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