URGENT - BIG Club Run this weekend

[Marky Mark]

Hi ya folks, Tis I Marky Mark. Plan b for me is to get taken down there by car and join you for a pint. I estimate you'll get there about 12.30-13.00, if you let me know where you are going to end up I'll pop along and say hello.

Still not fit to ride yet, can't put any pressure on my right hand I think I have mashed my palm up.

Don't forget your waterproofs

Make sure you stick together and be safe.

Please encourage everybody to wear helmets!!!! I'm sure you put a seatbelt on when your in a car......

[Del]

[quote="Marky Mark"]
Hi ya folks, Tis I Marky Mark. Plan b for me is to get taken down there by car and join you for a pint. I estimate you'll get there about 12.30-13.00, if you let me know where you are going to end up I'll pop along and say hello.

[Paul on the Pearson]

Ive not been on the bike for so long i might have to get some stabalisers fitted. i managed to keep up ok with the eighteens the other week so could be the 17's for me or maybe the 19 's depending how tasty they and eager they look.

[quote="Del"][quote="Marky Mark"]
Hi ya folks, Tis I Marky Mark. Plan b for me is to get taken down there by car and join you for a pint. I estimate you'll get there about 12.30-13.00, if you let me know where you are going to end up I'll pop along and say hello.

[StephanieG]

I just wanted to say a[color=#0000BF] big thank you [/color]to the 15’spd group for their wonderful hospitality during the club ride to Brighton today. This was my first club run with the 15’s and I found everyone so welcoming.

In total there were six people in the group some of them were:

*Tim Coales & his *Son
*Bo-Gilly

There were a couple more people in the group but I’m unable to remember their names sorry.

I did decide to ride back to Coulsdon with the group but then changed my mind on the way, I did send a message down to let the group I travelled up with...I just hope they got it and didn't wait around for me?


StephanieG

[Sylv]

Brilliant day today which had started on the wrong foot though - as per email I turned up at CSS just before 9.25 to find absolutely no-one there, so carried on and caught up Apples and another guy, then another handful of puzzled-looking riders who'd stopped by the Starbucks. We decided to find our own way to Brighton, thankfully Nigel knew the L2B route on small roads, we had to make sure Dan didn't get his own way in guiding us though.

The route was packed with L2B riders (some already walking!) so it was easy to know we were on the right way. After just under an hour we caught up with a huge group, the 17s I think. We carried on, picking a few from that group with us. Bit later we saw another huge group of ACC stopped in a village, then more groups just kept coming in from another route, including Marek's and Huw's - the count was in the high seventies.

So the newly formed training group, including also Stu and Rob, got down to business down the first hill at breakneck speeds, and keeping up the pace all the way to Ditchling - no-one told Mike about it so he was left hammering at the front while the rest of us were taking a breather before the big climb. He was still going strong though and I had to keep looking back up the hill as after having attacked he was the only one in sight and made it a close second. We regrouped at the top and proceeded to once again get the hammer down all the way to Brighton - Marek is sooo strong down the hills and into the wind and seems to be able to keep going forever, he almost dropped me while I was sucking his wheel and I had that same sensation as when you're about to get dropped in a race (I told him he might want to have a go at attacking going downhill - I'm sure in a 3rd Cat race it could work - thoughts?).

After a nice seafood spaghetti for me, five of us set off early while the rest of the group were still taking orders (we gave the pier photo a miss), Westwards into the wind for a bit, then over the first climb. We now had an almost perfect tailwind which was speeding us to 50km/h on the flat. We left Marek to his Sportive training, and Stu Mike and me carried on together. We were equally matched in strength which made the ride really smooth, with that tailwind it really felt like you were flying and even coming to the front wasn't too painful.

We stopped in Crawley for a Coke and water refuel as I was having a bit of a bad spot and a taste of mussels at the back of my throat, then kept the speed up right to home which was hard work on those draggy steps,that made it 150km for me - might actually be a bit more as my computer is playing up and often showing too-low speeds, it said overall 32.8km/h but I think it was at least 1km/h more. Cheers to all who planned the ride and made it brilliant fast fun - looked in the mirror when I got home and my forehead was full of dead midges!

