PART DEUX - PRE BBR Sat 23rd April - 'COOL FOR CATS'

09:58 Di Paulos

'Hi Pete! '

I looked at the HSLCC kit clad cyclist  who breezed past me, but couldn't work out who it was. I gathered up my bits and headed outside with a ' heavy' heart. I had to accept, with much reluctance, that I didn't have time to take part in the BBR, due to a pressing engagement with a paint brush.

'Oh it's DUNCAN (P) , I didn't recognise you! ', I said.

' Must be my new 'shades', he said as he took them off for a quick admiring glance before repositioning under his helmet again.

'They're really nice ',  I affirmed.

' Well the way I see it, if they're good enough for Cav, they're good enough for me '

' Yes, they are rather smart ', I reaffirmed.

' They weren't cheap you know, but I think they're well worth the money ' I smiled in agreement.

' I reckon they make me look twenty years younger ' he said.

' I must get going '  I said,  and headed  off in the opposite direction from the BBRers. I must admit Duncan did have ' shaggable shades ', but I'll stick with my ' Racing Jackets  ' for now, however, I made mental note to myself:

' See if there's a cheap Chinese copy available from EBay yet '

07:46 Normans Bay Border Crossing.

'In your own time, Terry', I said with mock irritation.

Terry was having a good old 'faff' . I wasn't sure what his intention was; something to do with Velcro, I surmised.

'Just give me 2 secs '

More faffing.

' Look,  just a sec.'

Something fell on the ground - a piece of Velcro, I think.

'I wish I hadn't started this',  he said

Eventually.

'OK, I'm ready now -  no 'ang on a minute!'

He then removed his helmet and retrieved his sunglasses that he had trapped underneath!.
He made the the obligatory gusset adjustment and we were off.

Sunny enough for shades

Watching Terry's 's performance bought me in mind of the time Mal C cycled from Bexhill to Wartling , on the BBR, with his helmet on the wrong way around. Sorry Mal, I have mentioned this in blogs before, but unfortunately I don't feel able to let it slip from my memory archive, totally, as it is just too much of a 'gem'.

I could only show tolerance to Terry, because I have a catalogue of absent minded tomfoolery, here is one from my ' classico' collection  :

Setting off for my regular commute to Bexhill and wondering why I couldn't 'clip in' , looking down to see I'm still wearing my Crocs, turn back to garage to put cycling shoes on and set off again.  Getting halfway to work and feeling really strong until realising  I didn't have my rucksack on. Thinking 'Oh, never mind, I can can manage without my books and flask', carrying on to Bexhill, getting to the flats and realising I didn't have the keys to get in. 'Oh, b@ll@cks, I'll have to go back' , and getting home  to find the garage door up with a sign on my best Giant carbon bike saying ' nick me' and my rucksack outside with the top gaping open collecting rain.  Luckily, Vicki was blissfully unaware of all this.

I made a big mistake at the start of the  ride of  informing Terry, Mal and Darren that I was only doing this and not the BBR. This has a two-fold effect ; firstly, you're not really 'one of them',  and secondly you lay yourself open to be abused.

Tom appears like Willo the wisp

The ride to  Beachy was relaxed with everyone taking a turn on the front. As usual Tom N popped up like will o' the wisp ; a ghostly apparition, he paused  momentarily to exchange some pleasantries before, head down,  to set off after Terry who making good progress up ahead.  It hasn't escaped my attention that Terry has become a stronger rider of late - it was only a few weeks ago when I breezed past him going up Beachy,  this time I was struggling to keep him in view. Darren maintained  a respectable,  and steady distance ahead of me,  and Mal, still recovering from a chest infection, brought up the rear.

It was on the return, just after leaving the seafront,  that I heard those awful, but predicted  words:

' As you're not doing the BBR it's only right that you should lead us home. '

Well I was happy to oblige, but there was a hefty headwind to deal with. Even so, I managed to maintain the lead most of the way back. On the ' South Cliff Slog' segment, Mal C, knowing it is one of my favourite segments (I'm not saying I feature in the top 10, but I'm proud of my standing considering my age etc.) ,  made an audacious bid to dump me and seize his moment of glory ;

'In yours dreams sunshine! '  I thought

Time to head back

I gave it everything and managed to catch him up  and then ease past him.

Back at Di Paulos I bought a slab of bread pudding and sat down down to savour it with my coffee when I noticed Terry pulling a face while tucking into his slab  :

' There's no currants in this! '

I had to concur, the chef had run out of, or had forgotten to add them.

'Oi,  Luigi, this bread pudding's got no currants in it'

'Really? Oh, I am sorry to hear that, would you like  me to kill myself? ' (he didn't really say that. )

As usual there was a great turnout for the BBR. Andy was doing a bit of
' wheeling and dealing' with the HSLCC kit and sold a shirt to Mal C.   It's great to see more people wearing kit and who knows, one day wearing kit will be almost obligatory. Whenever I see other clubs where all members are 'kitted out', I always feel a sense of regret that,  even though we are an ancient and,  hopefully, respected club we don't generally present ourselves to the public that way (personally I blame Castelli.)

I love the Pre BBR and am proud to be a founder member, along with Stewart B, Matt S and Mal C.

Peter Buss