Old Portlians reliability ride 06/02/11

[Jon H]

Weather's looking nice and mild for next weekend

100k or 68k starting at Halstead village hall from 9am.

Who's coming out to play?




Edited for date correction

[Andrew G]

On the 6th Feb, yes .

Anyone want to meet at the RAB by Coney Hall?

[Ben]

What time

[Andrew G]

8am at Coney Hall, well by the RAB just before. Roadworks by that RAB at the moment so just meet on the pavement somewhere and keep an eye out.
I've entered online (Old Ports website) which is a free registration, you still pay your fiver on the day, but they'll have the info ready and waiting for you to save time.

[Peachey]

Did this last year and enjoyed it - planning on coming as well

[Snoop Doug]

I recall having some fun on this a few years back. Seem to recall Sean kindly waited for me at the bottom of the hills....and I kindly waited for him at the top

[Andrew G]

Well if the forecast stays the same then expect a hard first half and a quick return, 20mph south westerly.

[Andrew G]

I think that's the windiest I've cycled in. I was in two minds as to whether to do this after waking up with a bit of a dicky stomach but decided to go and meet up and see how I felt once going, with a bit of smashing flapjack in me at HQ I felt better and very glad I rode it as it's a top ride, it's a nice route and Old Ports are a friendly local club.

I met Ben at Coney Hall for the ride to HQ, met the Peachey one up there and a nice couple of blokes from Gemini (Pete and Tim I think but I'm hopeless with names so apologies if I'm wrong) who Darren knew. We all signed in with the charming Andrew Green (Old Ports version of the breed) and set off in the 9.05am slot.

Early doors my legs were a bit hollow and I struggled on the climbing bits although fine otherwise, particularly the nasty climb at Fordcombe. It's a bit of a pig that one and my legs weren't working on gradients yet . Nice blokes I was riding with though so they towed me up, and waited when I got the only puncture of our ride on a really rough stretch of road.

My legs started to come to me on the long climb up through Friars Gate to Ashdown Forest and I rode up that side by side with Pete quite well, particularly as a lot of it was in to the teeth of the strong wind. A quick cuppa and got my card stamped by Ian "Bashers" Bashford at the car park check point, how they got their tent by the campervan erected in that wind I don't know.

Now we turned and I was hoping we'd get a nice tailwind for the rest of the ride but I don't recall getting that lovely being shoveled along feeling for any length of time. Today's wind was more west-south than south-west so most of the ride had a very strong principally side wind. Struggled a bit on the steeper section of the road to Edenbridge but legs quickly came back to me as soon as the brow was reached and on Toys Hill I climbed up in reasonable shape with only Darren ahead of me. By a fair bit safe to say, he was riding well all day today particularly on anything going up and could have gone around much quicker had he wished.

Down to Brasted and the final run in for home, a nice finishing blast for the tea and bacon roll . We got back a little bit outside the 4hours I'd put down on my card but with the time lost on my puncture would have been inside otherwise, I think Darren said our ride time on his Garmin was 3h45.

Thanks to Old Ports for another great event, and thanks to Darren, Ben, and new friends for the ride. A good morning, but a hard one over that course in that wind.

Jon -

[Jon H]

[quote="Andrew G"]Jon -

[Ben]

I'm assuming it's Sydenham Wheelers this Sunday ?

[quote="Sean Hogan"]Great report Andrew. There is nothing remotely the same here in SG. Reports like this really help me Keep in touch.
Thanks

Sean

[Ben]

Sounds good to me.