Evening Ride

[Snoop Doug]

pop into the lindfield on the way back and cheer on the darts team

[Grahame]

Sean,

I'm up for some sub-chaingang action tomorrow.

How about 7:15 as you said, hang on the back until one of us gets dropped, then 2 up until we see the main chaingang coming back the other way?

[Andrew G]

[quote="Sean Hogan - 何祥"]Too early AG, after 7 is okay for me as till then I need to help out with my daughter going to bed etc...

You'll find out all about this one day

[George]

[quote="Sean Hogan - 何祥"]Just checked the DP forum and there is no mention of a Tuesday CG, but I'll be there for 7ish as planned after securing a pass.

[Graham O]

I'm planning a trip out this evening and will probably be doing the dulwich route anyway, so maybe I'll give it a try.

George - I guess that its much easier to get involved in this now, rather than in mid summer when everyone has their race legs working properly..

I may tag along. I did OK last time I tried the winter route with the chain gang, but the hill out of Coney Hall was a serious shock to the system...

[Graham O]

Good Stuff Sean...

I did OK. Got dropped at the top of poll hill on way back, but other than that held my own OK. I had done a little too much on the way out. I was even doing the through and off.

However, serge informed me that the acc chaingang is much much harder...maybe if I keep up the hard riding I'll be able to keep up in a couple of months...

[Grahame]

Well that went pretty much as predicted.

As Sean said, I was comfortable until about 3/4 of the way up the steep hill out of Coney Hall, then I let the wheel in front gain a metre or two on me and there was no way back along the (surprisingly hard) drag between the "top" of the hill and Hayes common traffic lights.

The 2-up with Sean went pretty well. It's so much easier to follow the wheel of somebody you've ridden with a fair bit - perhaps you tune into their body language? As we were sharing a go bar (no idea of the use by date, but I'm still alive, so it must have been OK), a third rider turned up who admitted that he'd been dropped along the A21 when the person following him on the through and off had kept the power on rather than easing off a touch to allow the rotation, leaving him exposed to the headwind for longer than he'd expected and he blew out of the back. He'd been told the route went through Knockholt, so he'd turned right into Knockholt village rather than following on to the next turn for Knockholt Station! He won't make that mistake again, and a lesson for all us ride leaders about accurate route descriptions.

The way back was easier - mostly slightly downhill with the wind behind. Everybody took their turn, and we flew back to Elmer's End. I saw Graham O cruising the other way as I passed the Sloane Hospital.

I'll try again next week and see if I can hold on 'till the Princess Royal University Hospital.

[EdO]

Is anyone doing the Dulwich chain gang tonight ??

[EdO]

Is it that bad?

[Graham O]

Ed,

I'll be along provided its not too cold / windy.. You'd be fine.

Ta,

Graham..

[EdO]

[quote="Graham O"]Ed,

I'll be along provided its not too cold / windy.. You'd be fine.

Ta,

Graham..

[EdO]

Thanks for pointing that out Sean.

I'll get down there (slow cycle from Hammersmith) for 7 sharp.

[EdO]

Well that was good bit of training in the bank.

Met up with Serge, Graham O and George along with guys from various other clubs for tonight's chaingang.
Seemed like there were at least 20 of us and it took a while to get things going smoothly. Maybe they'll split the group next time to make it harder.

It's pretty steady pace and as I've only done a couple of rides in January (two clubruns, one sportive) it was ok for me. The only hard part is Poll Hill. Descending it knowing full well you're going to do a 180 on the round about and go straight back up it

Managed to keep up all the way until we got bromley college where I didn't have any energy left and missed the lights.
I'll be back next week to hopefully put in more effort for the way back but all in all was pleased.

Cheers.

Ed O.