Nine of us ended up in The Anchor to rehydrate, chat about equipment, the weekend rides and the Chain Gang. All agreed that groups of 4 to 8 riders are easier to organise in a good through and off routine with lots of short sharp shouts so everyone knows what is going on, leaving riders who have come through too fast to hang off the front (several names mentioned ......) and recognising those that are on their limit and cannot pull a turn on the front.



Chris Parker

Kent CA Reliability Trial 26/10

All Ready To be Our Normal 'Unreliable' Selves 

A great turnout for this year's Kent CA reliability trial. As well as ten HSLCC members we were joined by Roy Beeley, Dave Dixon and Nick Bridger. There was general mirth when riders realised that we had put down a completion time of five hours, four hours would have been more like it! As usual Steve D was champing at the bit and we had to hold him back just long enough to get a group photo and get our entry cards signed. The entry cards showed six checkpoints so it looked like there would be plenty of little rest stops (in the end there were only four)

We all set off at quite a brisk pace with Steve D leading most of the time and were happily sweeping up other riders as we went. I was leading when we came up to a road junction at the top of a long hill. Seeing a car coming I pulled up to wait but Steve and the others went past me slipping through on the inside. I set off in pursuit but being a poor descender they were pulling further away from me. I was temporarily in a group of one.

When I did eventually catch the riders up, the group had fragmented into several small groups with the leading group being nowhere in sight. Eventually we came across Dave at the side of the road fixing a puncture. Everyone pulled over to assist but myself and Nigel must have been a Zen like state as we selfishly just carried on. perhaps we had the thought in our sub conciousness that we would catch up with the fast group?

There was one nasty bit where we had to cross the M25. As we waited for a gap in the fast traffic we caught a glimpse of Diego in the distance. It looked like we had done it and would soon be back  in the fold . It turned out that the reason we had caught them up at this point was because on the opposite side of the motorway was a control point but we were completely oblivious to this at the time and set off in pursuit of Diego (very unreliable). Climbing up a fairly steep hill we had to go to the aid of a cyclist whose pedal was wobbling about . It looked like the thread had gone in the crank arm, there was no other advice we could give him except to ride to the nearest train station before the thing fell off. Unfortunately we had lost so much time we knew it was going to be impossible to catch up with the  fast group but perhaps we could find another group to tag along with? Strangely we seemed to be in 'no man's land and for the next 25 miles the only groups we came across were women or mixed groups that were going too slow for us leaving us no choice but to overtake them all.

Meanwhile in the fast group, Steve D had 'blown up' and got dropped as did Malcolm C who then managed to get lost and had no choice but to hang around for some 15 minutes until a group of cyclists appeared that he could tag along with . This would mean that Malc C would arrive at HQ long after everyone else!

Myself and Nigel pressed on as a two man team taking turns to shield each other from the wind. . Nigel has been overworked and fighting an infection for the last six weeks and  wasn't his usual speedy self, so for once we were quite evenly matched. We had one hairy moment when a huge articulated lorry decided to overtake us down a steep hill, the driver misjudged  just how fast we were going and passed by on our side with a couple of feet to spare. I held my breathe as it went past concentrating on holding a straight line while hoping not to hit any potholes which would bounce me into one of its gigantic wheels.

Diego Picks Up A War-wound In The Last Couple of Miles!

Apart from the lorry the route had been impressively free of traffic, also there was only one substantial hill . The main problem on the ride was the kind of tarmac they seem to use in this part of Kent which was much rougher than what we are used to. So it was a relief when we found ourselves with only five miles to go. The familiar figure of Malc D was soon spotted outside a pub waving us down. Malc suggested we stop here and have a drink or two so that we could get back to HQ at the right time to be reliable, but as Nigel and myself had missed the third  checkpoint we decided to press on to the finish where we ended up nearly an hour ahead of time and about ten minutes behind the fast group.

So alas yet again we were all completely unreliable, LOL, but the main thing is
we enjoyed a well organised event on quiet country roads. See you here again next year?

Warm, fast and busy

First Ever Ride With HSCC For James Climpson

Warm, dry weather and light winds helped ensure a good turn out last night, with around 34 riders geared up to make the dash across the marshes.  I think that's the most we've had start this season.

We opted for a subtle, low-key rolling start to avoid a large crowd of riders jostling for position along the front.  A faster group formed quickly, riding swiftly up South Cliff, whilst a middle group of 7 or so riders got going with a reasonable attempt at through and off.  It didn't last long as a larger group caught up and broke the rhythm, to the annoyance of some.  We did our best to bring order to the enthusiastic mass, but it didn't really work - too many riders and too much midweek energy.

On the latter part of the marshes I joined John V and some others.  John had pulled off the front so an organised group could get going again.  This worked and we made better progress as a group than we would have riding in a more disorganised fashion.

For the benefit of the less experienced (and I'm no expert), this is what the chain gang is about.  We work together to go faster in a controlled manner.  We ride no more than two abreast and we ride in single file through hazards, such as the bridge at the Star Inn.  We all do our turn at the front and try to keep a constant or gradually rising pace.  We communicate all the time, for safety and enjoyment.

