3/8/2014 Clayton West Off Road

Gorgeous Views On The Downs!

last year I mapped out a new ride westwards from Clayton. This was one of the best rides of last season and I was keen to repeat it. Together with myself were Derek , Duncan and Paul Baxter. Traffic was very light and we managed to get to Clayton in under an hour which was a nice surprise. leaving Clayton we descended the steep single track that leads down to the main road before reaching more open ground around devil's dyke. With a cooling breeze the riding felt a lot easier than the SDW last weekend and before long we reached the furthest western point. Here we left the SDW  and headed south towards lancing on an excellent track that had previously been unknown to us. On reaching lancing we had to use the roads for a few km to hook up back to the SDW but these are very pleasant roads with almost traffic so I rather enjoyed this section (my hard tail probably being better for this surface than a full suss). Ahead of us lay one of my least favourite ascents on the SDW, the rocky narrow and steep Beeding Hill. Normally I have to get off and walk part of this track but with the aid of a strong tail wind we all managed to cycle up it without to much bother although I did have to remount at one point where my front end lost control.There were some much more enjoyable  steady climbs up to Devils Dyke whose escarpments looked gorgeous in the sunshine and we were rewarded with a lovely steep descent down to the

220 years Between Us And Still Going Strong!

Hiker's rest' at  saddlescombe where we enjoyed some snacks and hot tea. The initial climb out of here is very steep and rocky before reaching an equally steep grassy climb. There was no way I would get up the rocky section but I did make it up the grassy climb, Derek was riding much better than last week and managed the whole climb. Unfortunately we were concentrating so hard on making it up the climb that by the time we noticed the turn-off for the eastern loop it was too late to shout out to Ivan and Paul who were too far ahead so we simply continued along the SDW all the way back to Clayton which made for an easier overall ride than we planned. Despite missing out the western loop, this is still a great ride, made even better by the refreshing breeze (unlike the stifling heat of last week)

Jason Kind Is Selling A Brand New Specialized Venge Frame And Forks

Jason Kind is selling a brand new Specialized Venge frame and forks. Details from Jason Kind below.

My Specialized Venge was recently returned from repairs at Specialized and was broken in the Post!

The good news is they are sending me a brand new and unused Specialized Pro Frame and Forks.

Is it possible to put a message out to the Club as its for sale at £1500

I wont be using it for a while….. Its just what you see in the picture, brand new and unused…….
Its a 58cm Frame
Here is the Spec

If you are interested you can contact Jason via email jasonkindltd@btopenworld.com

FRAME
FACT 10r carbon, FACT IS construction, aero tube shape, compact race design, tapered 1-1/8" to 1-3/8" head tube, internal cable routing, carbon OSBB

REAR SHOCK

FORK
Venge Pro FACT carbon, full monocoque, OS race for 1-3/8" bearing

26-27 July - SDW epic

Every year one or two HSLCC members do the South Down Way (SDW) offroad (100 miles) in a day. This is an incredibly hard thing to do. For lesser mortals such as myself it is more than enough just to do it over two days with a camp at roughly the halfway point. Up for this ride were myself, Derek, Ivan, Jon S and Nigel . For Nigel this was going to be a brand new experience as he had never been on the Downs before. The rail companies will not let you book a place for a bike on board the train which caused me some anxiety but in the end the train journey to Winchester went without a hitch and for just £13.50 we arrived at the start of the SDW after a three hour journey.

Arrival In Winchester!

 Feeling peckish we decided to get a snack but made the mistake of choosing a tea shop where we paid for our food but then had to wait what seemed ages for it to arrive.This delayed our start of the ride by at lest half an hour. Eventually we set off for the SDW which was picked up straight away by the GPS  and before long we were out of Winchester and enjoying easy riding through the undulating western end of the route.

Thank Goodness We Have Escaped That cafe!

