Night Ride to Brighton

[Dominic]

Weather being kind, I will be there with dynamo lighting and Carradice bag. If anybody has any odds and sods they may have difficulty carrying then they are welcome to put it in my bag, if there is room

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

I shall be on my "commuter" complete with panier rack as well.

[Andrew G]

[quote="mrP(Boonen)VT"]I started off with 1:30, then changed it to 1:00 so that it gives you a bit of a cushion for you to get to the 10.

Confirm 1:00 at CSS.

Back in time for the clubrun.....yeah right.

Actually I've got to get back to drive up to Cambridge to pick up Ian who's finished at his Uni with all his stuff (umpteem flights of stairs and big heavy bags designed just to help the legs recover after a long ride )

[Andrew G]

Well weatherwise the BBC is all doom and gloom (build an ark if you believe them ) but other sources say showers overnight (Friday/Saturday) and dry and brightening up on Saturday.

If it's just showers or light rain then I'm still up for it. Unless it's been chucking it down then I'll soon dry out anyway.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Agree

[Ivor]

currently met office says: [img]http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/images/symbols/w8.gif[/img] then [img]http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/images/symbols/w12.gif[/img] followed by [img]http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/images/symbols/w11.gif[/img]

hmmm. taking a day off the bike today, hurt chest riding yesterday.
Not sure what to ride if I come along, will it be too fast to ride the "comfortable" mountain bike down?

[Andrew G]

[quote]will it be too fast to ride the "comfortable" mountain bike down?

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Not rushing around - has MTB got slicks - prob Ok

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Latest forecast is a bit damp to start with, clearing up around 2:00am.

If it is pouring down by 1:00am, then I'll reschedule, otherwise see you there.

[Andrew G]

Yep, see you at 1 at CSS.

[Ivor]

If I cut across from Oxted wheres a good point to join up?

[Andrew G]

Wahay that was fun.

I met Paul and Dominic at CSS and it was nice and mild and dry. We set off to try and hook up with Ivor at Redhill but no sign. Quick phone call and he'd overslept so was diving down to meet us a bit further down. Another stop and check location and we eventually hooked up at Balcombe. You're a tenacious fella Ivor, I'd have given it up before that point and headed back to bed.

We were nipping down the roads at a fair pace considering it was pitch black, we all had good lights though. Paul's navigation in the South East is amazing in daylight, how on earth he knows the routes on unlit roads so well is staggering. We were on more main roads than you'd normally use on a Brighton run - single carriageway A roads and B roads - but all must have been reasonably minor sections as they were practically all unlit, and through the murk you could make out they were of the nice tree lined avenue variety. Hardly saw a car all night .

About a third of the way down it started raining. Not heavy but that sort of constant light drizzle that as my Mum says soaks you through. It was a bit on and off and never a particular pain, my only problem being with my specs. I was feeling Fignon's pain as I was on semi-permanent wiper duty of alternate lenses with the fingers of my gloves.

Some of the faster sections on the swoopy descents were interesting. Near as dammit zero visability through my glasses so just letting the bike flow over any lumps and bumps and following the flashing red light(s) ahead with continual swipes of the lenses.

Ditchling Beacon at night is different. You couldn't see it as you approached and then you were on it. The Beacon can often be shrouded in mist but with the rain it was just a cloud. Riding up I had both headlights on but they were just bouncing off the mist. I kept them both on and used the beam to pick out the banks at the side and catseyes to follow the direction of the road. Without any of the usual reference points it seemed to go by quicker than normal.

A regroup at the top and off to the seaside. Really misty along the top road and the rain driving in your face due to the speed as you always pick it up a bit along this section. The descent wasn't attacked with the usual relish and I just pedaled to the top and freewheeled down, still hit 45.7mph though - Don't think you'd have enjoyed it Snoop/Thora .

The all-night cafe/bar was an experience. 3 bouncers on the door to turn away the weavingly drunk so we left our bikes outside under the canopy in their protective care and moved inside. I think it says it all that as Dominic pointed out nobody even batted an eyelid as we went in and sat down. Four men in head to toe soaked lycra and not a glance , it was also nearly full at 3.30-4am - these students have more stamina than me that's for sure. We all had a bargain priced pasta dinner/breakfast before heading home.

I'd taken a camera and hoped to take a few shots of us as the sun was coming up, which it was as we were leaving, but with the drizzle and slate coloured sky you only knew it was happening as it got lighter so didn't bother - never saw the sun .

I had a bit of the shivers as we left but soon warmed up enough as we got going. A good ride home too with everyone riding well and sharing the workload pretty evenly, Dominic looked like he was doing little more than soft-tapping though . His strength was rewarded with two punctures. After each of these I got a bit shivery again as we started, and as it was still drizzling I decided to DNS the 10 I was going to do straight after this.

The drizzle came and went in volume, stopping briefly from time to time, but never for long and the splash from the road got you wet anyway. We were all happy and enjoying ourselves though and the weather didn't really put a dampener ( ) on the ride. I just decided against the TT to avoid any more shivers from the waiting before and after as I don't want to pick up a cold before next week's SCCU 50.

We swung by the HQ so I could give my DNS apologies in person and then went up Rusper hill to finish off with the CR in reverse.

A great ride and good to get my first proper night ride under my belt. A real shame the weather stopped us watching the sunset, but never mind still happy to have a night ride to Brighton on Summer Solstice in my memory mussette .

100 miles exactly and an average speed of 17mph exactly. I checked the speed at Brighton and it was the same so the dark didn't slow us down .

Cheers guys, always good to do something different and a good night on the bike.

[Dominic]

Nice write up Andrew, couldn't have put it better myself.

Very nice ride, good company. It if was dry it would have been perfect.

Have to do it again

[George]

Well done chaps, I bet your all fast asleep now

[Ivor]

[quote]Well done chaps, I bet your all fast asleep now