It's not so easy when your working hard on the road - perhaps you'll find yourself in a faster group or with less experienced riders - but it gets better with practice.  You'll have rides or sections of rides when it all works smoothly - you're in a group you can keep up with, everyone's riding with self-restraint and the group really motors.  Everyone gets a workout and a rest.  It's a real buzz.  Look at the youtube clip below for explanation.

As I say, I'm no expert, so I'll stop going on about it other than to admit that I rode like a knob on a few earlier rides, but thankfully others brought me to heel before I hurt myself and others.

A large group set off for the return, with a little bit of wind assistance.  I managed to hang on much longer than usual, getting to the end of Herbrand Walk, just in touch with a thinning group of a dozen.  They accelerated hard down Cooden Drive and I was dropped.  The rest of the chain gang came into the lights in odds and ends or small groups.  Lots of chat ensued, with differing views on how the evening had gone.  Perhaps it's time we insist on faster and slower groups when there's more than 24 or so riders.  Below this number the chain gang sorts itself out quite well

AUDAX HILLIER & LONGER

Seeing that the weather was due to be unseasonably warm JV and i decided to cycle to Chailey for the annual running of the Audax hillier.
John had arranged to meet me in Battle around 6.15am, i was regretting that a bit after still being up at 1am cleaning my bike so only having 4 hours sleep.
We decided to leave the base layers, gloves and long sleeves at home and we made our via Windmill hill and Herstmonceaux guided by John's new toy, a Garmin 810. (more of that later)
As we made our way westwards through Laughton and towards Ringmer, with the sun was rising and apart from a stiffish headwind, it really felt like a morning in June not late October.
After a brisk pace, we arrived at Chailey village hall to sign on around 8.15, just in time for the start and where we'd arranged to meet seasoned Audaxer Tom Norris.
Once we'd signed on, re-filled water bottles and done various ablutions we got on our way.
Tom had already set off, so made a quick start to catch him up.
It became quickly apparent why the ride was called Hillier, because it seems the organisers had deliberately seeked out all the climbs and long drags around the local area.
After a few miles and at the top of another long steep climb we found that we'd gone off course as Johns Garmin had decided to stop giving us instructions at the junctions and even Toms old school routesheet couldn't help.
We finally got back on route and made our way up into the Ashdown Forest, to the bottom of Kidds hill, luckily turning right, away from the climb. We'd need our climbing legs though when the route took in the nasty, but sort of fun, Cob Lane.
The roads overall were pretty bad, as we'd had a lot of rain the night before and the grip wasn't great especially on some the roads the Audax organisers tend to favour.
They then took as up a really bad road at one point which was totally unmade up a steep climb, around 7-9 % . It felt like we were in a one day classic as everyone struggled to stay upright and searching for grip to get up the incline.
Unfortunately one other rider dismounted halfway up, so everyone then had to get around him. John couldn't get any grip, slid sideways and came down in the pack right in front of me. i just managed to unclip before running him over, thankfully apart from a cut knee and elbow no real damage done.
We continued on, refuelling briefly at the Esso garage onto the control point to be greeted with some very welcome hotdogs and coffee.
The route continued on along most of the unmade hilly roads in the local area. The bottom bracket on Toms bike was now ticking like a grandfather clock as he made his way up the climbs, we crossed our fingers it would hold out.
His bottom bracket and our tiring legs would now be tested in a big way as Ditchling Beacon
fast approached.
We finally made our way to the bottom of the climb, and pushed slowly up the descent.
As we snaked around the climb, the painted names 'DOWSETT, ROACHE, SIMPSON and even PANTANI' left on the road from the Tour really inspired us to get to the top.
After a quick breather and a photo we then made our way quickly back down and back towards the finish.
We put the hammer down in last few miles, and 500 metres from the finish line Tom cheekily put in a sprint finish. Me and John already had 100 miles in our legs but we weren't going to let him get away with that one, and we both pipped him at the post.
We then refulled with some soup, bread and coffee before saying goodbye to Tom who had sensibly driven over.
John and i retraced our steps back to the A22 and down across the marshes to Pevensey, where John had more techhy issues, it seems the Garmin hadn't recorded part of the days ride, and he also hadn't restarted it on the way back. Oh dear.
We finally made our way along Sluice lane, through Bexhill and up the drag of London road into Battle.
By then we were totally running on empty.
Even John was flagging. My Garmin read 138 miles, so i can't think why.


Over and out 
Lee S

18/10 Saturday Early Bird- Scotney Hilltastic

'Cote De Goudhurst' 2007

Its been a long time since I have organised a Saturday early bird so I was pleasantly surprised to find that nine riders were up for the ride.This included a very rare appearance from Adam who had managed to get out for a ride despite his wife being only three weeks away from giving birth! This is the second time we have ridden this tough route classified as 'very hilly' with a hill density of 98 feet per mile. Apart from one muddy section near Bowman's farm the road conditions were excellent for the time of year and with the sound of birds singing in the warm sunshine, it felt more like May rather than mid October. The highlight of the ride for me was the long and quite steep climb up the A262 towards the 'Cote de Goudhurst' which is marked by the attractive church at the top, this climb was used by the tour de France in 2007, Stewart recognised this climb straight away and told me he had promised himself never to do it again,LOL. After a quick stop to catch our breaths we embarked on the mid section of the ride which was on fast B roads before reaching Sandhurst where the route became more up and down again. By the time we neared Sedlescombe we all had stiff legs but there was no easy finish to the ride as we then had to ride up past the vineyard, through 'Three Oaks' before finally reaching the top of Rocks lane. We all agreed this is a great route but one that I can claim no credit for,as I originally downloaded it from one of the cycle forums.

