CR 24th Jan

[Dombo]

Someone has to kick this off. Hope everyone had a good and safe one. Mine was uneventful and short. Left home late, descended to A23 nervously on the lookout for black ice and got to CSS in one piece though spotted several ice puddles along the way. Faffing about meant I missed the call for 18s so chased off like a mad thing hoping to catch them up at the various traffic lights only to get caught myself at Hooley and watch them disappear down the road. General scaredy custardness took over as to the likely state of the lanes so I headed for home and shopping en famille in Redhill. Wistfully spotted some stragglers up the Merstham drag as we drove home. Shame I missed CR as it looked like a beautiful day

[Kasper]

Well Done Dombo for kicking off the thread.
My club run today was eventful. My decision to go in the 19's this morning was not such a sensible one with reflection as the conditions of the lanes once through Reigate were treacherous to say the least. Wish I had waited for the temperature to rise a few degrees and I went out a bit later in the day like I did last weekend. However that said the lure of riding in a big group was too much to resist. Looking for a fast group to ride with I thought the 19's would be my best bet. This was proved right up until reaching the lanes the other side of Reigate where we came across a lethal spot of road. With the sun beaming into our eyes and rounding a corner it looked initially like just water on the road surface glistening in the sunshine. This proved to be wrong as once rounding the corner the shout of ice went up and the rider in front of me became an acrobatic silhouette against the sunny lane ahead. Realising i needed to take evasive action i made ready to swerve around the rider currently sliding along the icy road surface. Such was the speed we were travelling at and the spaces between riders being minimal i was left with very little time to react and can only remember hitting the deck, fast!!! Hearing the sound of metal scraping along road surface i was not the only rider to go down but seemed to have perhaps been going fastest or least prepared as upon hitting the deck my injuries were mildly serious after using my face as a spare brake pad meant i now had a split eyebrow and had grazed my cheek and chin with a healthy dose of road rash!!

Thanks must go to Hal and Mark McLaughlin for reacting with such calming decisiveness as an ambulance was called for and directions gathered as we knocked at the door of an adjacent house to ask about leaving the bikes. After deciding a ride to the closest hospital was out of the question it was just a point of waiting for the ambulance. Seeing a speeding police car tear around the same icy corner we had all come off was slightly unnerving as well but luckily no further collisions were to be seen.
Thanks to East Surrey Hospital for seeing both Kevin Rynne and myself so quickly, for he was the other rider to come off ahead of me, who like me was suffering from a badly sprained wrist and general shock of a nasty off at the front of a group. Seeing Kevin come out with just a temporary splint i thought i would be equally blessed with such a temporary diagnosis. Instead it seems my discomfort warranted an x-ray which revealed a lose bit of bone that had seemed to splinter off of one of the many bones in my wrist. This was serious enough for them to prescribe a plastercast which I am now wearing with some pride!!! My facial injuries were also cleaned up very efficiently by a very pleasant sister who did a good job of making me look half respectable!
I ain't no oil painting at the best of times so with blood dripping down my face and a two cm gash in my eyetbrow must be quite a sight!!
The rosy glow to my right cheek was quite pleasing so not a complete failure in the cosmetic surgery stakes!!!

Hal's duties for the day not yet complete it was very decent of him to agree to pick both myself and Kevin up from the hospital once our treatment had been dispensed. This he did with a great sense of timing as we had very little time waiting for him. Or maybe i was the one tied up getting all the treatment!!! either way Hal's was again a great face to see waiting upon leaving the hospital A&E Department. We then hopped into Hal's car and made off for Flanchford road and the scene of our coming off to collect our bikes which we had left at the scene. Having time to wait before someone could come back to let us gain access to our bikes we decided to hit the nearest cafe and made off for the Tannhouse Farm Shop. Very nice little cafe it was too, glad to have gone there as the day without a cafe stop is not to be contemplated!!

Filling the half hour we had to wait scoffing our slice of carrot cake and large elegantly designed mug of tea we soon made off to return to the house to collect our bikes. Thanks to Kevin for shouting me the tea and cake!!! I had the money just would have taken forever getting the money out of my pocket!!!

