Felt quite good after the Mayflyer last week so decided to see how I was doing and went with an 18s group. I wasn't intending to be leading any group - just hanging on the back for awhile. All in all a very disciplined group who stayed together pretty well on the whole though I did have to shout a bit
There was one person who shall remain nameless who rather blotted his copybook - all I can add, is don't do that again, especially not in Addiscombe kit 
My apologies to the guy who got dropped on the way out and seemed to spend the rest of the ride down to the cafe on his own. I was told you'd been struggling to stay on and as there was probably another group not far behind you'd be picked up by them. Felt even worse when you said your seatpack had broken too...
I was going quite well, hanging on even up the hills - though to be honest I felt it was quite a relaxed pace most of the time
Slight moment of panic when someone cut up Pete just before Rusper 
Then we hit the 'resurfaced' road and I thought that if it carried on out the other side of the village, it would make the adverse camber on the righthand bend even more 'fun'.I was right - already warning my group to take it easy we looked up to see bikes all over the road on the bend and a couple of figures on the ground. I'd been managing to hold my 18s off from the back of Kate's group of 18s since we saw them coming out of Dawes Green but now we'd definitely caught them up.
Fortunately only one person had come down really badly though I'm sure Bridget is still feeling a bit shaken even though her fall was broken by poor Sam. We managed to clear the road and get Sam and his bike to the side of the road where some assessed the damage to the bike and his Dad took photos of his wounds. Luckily no broken bones and the bike was made rideable. Also managed to warn a couple more groups coming behind us.
Kate took her group and mine on to the cafe via the usual route while a few of us stayed with Sam and Jon until he felt able to ride and we rode slowly to the cafe - well at least Sam, Jon and I did - where we raided the first aid box and Sam had his Dad running up and down getting him tea and cake (but all the cake had gone...). I assume that Sam was safely collected by his Mum and there was no further damage found.
After all that the ride back was a bit flat - nice pace though - only got dropped on the golf course (though I did overtake Marcus, again
)Just a reminder to anyone who had used stuff from the first aid kit previously - don't forget to replace it as it seemed to be missing a few useful items such as antiseptic wipes.