Brief Respite After The Climb!

15/10 Wet Chain Gang

Another week, another Wednesday night chain gang, and another notch nearer winter. Last night was that bit darker, wetter and windy but 15 deluded souls turned up regardless to brave the elements and stretch their stiff midweek legs. Besides, the forecast said the rain would dry up and it's always right.

The minute we set off the rain changed from light spits to heavy, rapid splashes, smacking us in the face as we set out along Bexhill front. Pedalling faster to stay warmer, I felt the cold rain soak through my water resistant arm warmers, through my gillet and then through my longs and shorts. Rain mixed with sweat ran down behind my glasses and stung my eyes. My torch beam caught the silver balls of rain bursting on the road as we swished soggily towards South Cliff. Water falling from above, water thrown up from below and water blown sideways at us - yep, this was a wet one alright. Grit teeth, head down and press on...

We were making swift but restrained progress in roughly two groups just a few seconds apart. The wind was racing over the sea and squeezing through the gap between the houses and the hotel at Cooden, sending each riders' wheels sideways at the corner, then blasting them towards the Herbrand Walk turn.

Riding in a group of seven or so, we rode through and off along Herbrand Walk, the windiest part of the ride. The rain was pelting down harder, making it very hard to see clearly. The stretch of road between the level crossing and the Star Inn was peppered with small road works, signs and barriers, creating a sloshy, splashy slalom along the twisting road. We filed-up, swinging left and right through the obstacles as they loomed in our lights, splitting puddles with our wheels. I thought the group did a great job of supporting each other with clear shouts and signals, reigning in the more enthusiastic riders wanting to overtake in riskier places.

Normal if rather wet service was resumed once we were clear of the road works at the foot of Spooky Hill. John V said 'I'm going for it' and pressed on up the hill. I followed him and so did most of the riders as I made the head of the group on the downward slope. We rode through and off for the remainder of the leg, riding well together in testing conditions.

At the turn, the superb Stuart Hodd wasn't keen to hang around (sensible man). So after a quick count (where was Chris?), we turned around and headed homeward, thinking about hot food and dry clothes. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying myself, but sometimes, like with toothache or a hangover, it's nice when it stops. Hopes of a helpful wind came to nothing as the breeze was mostly across us on both legs of the ride.

The return leg was more disjointed. I ended up in a small group from Herbrand Walk onwards. Stuart and Barney had sped ahead to join a group a few hundred metres on from us; I tried to follow but again, same place same result - not enough go in the legs. We ground our way toward the station, our rhythm broken a little by the junction, then rode around a wet and windy Cooden corner. I think there was five of us - Simon G and Kie on their fixie for sure, perhaps Tom and Stuart too - it's a bit of a rainy blur. Anyhow, we continued another good group ride to the lights and realised, once we'd caught our breath, that it had stopped raining. Well hurray!

Thoroughly soaked, we didn't hang around here either. Time to get home as soon as possible. I had a puddle in each shoe and what felt like a cold, wet newspaper in my shorts. I peeled off the soaking layers in the garage, bundled it all in the washing machine, dried off, got dressed, reheated dinner and flopped in front of the telly, feeling that nice post-chain gang glow of satisfaction. 'The Apprentice' was the family choice.

I thought about going back out again but concluded I'd probably be locked out. Or locked up.

Neil

Winchelsea 100km Audax – Sunday 12th October

The Start Of A Great day!

It was a quarter to eight start at the Bridge Café where Malcolm Carr & I met Steve Curtis, who kindly gave us a lift to Hailsham for the kick-off.  We got to the start point in plenty of time and met up with Derek, Nick and Tom.  Sign on was quick with organizer David Hudson efficiently handing out Brevet cards whilst simultaneously serving tea and coffee.  With everyone ready we set out just before nine, catching up with a large group of our fellow Audaxers as we hit the familiar roads on the way to Hankam.  There was a good selection of riders from all over Sussex sporting jerseys from Eastbourne Rovers, Lewes Wanderers, Brighton Excelsior & more.  I found myself riding next to a seasoned Audaxer who had travelled over from Chichester to ride.

Soon we were though Pevensey and on to the ‘home turf’ of Hebrand Walk, and then Bexhill and Hastings seafronts, before starting the long drag up Harold Road and Barley Lane.  A brief regroup at the top and we made our descent of Battery Hill, glad that we weren’t one of the many riders slogging their way up in the other direction, taking part in the Big Dipper Sportive organized by Velopace. Once out on Pett Level we were passed by a group of riders making quicker progress.  Not to miss an opportunity we jumped on their wheels and followed them to the first checkpoint at Winchelsea.  We were already nearly 30 miles in (sorry 50km, this is an Audax after all) and the fantastic spread of hot and cold drinks, along with box upon box of sandwiches, chocolates, cakes and fruit was a welcome sight.  The flapjacks were especially nice, I tried three or four just make sure.  I’m certain one of the reasons I cycle is to lose weight, or at least not put it on – mmm, time to move on!