The last time I did the  whole SDW  I was 30 years old and it used to start at Petersfield but a few years later the powers that be decided to extend it to Winchester, adding an extra 20 miles to the route. This SDW extension is a little more broken up than the rest of the route with a few road sections to make it work but we all found it very pleasant easy riding , I cant recall seeing a single car on any of the short road sections, the biggest hazard we faced was another off roader hurting down a hill at great speed towards us dragging an off road trailer behind him! Once we reached the impressive Queen Elizabeth park ( a giant and better maintained version of Friston forest!) we were now on the original route of the SDW and  any road sections were few and far between. We noticed a field full of many large green army tents and wondered what that was all for, we would find out later! I have been on the South Downs hundreds of times but only at the Eastern half, I must say that I prefer the terrain on this Western half, as the climbs are less severe and the ground less rocky, which suits an overweight rider like myself. By now the sun was directly overhead and it was turning out to be one of the hottest days of the year. Foolishly I had chosen a cycle jersey with only a short zip, but found that tucking away the straps on my bib shorts and removing my bandana (usually worn to protect my bald spots from the sun) helped me to just about cope with  the searing heat.We were all well aware of the need to keep drinking to avoid dehydration, filling our bottles back up at every opportunity.

South Downs Selfie!

In the hope of avoiding a headache (successfully achieved), I was also popping in an electrolyte tablet in every refill (zero tablets). By 3:00 pm the temperature was reaching its peak, Derek in particular was suffering and struggling to keep up with us. With about 25 miles left to get to our campsite at Washington, he told us he would prefer to ride at his own pace and would meet us at the there. Eventually we reluctantly agreed and
pressed on without him. Nigel was enjoying his off-road experience a lot more than he expected but due to all his road riding this year had never had the chance to fully test his brakes. This turned out to be a big mistake as basically the calliper/ lever combination didn't work and they were barely powerful enough to stop the bike on the flat let alone on some of the steep down hill sections.This meant he had to take great care downhill, sometimes using his feet to scrub off some speed , somehow he avoided any mishaps except for on one particularly steep section where to avoid knocking down some walkers at the bottom he had to crash his bike instead, luckily rider and machine survived intact while the walkers seemed completely oblivious to how close they had come to being human skittles in a bowling alley.

We Are Happy Riders With Working Brakes!

Look Out These Brakes Don't Work !

 With around 10 miles to go, the temperature had at last dropped a few degrees but fatigue was beginning to creep in. The reason for the mystery army tents now became apparent as there were hundreds of walkers taking part in the Gurkha organised 'Trailwalker Challenge' where people have to walk 100 Km across the SDW (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/trailwalker/the-challenge) , if any of you boys want a new challenge next year, there it is.The walkers looked really tired already with many sporting bandages around knees and ankles, but with so many of them doing it they must have enjoyed a great feeling of camaraderie and mutual support. Unfortunately having to constantly ask people to let us get past slowed us down a great deal and by the time we approached Washington the light was just beginning to fade. The campsite we were heading to was in a perfect location as not only was it about half way on the SDW it was also almost next door to a pub (Frankland arms).The publicans are used to riders stopping by and were very welcoming, the first two pints barely touched the sides,the food here was also excellent. Our thoughts now turned to Derek, how was he getting on? A phone call by the ever thoughtful Nigel  revealed that he had got lost and didn't feel he could could go on. Luckily by sheer fluke he had ended up at Amberley where there is a pub, so we advised him to stay there, order some food and Nigel's girlfriend Lucy would pick him up after dumping our camping gear at the campsite.The campsite owner was so old and laid back that he was almost horizontal and there seemed to be no fixed price for camping, he just plucked a random number out of thin air and charged us the incredibly cheap price of £35 for all of us! The three pints Ivan had drunk effected his coordination quite badly and we watched with amusement as he got more and more worked up trying to erect his tent, only assistance from Jon managed to get the thing erected in time to go to the pub for more beers.

This was One Hill We Didn't Have To get Up!

After a surprisingly refreshing sleep we were up and ready to set off again for the last 45 miles. Derek had decided to abandon and would get a lift home with Lucy in the car. After giving our farewells to Derek  and many thanks to Lucy, without whom this trip could not have happened, we were off for the home leg. We were now on familiar territory with the Downs becoming more severe and rocky. Straight out of Washington was a climb so steep that neither myself or Jon could keep our front wheels down and we had to walk up (not easy to do with look delta cleats on carbon shoes), Nigel and Ivan had no such problem and were climbing even the steepest hills, this would be a repeating pattern . We were feeling peckish but with it being so early nothing was open for food, although we did enjoy some tea and coffee at the Hikers Rest at the bottom of Devil's Dyke. At this point even the normally superhuman Nigel was feeling tired but Ivan having now recovered from his five pints of beer the night before was now in full  'Ivan Power' mode and so bade us farewell as he set off for home at a fast pace. All along I had planned on leaving the SDW at lewes and getting a train back, deciding that 80 miles was enough for me. Nigel was also feeling tired and agreed to do the same but Jon was determined to complete the whole route and so would have to do this on his own. Not long after getting off the train a storm suddenly blew in, the heavens opened and for several hours there was hard rain and flash flooding on the roads, so I was grateful to be off the Downs but did have some concern for Jon who would still have been up there at this point.