Discovering the son of the household to be an employee of Lotus and keen racer soon to be competing in the Porshe Carrera Cup we swapped racing analogies and made our way thankful for the safe home these kind residents had provided in our moment of need. As well as the mighty warm red blankets that kept us warm while waiting for our lift, i mean, ambulance!!

Hal kindly delivered us both to our respective doorsteps which once again I was very grateful for. Thanks Hal today you were a Star and real Agreeable Addiscombe rider to the core!! Both he and Kevin were very good company in what could have been a slightly worrying time but with such experienced riders as company I knew my tale come the end of the day would be a good one. So again I thank you both and everyone else who made it out today and handled what was a very disagreeable series of events so agreeably. I wait for the day when i can be back on the bike with baited breath but looks like being a week off at the least! My next appointment being the 2nd of february at the East Surrey Hospital.
Thanks again everyone for coping so well with the icy conditions and your help getting to the hospital!! All in all a grand day out and a good tale to tell!!!

[Antloony]

Wow sounds pretty nasty. Hope you both have a speedy recovery, least your smiling about it Kasper

[Hal]

Not a bad decision to give the lanes a miss I have to say in retrospect. We rode out as the 19's and all was going swimmingly roads dry and I didn't notice any ice and we headed into the lanes. Past the golf course all was well and we went cautionusly around the right hander at the bottom of the hill. Just a bit further down we rounded one of the bends and as the sun shone in our eyes it also reflected of the water (and ice on the road). As we came round the bend I heard an almighty crashing sound behind me. We slowed up and turned around to see bikes and bodies scattered accross the road.

I'm not sure how many came down but Kasper and Kevin R were still sitting down when we got back to them. We picked up bits of bike and assessed the damage and moved to a safer spot at the end of a drive way. Kasper had a split eye brow and a sore wrist and Keving had a sore wrist also and was looking shaken.

The 18's arrived and we pre warned them not to continue. We then made the decision to call an ambulance for the wounded as Kasper was certainly going to need stitches. The owners of the house kindly bought out blankets and let us leave the bikes somewhere safe. The injured were wisked off to East Surrey for treatment. The remaining group turned back and headed up to Box hill for a shorter ride back.

After getting home I hopped in the car and picked up the boys at East Surrey, Kevin with a sprained wrist in wrist support, Kasper with a possible fractured wrist and a plaster cast and sling, plus stitches. We headed back to collect the bikes, have a cup of tea and cake at the Tan house before dropping everyone back home.

I'm feeling frustrated that we didn't heade the advice to avoid the lanes, they had been ok for the last couple of weeks and it was a lesson learnt. Hope the guys get back to health as soon as possible, and that everyone else enjoyed their rides on a nice day on less icy roads.

Take care

H

[Marek]

This may sound heartless, but what the F@3k were you all doing going down the normal club run route. It was pretty bliming obvious that the roads were going to be treacherous today and the amount of incidents that have happened down those back roads due to icy conditions is getting a bit embarrassing. The training group went up the A23 to Rusper and then back again and then up the road to Charlwood. No issues at all as we kept to the main roads, why didn't everybody do this?

WHEN IT HAS RAINED AND IT GETS VERY COLD OVER NIGHT, ICE FORMS AND THIS IS SLIPPERY AND CAUSES BIKES TO CRASH. DON'T GO DOWN THE NORMAL CLUB RUN ROUTE IN THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS.

Someone put the above somewhere that everybody in the club can see it, as I just cannot believe that this has happened again.

Hope you get well soon.

Cheers

Marek...

[Dominic]

To add on from Marek, I am a bit confused

Before the training group left Monty came up to us and asked us what we were going to do. We replied main roads ie A23. A264 then Charlwood. Our reasoning being the lanes would be dangerous. I even said to Monty that Mercury FM had been saying there were numerous accidents on the B roads. I think Monty could see our point.

Was every group that left asked the same question or had the information passed on because if not surely something is amiss?