[Marek]

Yes was a good ride on the way down. Got out from East Grinstead at 8am and cycled up to Coulsdon. Saw Tims early group riding up the dual carriageway and arrived at CSS to see a really large group. Huw and I decided to join forces and we took it pretty steady down to Turners Hill where we met a massive group. Then Sylv joined our group and steady went out the window, I blame him for increasing the pace, but it was fun. At one point a group got away in Haywards Heath. I decided to try and bridge the gap to Stu, Sylv, Mike and a couple of others, Rob sat on my wheel and we hammered it to get on. Then it was Ditchling before we knew it and I was pretty toasted after the bridging, and watched Sylv disappear up the hill.

A good descent down to Brighton and we got into the Regency early to miss the masses, a good spaghetti bolognaise.

I was not feeling too fast on the way back as last nights excesses and eating mine and Stus left over spaghetti bolognaise was not sitting too nicely on the stomach. Sylv, Stu and Mike were hammering away and I left them to it, but I am not sure which route you guys took as you did not turn off onto the B2117 which is a great route. Also I think we lost Rob somewhere on the way who was feeling the pace from the early pace, again have no idea which way he went as I waited in a couple of the little villages to see if he was coming.

I went over towards Ansty, Cuckfield and then turned off towards Balcombe, Worth and then back to Turners Hill and descended into East Grinstead. Wind was going in the right direction which helped and I just kept a steady pace in preparation for next weeks Marmotte. Was a really nice route, thanks to Mark for giving me some directions before leaving Brighton.

Cheers

Marek....

[Stu Merckx Man]

yeh fantastic ride today.

went off in huws group first of all, and when we got to turners hill we were joined by sylv, dan, rob (looking like robert zulle) and a few others.

we hammered away, and after a while the group split, with me, sylv, dan, mike, and another guy whos name im not sure of.

after a while we were joined by marek who had managed to get over to us.

on our way to ditchling mike did an amazing turn at the front that lasted for ages. who was so strong that it was hurting to stay on his wheel! he was still on the front when we got to ditchling village. it was there that my guilt took over and i went to the front thinking he probably didnt know that ditchling beacon was so close. i took the front the rest of the way until we hit the bottom of the climb.

at the bottom sylv put in what looked like a half attempted at an attack, probably thinking we were all on his wheel, but he looked round a few times and we were a good 30m back so he put the hammer down. it was then that marek flew past me, the first time i had seen him for miles. i couldnt be having that so i dug in and pulled away from him. in the end sylv comfortably one KOM , then mike not too far back, and me a bit further back. my legs just didnt seem to have it today on the way down. they were feeling a bit tired from a heavy weeks riding.

we stopped for a nice lunch where marek kindly lent me some money for a spag bowl and coke. when we headed off i knew i was feeling a lot better and did lots of work getting us out of brighton and over devils dyke. it was around that area where rob dropped off, marek stayed with him and told us to go on.

so now just me sylv and mike. as sylv said we were fairly evenly matched which was brilliant, as we kept a high speed up, and it was super smooth, and soon we got into an order of turns at the front that pretty much saw us all the way home. when i was at the front for a couple of minutes mike would come to the front, then after a couple of minutes sylv came through, then after a couple of minutes i would come through. it pretty much ran like this for about 40 miles back to coulsdon.
at some points i was really suffering, but im pretty sure the others were, but we kept the order going, making sure no one was left of the front for any great length of time (apart from mike up a long draggy hill or 2 where i put the hammer down !:lol: )

in the end it took us only about 1.45 minutes to get from brighton to coulsdon, pretty impressive i think
we managed to get the average speed at the lunch stop of 19.5mph, up to 20.7 mph by the time i was home, which means we were averaging well over 21mph on the way home

a great 90 odd miles of riding today, enjoyed every moment of it!

stu

[-Adam-]

[quote="Stu Merckx Man"]my legs just didnt seem to have it today on the way down. they were feeling a bit tired from a heavy weeks riding.

[-Adam-]

[quote="Sylv"](I told him [Marek] he might want to have a go at attacking going downhill - I'm sure in a 3rd Cat race it could work - thoughts?).