Leaving Winchelsea, and heading further inland we joined the Udimore Road only to be greeted by some familiar faces and club jerseys sportive-ing in the other direction.

Superb Choice Of Grub Courtesy Of 'El Supremo'

After a flat start, the ride through Broad Oak and across the A21 brought us to the hillier second half of the ride.  This started to break up the larger bunch of riders into smaller groups, who we would pass, and then in turn be passed by for the remainder of the ride.  Our group of six stopped by the White Hart Inn at Netherfield to re-form, but wait, there was only five of us, where was Nick?  We waited for a few minutes, but decided he must have taken an alternative route.  We pressed on only to be rejoined by Nick at a junction about a mile down the road.

Progressing on toward Heathfield, Horam and then back into Hailsham the hills didn’t diminish, if anything getting a little steeper and more frequent.  At least the state of many of the roads was pretty good, not the oft found minefield of pot-holes.  Steve liking the route decided this circuit would be ideal for a future club ride, I agreed, so watch this space…

One final hill and we were back where we started, with many of the riders finishing within a few minutes of each other.  Grabbing a hot coffee and some more food, I handed in my Brevet card only to be quizzed by the official “What was the distance marked on the sign-post from Horam to Black Boys?”.  Blindly following everyone else I hadn’t paid enough attention to my route, and so had not looked out for the sign that acted as an unmanned check-point.  Whooops!  I got the answer from a fellow rider and returned.  He agreed to mark up my card for me.  I must remember to pay more attention to the instructions next time.

After a quick guided tour of Hailsham’s housing estates, courtesy of Steve’s Sat Nav, we arrived back in St. Leonards just as the rain arrived.  After the last week, we’d been very lucky the weather had held out just long enough to allow for a very pleasurable ride.

Paul Butler

10/10 Fri Night Ride- Storm Corridor

Andy Is Ready For His First Ever Friday Night Ride!

With heavy rain at 4;30 I decided to abandon any hope of riding the Friday night ride and so stayed late at work until the caretakers booted me out at 5:45. Cycling home I was surprised how pleasant the weather was, it was quite warm, the wind had dropped and the roads had dried out very quickly. So despite only having time to throw a bowl of cereal down my throat I was there at the lodge (7:30) together with eight others. This included Andy L on his first ever Fri Night ride.It was great to see Andy there but I was bit concerned for Andy when I saw the pitiful light output from his front lamp. For the Friday night ride a powerful minimum 300 lumens output light is really essential. last week I was so badly dropped by the others down Battery hill that this week I suggested I descend on my own two minutes before the others. Andy decided he would descend with me but on arrival at the bottom I looked behind me only to see no sign of Andy , concerned that he may have fallen off in the dark I pulled over to the side to wait for him. I then heard a whooshing sound and could see bright head lights coming down the hill, the speed it was moving I thought it was a car but a few seconds later Marcus and Malcolm swept past me at an impressive speed. How they do that amazes me, they must have night vision like cats. Fortunately Andy had not fallen off and we all regrouped near the Harbour entrance. There was beautiful full moon in the sky which a mysterious red glow (a partial blood moon?), This kept us amused as we traversed the reserve. The darkness was occasionally lit up by lightening flashes to the left and right of us, we realised we were riding in a calm corridor before the two storms and hoped we would finish the ride before the corridor was squeezed out .Without Derek or Pete around I had a lonely climb up to Broadoak. Not wanting to delay the others any longer I shouted a cheery 'not stopping' and immediately began the descent down towards Brede valley. Unlike last week there was no fog to obscure the view and before long we were climbing up the 'Doleham cut through' where Andy exclaimed his love of hills (a comment that he may have regretted later!). Onto the Stonestile approach we rode with Andy enquiring where the climb started. We told him not to worry as it would be pretty obvious when you got there, lol. Hitting the initial slopes of Stonestile Andy soon found out he was in the wrong gear and had to get off and push for a while before the slope eased. The traditional successful first ascent photo of Stonestile will have to wait for another day!

Classic Chain Gang

 The forecast had been bad for days - wind and heavy rain showers for most of the week. Good! Proper chain gang conditions, none of this 'warm, dry and still' rubbish. I was looking forward to a tough outward leg into the wind, then surfing the breeze back into Bexhill.

 I was less keen after getting soaked walking home from the station. "You're mad" said no2 daughter. "I won't be the only one " says I. "You're ALL mad!" says she.

So, I joined 23 other madmen, in the dark, for some hardcore chain gang, although as the inestimable Stuart Hodd pointed out, it wasn't cold enough to be truly hardcore. That'll come soon enough. As we've not had much rain of late, the roads were greasy and Stuart sensibly called for a careful ride with lots of communication. I think we did a good job of that.

 Well ordered progress was made along Bexhill front. A car driver at a junction stared in bemusement as our large group made steady progress across them. You could see them thinking "I don't usually stop for cyclists, but there's so many of them, what do I do"? They waited, we spun our pedals and were gone.

