Wednesday Chain Gang - Nifty Ninja Nightriders

“You know where you are with a south-westerly” said Babs Baker on the BBR and we all nodded in agreement, having endured a week of easterlies. This week’s chain gang had a northerly, but we are not yet at the time of year when it will bring snow. However, perhaps this remote possibility had worried some of our more delicate colleagues as we had just 14 riders at the shelter. This didn’t make it any easier to get the ride started as many were deeply engrossed in conversation, on what I do not know.  “Let’s go!” I bellowed, clapping my hands like a ballet teacher.


Off we rolled as a single unit that soon broke into smaller groups, the speed quickly winding up. I found myself in the front in a group of four. “We’re a four” shouted someone, which is a mistake. As soon as you say that, other riders will appear, and this week was no exception. We were now a six, with George W, Dan S, Babs, JV, me and another in the team (sorry, I asked your name, you told me and I cannot remember it). It was not the tidiest chain gang I’ve ridden in. Neither was it the messiest, but it was certainly pretty fast.


Anyone who has ridden with George will know that he is very quick. Once we got to Spooky Hill, he went off the front with one other, the rest of us largely unable to get past him to the front. If we had we would only have slowed him down, so I didn’t mind. The remaining four rolled upward and then I fell back, with a gap of about 20m to JV. I pelted down the west side and caught his wheel before the gap got too big to recover.


The two riders in front of him had also made a gap which went out to maybe 100m. John and I worked hard as a twosome to reach them. For a while, we gained on them as they hit a patch of wind, but then we met the same breeze and were pushed back, unable to make much headway. Near the final straight we pushed on harder, but they had too much of a lead for us to catch them, so we rode in side by side, honours shared.


We waited at the roundabout for the last two riders to arrive, joking about how we would ride off when they got back and they would get no rest. That’s exactly what we did, I afraid to say. The group took a little while to sort itself out and to pick up speed. George and another dropped us before Spooky, where I again came off the back, and again caught the group on the downhill side.


On we rattled, swopping safely over the bridge at the Star and riding tidily to the level-crossing. I felt strong, when I wasn’t going uphill… Too strong perhaps as I went off the front a couple of times, eager to catch the two riders ahead. The group were reluctant and called me back. Does Wiggins have this problem? I suppose he has asthma and allergies to sorry about instead. Tut!


 I found myself at the head of the group as we climbed away from Cooden. The group resettled as we passed ‘El Presidente’, giving him the club salute as we sped by. There were six or seven of us and I think we were well-matched in speed and strength, keeping it together up the Cooden Lump and then down the other side, the pace rising steadily. My enthusiasm encouraged me to go for home a bit too far out, topping out at 50kph. I thought I was home free, but I then realised how much further I had to go and started to tire. JV caught me and eased by – I tried to knock him off, but he got away. Only joking! I let him go, encouraged him, you know.


Babs Baked congratulated me on my awesome strength and speed and I felt quite overcome with emotion – it was the nicest thing he’s ever said to me. “He’s being sarcastic, Neil…” chipped in Gareth. Oh. Bastard! He then asked me if I would join him for a lemonade, but my mum told me never to accept drinks from men with beards, and besides he’s a rude old drag queen.


I decided on a solo loop of the chain gang route, the wind feeling that bit stronger as I rode alone along Cooden Drive to Herbrand Walk, turning right onto the marsh and feeling that sudden drop in temperature that we are all familiar with. It was a nice night; not cold yet really and it was dry. The wind was mostly across me, slightly more with me that against on the return leg. The waning Hunter’s Moon appeared briefly and lit the marsh with silver-white light; a fox cried out and the reeds rustled gently in the night air.


I still felt good, so once I got back to Bexhill I did another short loop to Cooden and eventually turned for home. A good midweek 60km ride – half at high-speed and half at a more leisurely pace – and then a short spin on Thursday to set me up for the weekend.


Now, just a reminder about the pre-BBR: I can confirm that it is on every week! No need to ask, there is always someone there willing to ride out from Normans Bay at 07:45 on Saturday morning, returning via Beachy Head to Di Paulos to meet the BBR gang. On 5th November there will be a pre-BBR ‘Special’ to Brighton, a ride of 130km or so from Bexhill.


Safe riding, Nelly