Chain Gang 'Part Deux' 'Rebel Without a Clue'

"Your not going out in that surely?", said Vicki
"I most certainly am, everybody else is going (lie) and don't call me Shirley".
You can groan all you like, this is easily my favourite joke of all time.

Earlier:
(transcribed, accurately from text messages):

Me: "It's bit mad out there, what d'ya reckon?"
Neil: "Hmmm, marginal.  The madness appeals...what do you think?"
Me: "To be honest, I think it's a bit dodgy, was some really violent gusts (on my commute back from Bexhill),          but I dunno?, I wish I was more decisive!"
Neil: "Hmmm, tricky, me too"

At which point, I am proud to say, I applied Rule 5

Me:  "Ok, let's try it, see you there!"
Neil  "Ok, mate,excellent!, Good decision!, Woohoo!. Adrenalne pumping already. Oh dear."

Upon arriving at our usual meeting place, I was amazed by the turn-out.  Neil, who was
 equally amazed at the turnout said, "At what point do we say "Enough, is enough!".
It is clear to me that unless the meeting shelter is buried under a 20ft snow-drift, people will 'rock up', for a ride.

Just before 'the off', Chris arrived and suggested the idea of 5k 'loops'; thus avoiding the dreaded Herbrand Walk - people seemed mostly O.K. about this, so off we set.

I had a particularly bad start as I had forgotten to turn on my rear light, most irritatingly I do this this quite a lot; being that it's a USB light I don't why I turn it off in the first place.  Anyway, by the time I had stopped to turn it on I had lost sight of the most of the group.  I gave chase, but was mostly 'in a little world of my own' until the South Cliff turn off where I met Simon who said "they've all gone that way and they don't seem to want to wait for us, but in any case I'd rather do the usual route".  At that point Steve arrived, followed by the guy in the red shirt (hence forth know as 'TGITRS' (I'm aware of how rude I'm being and wished I had introduced myself at the time.))  We all agreed to ignore orders from 'on high' and carry on as usual.

TGITRS Is Revealed- It Is John Moulton!

The four of us had a reasonable 'chain' going until towards the end of Herbrand when a gap appeared between Steve and I and Simon and TGITRS who were demonstrating a bit more 'oomph'.  Steve and I 'chugged' in vain but were unable to catch up with them.  The situation remained the same until I heard a familar voice, which turned out to be Tom, accompanied by Paul , who went whizzing past.  I jumped on their wheel, albeit, temporarily, until they also pulled away.  Steve and I were now chasing two sets of rear lights.
Purely out of spite (there is little loyalty between fellow 'chuggers') I decided to make myself feel better, by getting a little bit of distance between myself and Steve.

Shortly afterwards we were all gathered at the end of Sluice Lane.  There we were, not a 'super-fast' in sight, shame-faced rebels who had blatently ignored Colonel Parkers directive; surely a Court Marshall awaited us!.

We set off back to Bexhill at a speed approaching a 'warp factor'.  Simon, as usual, did his best to inject some kind of order into the pack, but I'm sure he must of felt like he was herding cats.  Not entirely our fault because whenever, we tried to 'form up' another car went past.

It was at some point after The Star that I started to think about the new potatoes, left-over from last nights dinner (which Vicki had casually mentioned, could be cut in half and lightly fried with egg and bacon: "Will make a great little dinner for you when you get back from cycling". I had to make a decision; should I go all the way, which would mean a third trip back from Bexhill (I has previously commuted) into that shite wind, or 'bail out'.  I was pondering this whilst being mesmorised by Steve's rear lights (I have always thought they are an odd, but fascinating grouping.)  Anyway, it was a 'no brainer' ; I watched the tail lights of the other riders fading out and thought about those spuds, as I 'u-turned' by the Cooden Beach Hotel.

This, of course, still left Herbrand Walk, in a westerly direction, for the third time in a day.
Whilst 'chugging' my way along, I started to realise how much I hate the name - Herbrand Walk.  Bearing in mind, how close it is to Bexhill (Warminster)-on-sea, I have decided that when I'm in charge I shall rename it 'Capt, Mainwaring Way' (for those who may not be aware, The location for 'Dad's Army' was the fictional location of Warminster, based on Bexhill-on-Sea.)

Peter Buss