 The south-westerly headwind was blustery rather than consistently strong, at least until we reached Herbrand Walk. By that point, the faster riders were already through the level crossing and I was riding in a small group with Simon G and Kie. We had passed Stuart and Barney near the end of Cooden Drive. I thought it was a puncture but Stuart later told me that Barney had, with his 'awesome power', snapped his left hand crank clean through, a couple of inches down from the pedal. Well, the obvious answer to that problem is a new bike, not least as it's nearly Christmas.

 Turning away from the beach and the worst of the wind, our small group of six or so riders made fairly tidy 'through and off' progress across the marsh. Plenty of spray was thrown up from the road, caught as sparkling beads in our lights, with the odd short & sharp shower adding to the wetness. Stuart Hodd sped by to catch the fast boys. Frankly, that was dispiriting, but we ground onwards, encouraging everyone to do a turn at the front. The windy conditions slowed things down compared to last week's ride and I think this helped the group riding - we needed to work together to make headway.

 I was pleased to finish the outward leg without feeling too done in (riding in a group works) and I think we were all looking forward to an easier return leg. The risk now was of the wind helping us go too fast, especially when coming through to take a turn at the front, and then of the group having to work too hard to stay with the lead rider.

 A group of 12 or so riders forged ahead and upped the pace across the marsh. I bust a gut to do a couple of turns on the front, the group reducing and the pace increasing as we crested and then flew down from the 'summit' of Spooky Hill. There was lots of calling as we rounded the bend near the Normans Bay level crossing, with riders holding really good and steady lines as we swooped through the puddles here. The pressure stayed on along the short straight to the Star Inn. I shouted 'holes, left and right', someone in yellow (Malcolm?) came past me and then we were all shouting 'CAR!!' as we eased off towards the bridge, loudly enough to make people spill their pints.

 Once through the bridge we were then in turn shouting 'clear', pressing hard again on the pedals. Man in yellow was joined by Stuart. I got out of the saddle to stay with them, but they eased away. Four others went by me and that group of six went off into the distance. My legs didn't have the power to reach them ('give me more power Scotty', 'she cannae take it Captain,'), so I hunkered down and kept spinning.

 A rider was tucked in behind me along Herbrand and I bossily called him through. We turned onto Cooden Drive and were joined by Tom Norris, riding head down and pushing hard. We rotated the length of the drive, the pace quickening and Tom's complaints increasing before we eased off well before the lights. Good hard riding and great fun. Tom and I had been riding with Dan, who rode really strongly and finished with a big grin on his face. That's what it's all about.

 It was good to see Kie on his fixie, a lovely looking Kona I think, and with Simon G on his that made two on the ride. Tough going into that wind! It makes me hanker after a good winter steed but I dare not... I will this week put a 25mm Conti 4 season tyre on the rear wheel, but keeping the 23mm tyre on the front. I've ridden this setup before as I get more rear than front punctures. I hope this will see me safely through the weekend jaunt on the Velopace Little Dipper sportive. See you there.

Neil Smith

Harrow run- the early version

The thermometers at home said 7 degrees and it certainly felt every bit that cold as I left Battle for the Harrow at 6.45. Definitely the first proper cold day of the year.
We met at the Harrow at 7 on the dot. First to arrive was Paul b, JV closely followed by Hight, new rider James and finally David Morris who had given up waiting for Dan to get out of bed.
We made our way as we normally do up the ridge, down Chick hill and along the front at Winchelsea where the temperature dropped and began attacking our extremities.
We weren't cold for too long as we pushed hard up the climb of Dumb woman's lane and then along Udimore road, through Rye and the drag of the Military canal.
The weather at this point was glorious, crisp biting cold but a unbroken blue sky that was made even better by the sight of two hot balloons drifting across the vista.
As we made the route across towards Brenzett we stopped briefly to greet the balloonists as they came in to land, and not crashing as I first thought.
Our route took us up towards Ham Street, up the climb at Woodchurch and finally to our usual stop at Tenterden.
After taking on some fuel including David's excellent fig, chocolate and orange bar we set off on the return route via Benenden, Iden and Sandhurst.
It was a really nice route back taking in a fair few drags and lumps which was made all the worse by me capturing all the suffering on film with my new toy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGVHr5jcB_A

We finally made our way past Bodium, up to Staplecross and the usual sprint down to Seldlescombe before going our seperate ways home.
A beautiful day and a great route, well done to Mother Nature and John Vidler respectively.

TTFN
Lee s

ride it
http://www.strava.com/activities/203499708

5/10 HSLCC 9:00 Club Ride- Horam

Free Advertising For The Harrow Stores!

For the first time in ages it actually felt cold riding up to the Harrow, winter is approaching but with lovely blue skies fine autumnal weather was promised. I was looking to relaxing and letting Chris P lead the ride but Chris had text me for help leading the ride as he has a cold and didn't feel confident of being able to lead the ride. I wanted a group photo outside the Harrow blog as our facebook 'event' page for a 9:00 Club ride but the sun was facing the wrong way so we had to settle for a group photo outside the harrow store instead, much to the amusement of the shopkeeper! Chris wasn't feeling good and so decided he would ride home and drive up to the Horam cafe to meet us  later. As I had only put the gpx out to everyone the night before, nobody had loaded it onto their GPS but fortunately kevin knew the route off by heart so we were able to lead the group out to the Horam Lakeside cafe between us. This cafe is becoming something of a mecca for cyclists with lots of other cyclists from the area already there enjoying the warm sunshine. The ride home proceeded without any punctures or incidents.