[Andrew G]

Hope the wounded heal up quickly, although I have to agree with Marek about sticking to main roads in the icy weather. Also although we all like riding around fast, as with driving you should ride to the conditions so if you are on a quieter road then knock the speed back accordingly. A well told tale though Kasper, and top stuff Mark and particularly Hal.

I was never going to be on the CR today as I wanted to go to Decathlon to get a tent for the Tour of Wessex - got one of those 2 second ones, they're amazing. Managed a very swift erection in the flat and it folds back down pretty quick too, although it might take a bit of practice before I can get it down to the 15 seconds they say you can do it in once you get the knack. I didn't book the camping when I registered and there's no link on the website to do it retrospectively, I've emailed Pendragon but if anyone knows how to do it I'd be grateful if you could let me know.

Anyway, once back from Decathlon had a sarnie and then set off for a, whisper it, [size=85]training[/size] ride. Adapted one of my semi-regular 30 mile loops to make it more main roady to A, avoid any remaining icy, and B, so I could keep the speed up easier without having to jink around blind country corners. Had a good blast, kept the speed pretty good all the time, and felt pretty good the whole way round despite it being the first time I've given it some welly since about October. Still winter though so obviously done on my winter bike with mudguards and rack .

A.

PS when it's icy A23 then left along A25 to Westerham and then cut up Polhill is a reasonable, and not too busy route. Also if you head back to Purley and then right, up the hill to Sanderstead and then right through Warlingham and on towards Titsey, left at Titsey and down Botley to Westerham, from there either left to pick up Polhill or right to go back along the A25 to Reigate would be a pretty good, not too busy, but main road route. Either skip a cafe stop or use Polhill Nursery or if the last option then pick one up in Godstone/Oxted.

[Sylv]

Jeezus what a story!

Good thing I took a good photo of you with your face intact at the dinner Kasper

Heard from Kevin he says it's pretty painful.

[DavidKennett]

[quote="Marek"]This may sound heartless, but what the F@3k were you all doing going down the normal club run route. Cheers

Marek...

[Rob Q]

It was tricky out there yesterday, patches of ice even on the main roads. To all involved, I wish you a speedy recovery.

Rob

[Ian A4size]

Managed a very swift erection in the flat

ah well no change there then

[Dombo]

Bl**dy hell. Sounds like I avoided a war zone. 'Fraid I have to echo Marek's comments. Could have been a lot worse though, just lucky no cars involved. Hope everyone recovers soon.

[Dombo]

[quote="Andrew G"] Managed a very swift erection in the flat and it folds back down pretty quick too

[quote="Ian MunneryA1size"]

Managed a very swift erection in the flat

ah well no change there then

[Marky Mark]

Get well soon you both, great write up and 'one mans pain is another mans fortune'.

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2 guys (oops forgotten names again) from your group came back to warn us that there had been an accident and the lanes were covered with ice. God knows how big the accident tally would of been if us 15's and 16's went heading into the ice, cheers for the warning.

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So the wise decision was taken to turn back to Reigate then head straight down the A217 for Gatwick. It was safe from the ice but I think the dangers from the cars on that road brought the Risk Assessment back down into single figures

We ended up getting a few more miles in around Gatwick airport, I have to say I think Smiley John Cz was enjoying inhaling the aviation fuel far too much to be normal.

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We even managed an impromptu sprint to the Charlwood barrier, not being much of a sprinter I used the art of surprise and gave it large 100 meters from the finish line, I didn't last long as one of the fast boys easily overtook me and if I'm honest I think I came back at him to make it a draw (I hope!) At the line. I checked the Garmin just now and the finish line stats were 188 HR and 28mph so I'm quiet happy with that.

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Nice ride home mostly with John Cz, it was a great blast and the coffee break at the Coulsdon cafe was well earned and my legs are aching today (Sunday) or was that the party I went to???.

I have to honour Jeff with a mention, sorry Jeff but I just had to share it with everybody. He asked me if I was going to ACC dinner next week. I had to break it to him gently and inform him that it was last week, I didn't laugh much honest.

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I'm looking forward to the good weather coming back to start doing some longer runs.

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Marky Mark