Bacon Butty thaws out Saturday 17 January 2015

Sunglasses Were Not A Good Choice For This Weather!

After the last two times of fighting up Galley Hill against very strong head winds gusting to cause me to veer off the tarmac on to the grass it was a change to ride on the grass at 09:15 to keep clear of sheet ice at the bottom of the hill, water run off from the grass have frozen solid. Would anyone else join me for a coffee in Di Paolo's on a freezing but bright morning? As I locked up my bike Gary L appeared. We have had the odd email exchange going back many years and I had heard that he had recently joined a few Harrow runs plus a Pre BBR so it was great to meet him at last. More turned up so it was six of us setting off at 10:00, no one having done the Pre BBR on a freezing morning. Soon it was apparent that I was off the pace on my touring bike, probably due to the tickly throat of the previous few days meaning I was a bit off colour rather than just plain unfit, but ……. We had to be very careful on the lanes, in places there was running water and no ice and elsewhere the puddles were frozen and ice across the road. As I pulled up Boreham Street Hill a rider in Sky kit shot past me, it looked like Steve D. As the reassembly point by the garage just short of the Bulls Head the others confirmed it had been Steve D who had ridden past them too, doing his own thing. We decided not to use the lane direct to The Lamb Wartling, due to the possibility of more ice, and stuck to the Ninfield TT course. As I approached The Lamb trailing behind everyone else Steve D appeared and then offered to pace me across the marsh to Pevensey roundabout. He set just the right pace which had me hanging on, just. About three quarters of the way across the marsh I called for a slight easing of the pace, but when ended up talking rather than push on with me at my comfortable maximum. So many thanks Steve D for dragging me along a fair bit faster than I would have solo, a bonus for those not having to wait so long for me to catch them up at Pevensey roundabout. The forecast rain clouds were gathering. We took the longer route via the Eastbourne Crem (almost) roundabout and on to a rather busy Pevensey Bakery. Peter B picked up a text from Steve C to say it was icy so he was not coming out. Peter sent a suitable reply advising Steve he could wear his blouse all weekend. It had started raining as we breakfasted and who appeared at the door a bit sodden, but not wearing a blouse? Yes it was Steve C who early in the morning had seen ice in the garden but an hour later had decided it had warmed up a bit so set off on a mad dash directly to the cafe. I had hoped for a more leisurely second cup of coffee so the band of heavy rain could pass over but others were keen to set off. The worst of the rain had passed but we got fairly wet on the way back and could ride down Galley Hill with no fear since the sheet ice had long gone.

Chris P