H&StL CC Bacon Butty Run tries Agony Hill and Lime Cross Nursery Cafe for a change‏

I arrived in Di Paulo's just before 09:30 to find two bikes outside and Colin from Tenn Outdoors with a friend trying to patch his inner tube over coffee. The first three of us in the cafe were all wearing items of Tenn Outdoors kit, so Colin was pleased. Tenn have a warehouse and distribution unit at Castleham, where they are based. They met with reps from East Sussex clubs last year and the consensus was that their kit was good quality and very reasonably priced. They do not have a retail outlet in Hastings but if interested in their kit and discounts for club members contact Chris Parker. I must find the race cape I bought at their Eastbourne Festival stand last year, and restock with overshoes, shorts and longs. See http://www.tenn-outdoors.co.uk/

As some arrived a bit late for coffee someone commented that the start was seldom prompt at ten. I got up and went out in to the damp outdoors for ten, but most were well set chatting and ignored me! It must have been 10:10 before the very same person that commented on the late starts rolled out last and then faffed around for a while with some of the group half way to Little Common, avoiding the strong head wind with stinging light rain on the sea front, before the stragglers got going. Those off first had waited at the crossroads, where the chain gang takes a left (coming the other way) when doing circuits, for the stragglers so we had a change and went right under the railway bridge. The road surface seems to have deteriorated quite a bit this last month so beware of this section if the Wednesday chain gang switches to use the circuit again one evening.

After Whydown as we were on the run in to the finish line of the Ninfiled TT a motorist was momentarily held up, lowered his passenger window as he drove past, and hurled an abusive "b***** cyclists" at us. We must not to react to such common abuse so I cheerily shouted back "b***** cyclists ".   I do see plenty of idiots on bikes in London and elsewhere, and careless / “blind” / dangerous vehicle drivers.  As he went past the front group he repeated his mantra, but great restraint was shown as everyone rode on. (***)

We forked right at the Blacksmiths Arms in Ninfield and took the lane across to the North Trade Road by the entrance to Ashburnham House. Many were not familiar with the descent and sharp left turn at the bottom before climbing back up. A good job warnings had been shouted for everyone to take it easy on the wet and gravelly lane as there were some close shaves with a car coming the other way on the blind corner at the bottom.

 There were already some primroses out on the banks of Agony Hill. No doubt there will be more for me to admire as I take my time up the "hill prime" in the East Sussex Hard Riders TT on Sunday 15 March.

A Soggy Regrouping At Three Cups!

At the Three Cups Pub left turn we had one final regrouping before we set off for Lime Cross Nursery Cafe. Even though it was warm in the cafe most of us were a bit cold in our damp clothing as we waited for some really tasty cakes to go with good quality coffee that our Saturday morning coffee snobs would approve of. As we chatted someone suddenly asked where Ivan was. He had clearly been told where we were going to, on the outskirts of Herstmonceux. Steve got on the phone and found he had already arrived at Sidley! Ivan has not quite been himself after hitting the deck hard last week when he suffered a major mechanical failure with his front forks snapping.

Chris P Enjoyed The Lime Cross Stopover!

After the cafe stop the agreement was for riders to go at their own pace and split up on the way back. Some opted for the direct road back to Sidley, with the climb of Standard Hill, and some the ride from Wartling into the head wind on the flat before getting a taily on the run back along Norman's Bay. Conditions were not pleasant so it was every rider for themselves as we set off and gradually separated in to small groups and solos.

Steve C and Malc D were the only ones willing to go to the standard for a couple of beers post BBR where they sat shaking and shivering int their wet attire trying unsuccessfully to get some warmth from the fireplace.


 (***)  The motorist hurling abuse at us was in fact a club member exchanging “pleasantries” with us since he had missed the ride in favour of setting off to watch Charlton play in the afternoon.



If on the receiving end of abuse it is often best to ignore it or make light of it, sometimes it is out and out aggressive so it is best not to antagonise any anti cyclist driving a ton or more of metal. It is not unknown for motorists to wait and then deliberately drive at cyclists that have abused them back, or even stop and start reversing at speed towards the cyclists.

And of course some of it is mocking abuse from someone we know trying to wind us up for fun, as it was this time! Charlton beat Huddersfield 3-0 so someone must had a happy day spending the morning winding up cyclists for fun and afternoon watching his team win!

Chris parker