[Mike I]

I decided against this, having signed up for the SCCU 50 tomorrow morning. Instead, I took the family out for a picnic. Picture my astonishment then when, heading back up the A23 towards Coulsdon at about 6pm, what should we see but the yellow train of an Addiscombe L2B group heading back from the seaside.

Tim was tapping out a smooth rhythm at the front, and I tried to say hello to a few faces I recognised, but with a BMW breathing down my jacksy, it probably came across as incomprehensible abuse. If so, my apologies. It looked very well organised though, as only an ACC club run can.

[Steve B]

A day of two totally different halves today, but both just as enjoyable as the other

Part 1 - Coulsdon to Brighton
Went with Huw's 19 group. As I hadn't been on the bike since last sunday I was a bit worried about how my legs would feel, and sure enough it wasn't long before I got the tell tale signs that they weren't good . They weren't bad but just didn't feel as if there was much there. If the pace was very fast then I was going to struggle.

All was ok though and the pace was quick but manageable. Good work sharing between Stu Marek and Mike etc meant that everyone else could tuck in for the ride, but this all changed after Turners Hill

I texted my Mum yesterday (who lives in T H), to come and see the ACC Brighton club run cycling up to the top of the hill. I was surprised she did come to watch, and she was pretty impressed by the sheer numbers

We were now joined by more fast guys and it wasn't long before the afterburners got well and truely lit. Big digs at the front were stringing out the whole group. Twice I had to sprint across a gap to get back on to the group, leaving others chewing bar tape behind, uncertain whether they would make it back or not. Mark Mc did a great job pulling them back the first time (time trial stylee), only to find that once on, someone else put the hammer down, splitting it all up again

All back together before Haywards Heath, but this was to be the last time. Up the drag in to HH I tested my legs out and, up out of the saddle, I pushed quite hard. Oh they feel quite good - bonk- oh dear maybe not. Two thirds up, my legs gave out leaving the all the 'big boys' to breeze past me, and off in to the distance

The rest of us got together as a group and got in to a good rythm. This was when I had my scariest moment ever on a bike. Matt D was on the front for a stint and it was my turn next. As I went passed him I put my head down to get on the power. Two seconds later I hear "STEEEVE". As I looked up I nearly Sh1t myself. All I could see was a 6 foot tractor wheel and a contraption on the back of the tractor with 18 inch spikes sticking out of it a few metres in front of me. I couldn't effing believe it How the hell did it get there? What the hell was the driver thinking? F*** F*** F***. Survival instincts took over and it all seemed to happen in slow motion. I pulled the brakes really hard and I slowed enough that the tractors wheel was now not a problem, but the spikes were. I swerved while still braking and somehow managed to get around the back of the tractor without touching any of it. It all happened so quickly but so slowly. I was really ok about the whole incident for a couple of minutes, but then "whack", shock got to me and I went all weird. I started to well up behind my glasses and I didn't have any desire to push the pedals around anymore .
Matt, I want to thank you for calling out to me when you did, it was really quick thinking. Even half a second later and I would have been an integral part of that tractor for sure. Cheers mate, I owe you

Most of the group rode on, Brian N kept me company, and I think Matt and Richard A stopped to have a kind word with the tractor driver. Ditchling was quickly approaching and my short sharp shock had subsided. Huw and Mark Mc were good targets up ahead for me to concentrate on, reeling them in somewhere up the climb, only for my legs to give up two thirds up And so to one of my favourite parts of the ride, the descent down to Brighton. A couple of weeks ago we reached 55?mph, but today conditions weren't as still and I could only manage 50.7mph. Did anyone top that?
Apart from the near miss, a good ride down to the coast

It was funny watching the waiters and waitress trying to serve 50+ cyclist in one go. Didn't do a bad job though. Some good chat and a few photos on the green later and it was on to part 2.