Held Up For The Train!

At one point we had to overtake a group of cyclists only for us to realise that some of them were our our friends including Gary and Peter C. We all really enjoyed today's club ride especially Derek who found the pace just right. He thought the pace was a bit slower than usual but I assured him, this wasn't the case, he was just riding well and back to his old self.

Pre Bacon Butty (Coffee Run) and Bacon Butty Run Sat 04/10/2014

The Saturday 08:00 Pre bacon butty (Coffee Run) and 10:00 Bacon Butty Run seemed to be settling down in to a new routine. Eight riders met up near Pevensey Bay Halt for the Coffee Run and had a hard ride out in to the wind then up Beachy Head. Pay back was a high speed return to Bexhill with the wind and a shot of good coffee in Di Paulo's by the De La Warr mini roundabout. The the coffee there is highly rated and anyway when they go over Beachy Head time is tight to get back to the Bridge Cage for 10:00.

The PreBBR Meets Up!

Meanwhile I was having a good read of the papers over a bacon butty and coffee in The Bridge Cafe, oblivious to what was going on elsewhere. As 10:00 approached I thought the opportunity for sloping off home and writing up about an epic solo Bacon Butty Run was on the cards. But the opportunity for a flowery write up of long and hilly virtual ride was dashed when Malcolm C appeared, having popped home to pick up a water bottle and tell me that the Pre bacon Butty (Coffe Run) group were waiting for the 10:00 crew to appear in Bexhill. As we set off Steve Denny appeared and Clive joined us on Bulverhythe Road. After their shot of Di Paulo caffeine the bulk of the 08:00 crew, a couple had set off to get back to the family early, were waiting for us at the top of Galley Hill at 10:15.

We then did the usual summer (good weather) route and had a sociable bacon butty stop at Chilley Farm before the usual run back across Norman's Bay. No one was up for the occassional triple butty extension this week to get home via e.g. Heathfield.

So if you turn up for a 10:00 depart and no one is there, set out as usual and meet up with the 08:00 crew at the top of Galley Hill, or if they have had a hard morning drag them out of Di Paulo's!

There are about six established 08:00 Pre Bacon Butty (Coffee Run) regulars and several others who often join them. They usually contact each other to check who will be there, which is someone virtually every week. If you want to get in touch please contact Stewart Buckland as the main point of contact, with Peter Buss, Matt Schubert (great to see him back riding again after his broken collar bone) and Malcolm Carr being the hard core regulars.

I cannot make 10:00 every week so any new riders and any under 18s need to contact me (Chris Parker) so we can try and make sure someone is at The Bridge Cage to greet you, and a responsible senior is there for any under 18s.

Chris Parker

Pre BBR Group On Beachy Head!

3/10 HSLCC Fri Night Ride- Double & Dozen

When I arrived at the lodge there was only one rider (Diego) , but then one by one more and more riders turned up until eventually we had a dozen riders which equals our record for a normal Fri Night Ride. This included Kevin on his first ever . Peter Baker was there again, having become one of the most regular riders but had still not completed the ascent of Stonestile, choosing instead to take the Three Oaks route back to Pett. Tonight was going to be different, Peter had decided it was too 

..and in the blue corner, Diego!

dangerous going through Three Oaks on his own and that it would be more fun and challenging to do Stonestile with the rest of us. Setting off down Battery Hill in the pitch black was as daunting as ever , but apart from me  everyone else seemed to descend down there like stones thrown off a cliff which left me well dropped and it was only by the entrance to Rye Harbour reserve that I finally caught everyone up. leaving the harbour to join the main road into Rye some of us were in front of a car and some were  behind it . I don't think the car driver liked being surrounded by all the bikes and flashing lights, as he was aggressively  revving his engine and pulled into the road with some wheel spin, just for a moment I considered what would happen if he lost control? This was nothing compared to some completely mad impatient truck driver who decided he could not wait behind us for a few minutes as we passed through Rye, and decided to accelerate at a tremendous rate and overtake us with other vehicles coming the other way. Somehow he got round us and managed to miss the oncoming vehicles which were angrily beeping their horns at him. Literally ten seconds later he indicated right to take a right hand turn so what was the point of all that? It was a relief to start the long drag up to Broad Oak and we soon split into three groups. I was of course in the slow group with Derek and Peter for company.Derek has increased his road mileage and seems to be back to his old self, Peter is very driven and although new to cycling is getting faster all the time, so the three of us were an even match  and none of us could drop the others completely although honours go to Peter for making it to the top first. As we descended into the dip at the bottom of Brede Hill there was a dramatic drop in air temperature and we entered a cold fog bank. This made life difficult for myself and Kevin who wear spectacles but the fog cleared as quickly as it came once we began the cut through to Doleham lane. Often we have a little breather at the top of the cut through because there is normally someone (most notably Ivan) who needs a pee, but perhaps because Susan was with us nobody needed a leak so we pressed on in single file down the main road through Westfield. Something shot out of peter's pocket and I could hear the sound of hard plastic breaking on the road, this turned out to be Peter's prescription cycling glasses (ouch). With so many of us out we must have made an impressive sight as we sped along Stonestile approach and with so many front lights the closely enclosed road was lit up as if it was day light. I could sense the tension in Peter as we approached stonestile, its difficult to know how hard to push yourself on this hill when you don't know how long or steep it is, but Peter did a great job staying with me all the way up to the top and just managed to pip me to the top . Kevin had the benefit of knowing the hill but had not climbed it for many years and was declaring his love for the climb and the Friday night route in general at the top. Derek reckoned this was one of our best ride times, I wasn't so sure but Starva tells me he