This turned out to be a great trip and something we are sure to do again in the future. Many thanks again to Lucy for taking all our kit over and rescuing Derek from Amberly



Steve C

Dunwhich Dynamo 10 memorable Moments!

No 1 - The Apparition

The Start!

Puncturing whilst still in site of the 'Pub on the Green', the 'Angel' who appeared in front of me, offering me a Track Pump when I needed it most.

No 2 - Epping Forest

Feeling the warm, night-time breeze on my face and fueled by adrenalin we 'steamed' through Epping Forest overtaking massed groups of other cyclists.

No 3 - First Pub Stop

Being amazed at the number of cyclist who were drinking pints (some accompanying the beer with a 'fag') at the first pub stop (35 miles into the ride) - the place was absolutely 'heaving'!, I took a sip of water, 'tut-tutted' and pushed on.

No 4 - The Good Samaritan

The pure joy I felt when, after puncturing for the second time and standing alone in a dark lane, I realised the cyclist that passed me, did a 'U-turn' and offered his help, was Nigel!

No 5 - Finding The Source of my Punctures

Ten Miles To Go!

After the fourth puncture (I actually had 5, but the slime tube in the rear tyre fixed the problem after releasing a few PSIs.) a fellow cyclist helped me find the cause of my punctures - a piece of flint 2 atoms wide!. I Thanked him by paying his take-it-or-leave-it price of £8 for a tube - which didn't inflate!, luckily I called him back just in time to ask for a replacement.

No 6 - Boom Boxes

The humerous and quirky musical accompaniment from pannier-mounted 'boom-boxes'.  Loving the pure irony of the guy who had S&Gs 'Sound of Silence' blaring out as we passed through a village at 2am! (not making this up.)

The Finish!

No 7 - First Light

Feeling bewitched by the magic of dawn and watching as sillouhetted trees began filling with colour.  Not knowing, or caring what the time was, where I was , or how much further to go just added to 'the moment'.

No 8 - Arriving at The Ship Pub, Dunwich

Being met by Jon Stainsby whose first words were ' Well done, my dad's doing you a bacon sarnie'.

No 9 - The Bacon Sarnie

Diego!

The Sarnie!

Jon's dad Alan is a 'legend'.  The bacon had just the right amount of crispiness, and was, without doubt, the best sandwich I have ever eaten.

No 10 - The Other Legend

Mid-sandwich I watched in amazement as the guy on the 'Boris Bike' pulled into 'town' - the look on his face said it all - "Top that!" (although the guy on the BMX might well have!)

Peter Buss

19/7 Post Storm Bacon Butty

Following the tremendous storm last night and the threat of some heavy showers, I wasn't too surprised to see only Chris at the Bridge cafe but before too long we were joined by regulars: Matt S, Malc C, Stuart, Peter B and on his first ever HSLCC ride Greg kemble. When Greg had left Westfield it had been raining hard and so he had swapped his light weight Trek Domane for a converted hub geared On-One. This would put him at some disadvantage to the rest of us, although Chris was only on his trusty SCR with flatties and toe clips.

Managing To Lose Greg Has Not Put Him Off Future Rides With Us!

Good steady riding took us through Bexhill where we were to suffer our one and only puncture. With last night's rain some of minor lanes such as Horse walk were slippery and great care was needed. Despite only taking up cycling recently (from a background of fell running and climbing), Greg showed what a strong rider he already is and made  a fast ascent of the climb up to the Lamb Inn. After regrouping we set off at a brisk pace towards windmill hill and as fast as we dared down the various slippery minor lanes leading to Rickney. The road here is closed for bridge repairs but it only took a short dismount to cross over the river with the thoughtfully provided temporary pedestrian bridge. At last , we had arrived at bacon butty heaven (Chile farm). Chris arrived a good five minutes after us, but was surprised to see that Greg was not with us, we were equally surprised to see Chris without Greg. We soon worked out that Greg
must have got stuck in the gap between the main group and Chris (struggling with a bit of a hangover) and must have taken a wrong turn. Oh dear, we felt a bit bad about this but a later email from Greg reassuringly says he is keen to come out with us again!

