!!!THIS SUNDAY'S CLUB RUN 6th MARCH!!!!

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

Ok folks.

Sunday CR number 3 this weekend. Weather looking cold, but may stay dry!

This Sunday's is a variation on Jon's Lingfield ride. Plan is as follows:

Meet at CSS for a 9:30 departure. Ride about 72kms. Should be back at CSS by 13:00.

From Css. down the A23 to Merstham (nice traditional start!), drop down School HIll through South Merstham and up over the A25 at Cormongers Lane. Drop down through South Nutfield, down to Outwood, past the Post Mill, drop down to Horne, Blindley Heath, turn towards Lingfield, then Haxted MIll to Edenbridge.

South through Edenbridge, then turn back to Lingfield via Marsh Green and Dormansland. Carry on back via Newchapel and Smallfield and back up to South Nutfield for a coffee stop at Priory Farm. Depending on time and how we feel, return to CSS via Merstham and A23, or more hilly route via Bletchingley, Chaldon and Farthing Downs.

I think we had 20 out last Sunday, so let's see if we can match or beat that!

See you there.

Del

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

I hadn't planned to ride today (I rode the CR yesterday) but had to get up early to take one of the boys to footie so decided on the spur of the moment to go for it. And so glad I did!! A great ride. Thanks Del for organising and planning the excellent route and leading the ride, and sorting the weather - glorious sunshine I kid you not!

Twelve of us met at CSS and headed out to the Kent borders. A really agreeable bunch: Kevin, Ron, Adrian, Noel, Le Nick, Iliya, Paul, Peter, Marcus, Colin, Del and, of course, myself. A lumpy ride of 75 kms - in old money 46.5 miles - along mostly quiet roads and lanes which I clocked at an average speed of exactly 16 mph door to door.

I bailed out after the coffee stop at Priory Farm (nice chat, Americano and a slice of walnut and coffee cake) and headed for home and roast chicken dinner leaving the others to ride back to Coulsdon and beyond via Chaldon and Farthing Downs.

Got home just in time to watch Paris Nice before lunch and Sam found a 50 minute feed for yesterday's Strade Bianche which we watched after lunch; the season has started. What a perfect cycling weekend.

[Del]

Jon has summed up today's ride perfectly.

I sorted the weather. Well that was no problem. Over the next month, I'll try and sort my own fitness out. It's now progressed to doing ok on the flats, spectacularly good downhill, and more work to do going uphill! Still, after 3 and half months out, that's not bad!!

Marcus suggested that I'd organised a mini Paris-Roubaix today as we marvelled at the (lack of) road maintenance of Surrey and Kent County Councils. Still, we rode pretty well as a group, especially considering that we had a bit of a range of fitness out there today, and managed to avoid any problems with the best pot holes that both councils could throw at us.

Another good reason for joining the Sunday rides is the sheer quality of conversation and the information it throws up. I asked Adrian about the rather impressive snood he was wearing as we passed Outwood Post Mill. He told me that it was sent to him by a friend in Spain, where a snood is known as "braga".

Adrian told me that "bragas" means pants in Spanish, meaning that braga is a pant...... or half a pair of pants!! At this point, I asked Adrian whether Sporting Braga, the Portuguese football club, actually meant Sporting Pant! Oh, how we laughed!!

The answer is almost certainly no, as they are Portuguese, don't speak Spanish and are unlikely to call one of their major towns after half a pair of their neighbour's underwear! As an extra, Adrian also told me that Spanish ladies wear "bragitas" which I'm sure you'll all agree sound so much more feminine and refined than their male counterparts??

So, 46.5 miles in Agreeable company, no-one gets dropped, fine weather, great coffee and cake (and sausage rolls) at Priory farm and lessons in Spanish underwear. What more could you want from a Sunday morning??

See you all in 2 weeks time!!!

[Marcus]

Enjoyable mornings ride with a good sized group of mixed fitness levels for this time of the year but we still managed to keep it together (mostly).

Good route thanks to Del and the cafe stop at the Priory was worth the near 40 miles to get there.

[adrian]

[quote="Del"] I asked Adrian about the rather impressive snood he was wearing as we passed Outwood Post Mill. He told me that it was sent to him by a friend in Spain, where a snood is known as "braga".

Adrian told me that "bragas" means pants in Spanish, meaning that braga is a pant...... or half a pair of pants!! At this point, I asked Adrian whether Sporting Braga, the Portuguese football club, actually meant Sporting Pant! Oh, how we laughed!!

The answer is almost certainly no, as they are Portuguese, don't speak Spanish and are unlikely to call one of their major towns after half a pair of their neighbour's underwear! As an extra, Adrian also told me that Spanish ladies wear "bragitas" which I'm sure you'll all agree sound so much more feminine and refined than their male counterparts??

[Marcus]

[quote="adrian"]Crikey, Del - were you taking notes?