 was correct, this was my third fastest time for the whole route ever. Great to have so many riders out, will we be able to maintain such high numbers once the tribulations of deep winter are upon us?

Double Stonestile Firsts For Peter And Kevin!

Some Like It Hot

Wednesday morning looked like it might deliver a chain gang for the connoisseur; the hard-core 'ganger' who rides all winter. The south westerly breeze was strong enough to turn over the leaves and the rain was heavy enough to make you wet. I dug out my rain coat, just in case.
But there was no need for it. The wind and rain went as quickly as it arrived and the afternoon sun dried the roads very nicely (I felt slightly cheated...). Another warm and mostly still Wednesday evening chain gang was attended by 33 riders. I think that's the most I've seen on this ride.

First New Season Ride For Nick

Now, how do you like your chain gang? Neat and tidy, rough and ready or somewhere in between? The large number of riders seemed to make it harder to find a pace that everyone was happy with. Once we were onto Cooden Drive the group became increasingly stretched. At one point we were mostly riding as a long line, snaking into the cool and damp air of the marsh. I belatedly hooked up with Simon Grogan, having been dropped on Spooky Hill as John 'Tony Martin' Vidler pushed hard to reach a group ahead of us. Simon and I rotated the lead to the roundabout to find more than 20 riders already arrived. A fast night!
What wind there was gave encouragement for an even faster ride back. There was more group work evident, but also more 'freelancing' - plenty of riders felt they had the legs to up the pace, breaking rank from the group to strike out alone. Some could go with them, some could not and others didn't want to.
Personally, I get more enjoyment from working well in a group and overall I know it will be speedier than if I ride solo. Sometimes that means I've got to work harder than usual and other times that means I've got to ease off a little. For me, that doesn't mean there are no thrills. I think riding hard in a group, two-abreast, along dark lanes is exciting enough to get the adrenalin going. It demands concentration on who's around me and how they are riding, and concentration on how I'm riding. It's challenging and I might stay with a fast group or I might get dropped. Either way, I usually feel my riding has progressed more than if I've done my own thing. I think that's the point of the chain gang, but I guess few of us want to ride like that every time!

First Ever HSLCC Chaingang For Young Michael !

I tagged onto a group of 12 or so riders on Cooden Drive, displaying a mix of approaches to riding in a group. It was enjoyable, there was lots of lively banter and debate at the traffic lights, and many of us carried on the chat over a pint at Walkers. It was good to catch up with Tom Norris, back after a couple of weeks away, and good to see Kie Smith too. I also met a rider who rode in the early days of the chain gang, introduced to me affectionately as 'psycho' Steve, on account of his absolute commitment to full-on cycling! Steve did the ride on a mountain bike - that always earns my admiration.
It was a balmy evening and I couldn't resist another 10km or so of riding in the warm air (the marsh is increasingly cooler at night). It smelt slightly of the sea and of the first leaves to drop from the trees. Riding a little numbed by my pint of Guinness, I made smooth progress along Bexhill front and along the Drive, turning around at Cooden and spinning back to town. Apart from the sound of the odd car, the noise I could mostly hear was of my tyres rippling along the road. I loved the sensation of making the wheels turn fast and of almost flying through the streets.
I felt like I could keep going for another hour; I was warm without being hot, the cycling felt near effortless and all was good. But we all have to go back sometime, to home and responsibilities. And to food - I was starving!

 The chain gang is a fantastic but short respite from the working week. I can't wait for the next one.

Chris Welcomes The Return Of Steve Sherwood , Back To The Chaingang Via Kuwait And The USA!

Cheers, Neil

One man and his bike went to Devon

So I was mentally geared up to go and ride the Alps with Nigel and Steve B but events conspired against us and this trip will have to wait for another day. What to do then with the time off? Obviously I was going to ride my bike somewhere but knowing that a foreign ride was unlikely, I turned my attention the home and sought an adventure of a different kind.
I always had a plan B (if I am honest there are lots of Plan B's just don't tell the wife) to do a back to back two day long distance ride to visit my cousin in Devon. This was inspired by my obsessive following of the recent Transcontinental Race from London to Istanbul, (unsupported via three checkpoints and very few rules) this is a proper hardcore ride and not for the faint hearted. Although only in its second year it has achieved a respected status in the long distance riding world. I have developed a serious hankering for having a go at this. Like a moth to a flame it draws me in and one day I will get burnt.
Check out the three part short film on YouTube http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9m_X31xnG2A

