Longer ride Sunday 10th

[Phil H]

Hi,

Since I can't make the CR on Saturday, I was thinking of heading out Sunday for a longer route. Would be around 60 miles CSS to CSS but I have options for long/short cuts and evil hills if people feel like it. Lunch stop somewhere nearly Ardingly once I've searched the CTC tea stop directory. I'll update details later.

Standards 17s+ but will wait at the top of hills (I hope)

9:30am at CSS. Yes, it's a bit vauge but that's the way I roll.

[Andrew G]

Beat me to it Phil although my plans are a bit different, so options for folk.

The ride I'm going on is...

9am meet at Lloyd Park car park, prompt departure.
70+ miles, lumpy terrain - lanes and B roads to Ashdown Forest, back through Groombridge, Penshurst, Ide Hill, Brasted Hill, Tatsfield.
No stop so you'll need to have suitable supplies in your pockets.
Regroup at the top of hills otherwise steady paced from start to finish without waiting.
Stronger 18s minimum standard required sue to the length and terrain (c1,300m climbing in total), but a good lumpy number if you plan on doing a sportive this year.

Ta,
Andrew.

[Jon H]

But which is better? Phil's ride or Andrew's ride? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!

[Phil H]

[quote="Jon Hemming"]But which is better? Phil's ride or Andrew's ride? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!

[Andrew G]

Different animals for different people. Phil's is a friendly labrador and mine's more your border collie which won't be everyone's cup of tea but if it is then they're rewarding .

I don't do fighting.

[Dombo]

Phil's ride is like Brian Hanrahan's quote from the Falklands "I counted them all out, and counted them all back".

Andrew's is a cross between The Dambusters and Last Man Standing.

[Andrew G]

Bounce.

9am depart from Lloyd Park for the Ashdown ride mentioned above.

[George]

See you in the morning Andrew

[Marek]

Andrew, what time you going be going over the downs and which hill do you intend to descend as I might try to ride out to find you over that way at about 9.30ish.

Cheers

Marek....

[Andrew G]

Coming down Titsey Marek, then left and first right at the lights to Limpsfield, then taking the right down Brick Kiln Lane. Titsey would be a bit after 9.30, maybe 9.40, so you could head for there and wait for us if that suits.

[Phil H]

Well, that was nice. A kind of truncated/mutated/reversed version of the Brighton route with occasional bits of uncertainty. So we missed Ardingly reservoir but still had a good ride.Three of us (Del, Ben and me). I made it 66 miles door to door. Made it home in time to catch the last half-hour of the Paris-Roubaix.

Negatives: massive queue at the tea stop, sunburn, no pies.

[Keith]

Thanks , George & Marek for a pleasant ride over Ashdown in the glorious sunshine

[Andrew G]

Cheers Keith, and despite having my legs shredded had a great ride .

I met George at Lloyd Park and then Keith and Marek at Titsey. Such a shame you had those punctures yesterday Keith as you are in super form and so strong on the climbs, I'm sure you'd have been at the pointy end of the race the way you cruised up them at speed with such ease today.

Marek always makes me laugh. 6'5" giant of a man who's just like an excitable kid when the road flattens or goes downhill, just can't contain himself .

My legs could feel yesterday's TT in them when the road went uphill, which fool picked a hilly route , so thanks for waiting at the tops. Marek turned for home at the top of Ashdown and Keith at the end after Ide Hill when we were back at the A25. I was all up for skipping Brasted Hill and George said lets just spin home. He then had a change of mind and goaded me in to climbing up Brasted Hill and then through Cudham and Downe and we parted ways at Coney Hall.

Back home to see the last 100k of Paris-Roubaix and then over to the folks for a nice relaxing couple of hours digging pot bound plants out and lugging about a dozen big heavy pots. I was paid off with some lovely cake though .

Got a bit of colour on my legs after the last couple of days so my knees aren't quite so scarily white.

P.S. Phil as a man who likes a nice pie you should try the George and Vulture in the City some time.

[Marek]

Yes that was fun, fast on the flats and slow on the hills (well slower for me than Keith and George who were hammering it, well it seemed that way to me), when I turned off and left you at the top of Ashdown Forest went over to Chelwood Gate, views over the top of the Forest were awesome today. Got in a couple more long hills and then bumped into some guys I know in Forest Row so stopped and got my coffee in, Mr Green doesn't do cafe stops which just ain't right in my book.

Cheers

Marek....

[Del]

[quote="Phil Hawkes"]Well, that was nice. A kind of truncated/mutated/reversed version of the Brighton route with occasional bits of uncertainty. So we missed Ardingly reservoir but still had a good ride.Three of us (Del, Ben and me). I made it 66 miles door to door. Made it home in time to catch the last half-hour of the Paris-Roubaix.

Negatives: massive queue at the tea stop, sunburn, no pies.