Part 2 - Brighton to Coulsdon
Monty and Alex were staying in Brighton, so it was up to just a few VC's to get everyone home. I asked Huw how best to organise it, and he said we should all head back together and groups would naturally form. Mm, in theory yes, but in practise this plan was flawed. Almost immediately outside of Brighton things weren't good. Riders were strung out along about half a mile of road. I hung back just to check everyone was ok, and soon realised that my blast back with the fast group was well and truely 'up the road and gone'. Anyway it was more important to see that everyone made it home safely. Bridget, Bob and Geoff were having difficulties hanging onto the 'main group', so I decided to race up to the front to tell everyone to stop somewhere where we could then split in to groups, I thought this would work better. Up a steep hill, left and on to a big roundabout. No sign of Huws group so shouted to a few riders to stop when possible. A few minutes later and riders were still coming past me round the rounabout, but then a gap and no sign of Bridget Bob and Geoff . I decided to go back just to make sure all was ok. As I got back to the top of the hill I just saw them going the wrong way and turning down a wrong road . So now back on route and it was just the four of us, with no sign of anyone up ahead stopping to regroup. Oh boy . As a VC, I now felt a sense of responsability.

Now I didn't know the route but knew I could get us home. Devils Dyke was familiar but I decided not to take the turning up to it - good choice - cos ten minutes later we met up with the small group ahead, regrouping from their Devils Dyke detour. So now its about a dozen of us, including Tim and Amy, both experienced VC's and with a map . We all stayed together from then on, waiting for anyone who was struggling at any particular point and encouraging anyone who was going through a bad patch. Bob decided to get the train with 30 miles still to go, he was feeling bad, but pulled through brilliantly to finish the ride with us. The ride back seemed very long but I must admit I enjoyed the experience and I enjoyed riding with a thoroughly agreeable lot. Well done to all. Thanks for the ride guys . 105 miles door to door.

Steve

[Alan M]

sounds like a really great but eventful day steve. thanks for going back for others including bridget. great that she managed 100 plus miles. it is 37 here and hot. madrid will explode for the game tonight and i will be watching it with some friends. i aim to rent a city bike tomorrow for some gentle riding. see you later in the week. cheers.
alan

[huw williams]

[quote="Sylv"]Brilliant day today which had started on the wrong foot though - as per email I turned up at CSS just before 9.25 to find absolutely no-one there, so carried on and caught up Apples and another guy, then another handful of puzzled-looking riders who'd stopped by the Starbucks.

[Jon C C on a Bianchi]

WOW!! Brilliant! Great day - really, really enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone who made it happen (i was going to say 'organised it' but that would be abuse of the English language! ) and thanks to everyone who took part and made it such an agreeable experience!

PART ONE - the Agreeables go bonkers on the way to Brighton

Started with Monty's 17 mph group - started OK but got faster and faster - hills were fine but on the flat doing something like 40 kph I could just about keep up working hard, dropped off the back beforeTurners Hill and increasingly worried that i might make Brighton at this pace but wouldn't be able to ride back as legs and lungs would be shot to pieces.

Decided to try and find a slower group at the meeting point at Turners Hill where it seemed that the groups were sorting themselves out a bit.

Joined Alex's 17 mph group - someone (who clearly had a great sense of humour or a lobotomy) said that Alex's group was riding a pretty steady 16 mph pace so Sam and I decided to join them and ride on to Brighton. Typically Alex's group blasted off at an incredible silly pace!!! I couldn't believe it... out of the fryng pan...

I just about hung on to Alex's and Robyn's wheel - it was going completely crazy - hadn't a clue who was setting the pace because everything was a blurrrr . Looked behind me to see no one on my wheel - the rest of the group unsurprisingly had been dropped way down the road. Remembering I managed to lose Sam on last year's Brighton run and how unimpressed my wife was I decided to pulll up and wait.

Chloe came up and thought that Sam was down the road, we waited and sure enough Sam and Bridgette came up, we were just about to set off when Amy (who everyone seemed to have forgotten ) came up having shed her chain back down the road.

Anyway, we set off at a sedately (for this particular ride) 30 kph and after a slight detour at Lindfield where we followed the signposted but wrong route we met up with Alex and the rest of the group who had waited for us. Trouble was they'd managed to lose Robyn who had dropped off and it turns out had followed the signposted but wrong route. Fortunately Chloe had her number and we agreed to meet her at Ditchling.

To be continued...