Seeking my own little adventure in homage to this, I decided to undertake a little 'Transcountynental' from East Sussex to Devon. My plan was simple pack a bag, load my bike and ride to the New Forest on day one and then to my Cousins house just west of Totnes on day two. I decided on going simple without Gps or a detailed route and had a quick look at the map and decided on a faster but hopefully less hilly route via the A roads. I did make a slight concession and bought a few secondhand OS maps which proved invaluable near the end.
I figured by rough calculations it was about 150-160 miles and this would break down to two fairly even days. I set off at 0545hrs lit up like a Christmas tree and with a flourescent waistcoat and turned onto the A21 for the short section to Marley Lane. This proved the worst bit with all the builders vans rushing to London like a Grand Prix. I only managed 5 mins before the chain jumped off. I knew I should have fixed that. Sorted, I worked my way to Heathfield as the sunrise greeted me with its warm glow and birdsong. There is nothing so special as riding your bike at sunrise as the world wakes and you are already hard at it. I had chosen to go inland via the A272 all the way to Winchester to avoid the busier coast road and the manic A27. This proved a good choice and I made time with little traffic to speak of.
My first stop was breakfast at McDonalds on the junction of the A24 and it felt good to have some miles in the legs. I had driven this road before but this was the first time on a bike. It felt familiar and not challenging but I knew that I was heading into new lands. I was smiling and focused on the New Forest letting the sun warm my back.
I had mentally broken this day into, ride to Winchester, drop down into the New Forest and find the Youth Hostel for food and sleep. Sounds simple and it was. I took a couple of wrong turns but it was easy to follow the signs and the maps stayed in the bag.
Reaching Winchester brought back memories of the South Downs trip and some familiar roads and expensive tea shops! Pushing on through the town I wanted the open road again to spin along and eat up the miles. There were a few steep hills but mostly it was rolling and fast riding. I skirted the major towns and avoided any holdups to cross into Hampshire and onto the New Forest. It was there I met two Eastern European cyclists outside a shop refuelling. Both had heavy panniers and flat pedals on chunky mountain bikes. They had ridden from East London that morning and were asking how far to Dorset. I was no use but a local kindly told them it was an hour by car! They set off happy but with at least 60 miles to go and a finish in the dark. I scoffed four doughnuts down and resisted lashings of ginger beer in favour of good old water.
I soon found myself in the forest with ponies all around and quiet roads. It was about 5.45pm when I reached the welcome sight of the Youth Hostel at Burley. I was glad to stop but otherwise felt fine which was a good sign for day two. I soon arranged a bed and had a whole room to myself as it was quiet being the off season. Dinner was too good to pass and they had local beer so I was sorted.This the cheapest accommodation you will get and is open to non members as well.
The following morning I allowed myself a later start and after a full English I was confronted with what can only be described as a monsoon. It rained hard for 30mins and flooded all around the hostel cutting off my route to the bike shed. I watched as the waters rose but as quick as it arrived it passed and I made a dash for it. The gods were smiling as I stayed dry all the next day.

Leaving the New Forest behind I picked up the A31 via Dorchester. Stopping for lunch there I found a cafe in the central car park where the buses stop. It was a real greasy spoon and even had its own resident local. His first words were 'You're not from round here are you?' Then quickly followed by 'Are you from London?' satisfied with two 'No' answers I was allowed to pass and order ham egg and chips. Fuelled and ready for the final push I escaped the idiot and slipped away.
Keeping to the main roads I joined the A35 and rode into Dorset. Now the hills were coming thick and fast and they were giants. Nothing for it but a slow and steady grind up and over each one. The views more than made up for this effort. I made the outskirts of Exeter at 6.45pm and knew then I would be finishing in the dark. In my head it was only a short ride from there but this proved to be the hardest section. I guess having already ridden over 100 miles this was to be expected. Onwards using the A38 towards Dartmoor the light faded and I hugged the white line on the side to avoid the traffic. It was busy but I never felt in real danger, just not able to relax. My only puncture came about 8pm just after startling a couple of deer grazing on the side. I quite enjoyed the buzz of the night ride and was thankful for my map to pinpoint my turnoff into the wilds of Dartmoor. I had about 3 miles of country lanes left. There was a final killer hill to rival Stonestile to finish, but I had arrived job done.
Day one was 10.30 hrs and day two 12.30hrs give or take a few minutes. I could have gone faster and not stopped for the pub lunch and cafe stop, but it would not have been as enjoyable. This was about the journey and nothing else.
I took two days to fully recover and then did a local 60 miles in Devon proper, even taking a boat ride across the estuary at Salcombe with my bike to complete the feel of being in an Enid Blyton story. I have learnt a lot from the whole experience and know I can ride multiple days if required. I am sure that bad I weather and rougher sleeping options would make a difference but just require a different mindset. Devon has serious hills and amazing riding and I will return. I took the train home as domestic chores beckoned and points were needed in the bank of home.
All in all it was a resounding success and is banked in the memory. My aim is one day to hear the words 'Grandad is a nutter' and smile knowing I have lived a little. This is a step in the right direction I feel.

Go explore and push yourself you will be amazed at the results.

Jon Stainsby