BRIGHTON (AND BACK) CLUB RUN 25th JUNE 2011

[Nick W]

I ought to add that we had a good ride down with the 19s, departing pretty promptly after 0940 and wending our way at a good steady pace down to Turner's Hill, followed by a brief halt and then onwards to Brighton via the "old" route, missing Haywards Heath via Slugwash and One Hundred Acre Lanes.

Included in the group were Steve B, Steve P, Steve F (Steve calls were confusing), Aussie Rich (who caught us after arriving just behind schedule), Rebecca, Mark M, Tom, road fit Nick and Andy (?) who had to turn back for home duties just after Ardingly . Rich had a puncture in the lanes before Ditchling followed, shortly after, by a chain issue, and thereby coming perilously close to the "3 strikes and you are out rule" being invoked. Road works in Ditchling also resulted in a short diversion.

A quick bite at the Regency was followed by an equally quick ride home via Devil's Dyke with pretty much the same group albeit bolstered by Matt (?) on a tt bike and doing some very (and much appreciated!)strong turns along with others (not me!). Kasper had also jumped on at Brighton although he dropped off unnoticed just before we got to the club run section (sorry Kasper!) and did not reappear at the Rusper Stores stop. Not surprisingly we had a couple of little splits but the faster guys were happy to regroup despite our requests to just leave us alone!

Anyway a good run and the usual fine fare at Nonnas. Thanks to all for a pleasant day on the bike in the usual good company.

[Del]

[quote="Jon C C on a Bianchi"]Eventually the sun came out, we lost JohnCz and Tim (all on? yes! but they weren't ), then Alan (all on? yes! he wasn't), then Del (just going for a pee and never seen again ),perhaps we need race radios? then JohnS bailed out for the train. We were down to 10 or was it 11? Five VCs and the captain and we could organise a p*ss up in a brewery!!

[Wanderer]

Note to self.

Don't spend a week in Italy filling yourself with pasta, tiramisu and gelati, sitting on vaporetti for much of the day and then expect to do a hundred as soon as you get back when you haven't been on a bike for two weeks.

It was all fine going down and Ditchling seemed so easy - well it is now with a 32 cog on the rear cassette - but I've never had to bail on the way back before, and then the indignity of falling asleep on the Horsham-East Croydon....and asleep in the bath for half an hour....and asleep while trying to watch Wall Street 2 (well, I can undersand the latter from what little I remember of it).

I hope young George made it back to Nonna's. He was flagging at the back with me for a period, but I'm sure all he needed was a sweet shop to raid like last time in Newdigate.

Nice bunch of 16s going down. Not so many of us - Karen and Murray (it was Karen's first Brighton run), Marcus, Scott and Martin - just the right pace - no problems apart form Murray's puncture a couple of miles ahead of Turner's Hill. Pity about the Wuthering Heights bit at the top of the Beacon. One day we'll get the view of the sea again (didn't get it in May's run either). Not sure about the five miles into the headwind to Shoreham, though, especially as I was a late starter from the Regency due to a dropped pump on the sea-front. It must have been that bit that killed me off!

John S

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

What a brilliant load of write ups!!! I thought is was a dying art but we seem to have harvested a bumper crop of almost literate acc rouleurs! (have i just mixed my metaphors?) chapeau!!long may it continue!great read - relived every painful mile!!

[mark mclaughlin]

Great ride with the 19’s even though it felt like I had accidently joined the training group!!

Big thanks to Nick and Steve F for guiding us there and for Nick on the return.

Serious fog and crosswinds over Ditchling before a nice Lasagna washed down with some coke.....! Off again by 1.30 with Matt joining us. New this was going to be a challenge keeping up with these boys on the way back! Good of them to wait after there burn ups!! Grateful for Nick and Becky sharing the pacemaking, feeling stronger as we headed back up via Rusper with the Sun finally came out. Enjoyed a good coffee and cake at Nonna’s before getting home by 5.30.
Longest ride for a while (approx110 miles) with a great bunch of Agreeables. Cheers all.