18/7 Bewl Water- Outpacing The Storm

Chris, Tim And Matt Helped Make A Big Turnout!

Our biggest turnout of the year (eight riders) for Bewl Water including for the first time ever, Bacon Butty regular Matt Shubert. Also there was Chris Heal who we haven't seen for a couple of years and his son Tim. The weather was exceptionally hot and the trail bone dry. Swooping round bends and enjoying the plush ride from the big 29er tyres and suspension post I was soon reminded why mountain biking is so much fun. We set off together with Paul,Malc, Matt and Josef leading. I was hanging off the back together with Chris but once we got to the tough road section I was able to leave Derek and Tim behind. I didn't think I would see the other four again but Matt had waited near the end of the road section, his legs beginning to tyre having come straight to Bewl from a fast lap of the Bedgebury trail. We rode together for the rest of the route, this helped me to get a PB for the whole circuit and the eight fastest recorded Strava lap ever (Matt had forgotten to start his garmin!) Within a few minutes of our return there was a dramatic change in the weather. It became very dark and the strangest cloud formations I had ever seen soon appeared, looking like a massive wall of ice stretching from West to East. Before too long there were flashes of lightening, some serious rain was on its way. By the time we were safely in the pub, the heavens  had opened , leading to flash floods. What a contrast to thirty minutes earlier and what a relief that we had cancelled our planned two day route across the South Downs Way.

Ninfield TT 16 July

There was a good turnout for last night's Ninfield circuit TT, a field of 18 riders and a good number of people at the meet just to chat and Ivan turning up to marshal and keep an eye on the left turn at Pevensey roundabout, many thanks. It also was very pleasant in the garden of the Red Lion rehydrating after the event.
Seventeen year old Joe Kingsman (32.49 PB) had another storming ride to take almost four minutes off his PB from last year and win the event. After a fantastic debut 50 on Sunday of 2.08.10 without ever having ridden a 25 Lee Smith (34.50) came in second at his first attempt on the course.
Stuart Hodd (35.17) was very game to be back riding after a horrendous high speed "Cavendish" style crash in the recent road race on the excellent Fowlmead circuit when eye balls out at around 35mph going for a £500 prize (I believe) only to be heavily leant on and go down to slide along the tarmac for a long way and be relieved to come out of it without any broken bones. Perversely it can be the slow crashes that you come off worse when you hit the deck direct rather than a high speed slide along the road picking up a lot of road rash. See the club BLOG or Facebook write up.
Stuart was only one second ahead of Mark Brittle (35.16) who was only one second ahead of Malcolm Daly (35.17) with Marcus Machell (35.29 PB) in sixth place also breaking 36 minutes.

Jolly Japes At The Ninfield TT!

Storming performance From Joe!

There were a number of season bests and close shaves for SBs on a glorious sunny and warm evening with a bit of a head wind on the run across Pevensey Marsh to the roundabout and a bit of assist on the main road stretch to the Lamb on the Marsh. See the attached table for a full list of times for 2014 and SBs for 2013. After the table is a list of local Open TTs some of us may ride – the Eastbourne Rovers 25 on Sunday 17 August has not been cancelled but will be on another course TBD if the London South CTT District Committee / Officials approve any suggested variant with the A22 between The Shaw and Halland out of action, leaving the East Hoathly 10 course unaffected.

Stu's Road rash Is healing Slowly!

We would have had 19 riders but for an Ollie Chapman equipment mishap as he warmed up when his rear wheel collapsed, looking as if the rim weld joint failed by cracking nearly all the way across the rim. No one could remember seeing a wheel fail like that before, and Ollie was just riding gently along Church Lane and did not even hit a pot hole. It was quite different on Sunday when it all came together for Ollie to record a superb 2.20.30 in his first 50 mile TT. See the Hastings Observer for our sports report, and please keep me informed of all results so we have material to submit to our local paper.

We have two more weeks at Ninfield before returning to Broad Oak on 6th August.


The intention is to have an end of summer TT series meal at The Rainbow Trout on Wednesday 20th August after the last Broad Oak Circuit TT, unless there is strong demand to do it one week earlier if a lot of regulars are away on holiday. What do people think, shall we make it easy by asking for a limited set menu e.g. of curries? Anyway please book the date in your diaries. We had a well supported  (24 of us from memory?) Curry Evening last year in The Plough but it will be easier if we revert to the traditional Trout Gathering but without going for A La Carte which can make things a rush for a large number.


Chris Parker