Brighton ride Bank Holiday w/e

[Toks]

Steph and I hope to be there tomorrow morning!

[Alex S]

I love the edit function.

[Toks]

What a lovely social ride that was to Brighton; I loved the route, the company was extremely agreeable and of course and lunch on Brighton sea front topped things up perfectly. Brilliant, big big thanks Amy. Next time Stephanie and I promise to join you guys on the return leg.

[Alex S]

A really good day out. brilliant route and excellent company. no major mechanicals either. Thats the most miles ive ever done in one day, so I am both very happy and very tired. ZZZZ.

I got a few nice pics, ive put them on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... b5809cff88)

the originals are 2736x3648 pixels so if you want bigger pictures of any of them drop me a message.

[Toks]

Excellent pictures Alex.

[StephanieG]

[quote="Toks"]What a lovely social ride that was to Brighton; I loved the route, the company was extremely agreeable and of course and lunch on Brighton sea front topped things up perfectly. Brilliant, big big thanks Amy. Next time Stephanie and I promise to join you guys on the return leg.

[Amy]

Thanks for the really nice comments - I'm glad it was a success for those involved (including me ). Numbers fluctuated - mostly down as a Rob?T turned for home at Warninglid for his dissertation and Toks and Steph took the train home from Brighton (we won't mention Tok's timekeeping at the start ...) then Nicholas decided that his cleat was screwed up beyond use and turned back down into Brighton to join Toks and Steph on the train even before we'd started the real climb out of Brighton.

Top marks should go to TimNick for his steady sitting at the front, despite the shouts of 'Easy' from behind. Tim only seems to have two modes, stop and go And also to Ginnie (Nicholas, read in shame and weep!) for sticking it out there and back and getting 100+ miles under her wheels ( I thought about going round the block for another 3 miles but thought better of it - heating and a hot shower were calling)

Sounds like we were also lucky to avoid the MayDay protests - my brother mentioned them when I met him at the pier for a rather short meet. We then found where all the police were - not to mention about every bit of broken glass - up the climb to Hollingbury and Ditchling but only saw the odd protester. Did we really get away with no punctures?

I have to say that despite a lingering-but-not-really-there cold, I was quite pleased with the way I rode over the weekend - kept on most of the climbs with the guys and still managed to be first girl up Devil's Dyke despite having to stop and make sure the rest got the turn right from the main road (thanks, Toks, for taking over there so I could overtake Ginny up the last drag).

Good blast along the Devil's Dyke road back to the main road except for the strange taste in my mouth. A stop for a regroup on the main road hastily got going again as we realised they were spraying crops in the field across the road and we were getting the full benefit of it, yuck

It would've been nice to have had some sunshine but at least it never really rained and we certainly didn't overheat and I didn't run out of drink.

Oh and thanks guys for sorting out the guy with the broken chain (which I had spotted) which left Ginny and me to make friends with the two horses over the road at the bottom of Ditchling - one of which kept butting me in the t*t cos he obviously thought I was someone else and should have something nice for him like sugar lumps.

[Marky Mark]

Well done Amy, I would of loved to come along on your ride but a family barby popped up in the end down in Kent somewhere.

That Tim sure knows how to ride now. Well done to you all.

Looking forward to the next one!

[Nicolas]

Thanks a lot Amy for the brilliant ride, and all there for the nice company! We can now confirm that the weather in Brighton is crap and that we are much better staying in Surrey

I am indeed hiding in shame after having thrown the towel shortly after Brighton. In my defence, I rode a few miles up this nice littl' hill going out of town pedalling with one leg before deciding 50 miles like that wouldn't be good for my figure's symmetry Congrats to all of those who clocked a century in style, a nice training for the fast approaching Dragon's!

Good job for the choice of the route Amy, I hardly had to complain about the traffic for once, and the lanes were lovely! Do you happen to have it on bikely/gmaps or something?

Thanks for the pics Steph and Alex, especially as for once we have pictures of us while riding and not just stopped at the caf'. It's so impractical to take pictures on the go that people usually don't bother.

(yep, the protesters were indeed in town, and the dodgy area around the station was downright scary!)

[Rob Q]

Looks like it was a great ride with some scenic lanes. Im sorry I couldnt make it this time, but look forward to the next one.

[Amy]

Brighton route here [url]http://www.addiscombe.org/members/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7507[/url]

Slight change of route at the end to avoid two short sharp climbs before dropping down Farthing, instead turned left in Bletchingly and then right at the other end of the village into Little Common Road and then onto Merstham before climbing back up to Brighton Road and the club run route up the Merstham drag.

Nicholas, we'll let you off.... Now the Camdens carry a spare cleat with them for just such an emergency

[Amy]

Thanks Sean, I've not worked out how to do that yet - nor do I have the time! I will be glad when my friend gets out of hospital as I've been popping into his place after work to feed his cat. Hopefully tonight will be the last time and I'll find one of his neighbours to feed Ellie tomorrow.

Alex, meant to say I like the piccie of me with the horse. Could you send me a copy? and I think there's one of me riding (from behind). I can pm you my email.

[TimNick]

Fantastic ride to Brighton - thanks so much to Amy for leading and making sure we got there and back.....and double thanks for the the slight change to the last 'push' over the 'north downs' home....by then my legs were pretty much shot

Really sociable trip, great company, good food in Brighton (spag bol - yum yum) and 95 miles at 14mph av and 1000 metres of climbing - kinda makes up for missing out on Old Ports etc earlier in the year in a way.....might explain my 'being on the front' and leading and turning right up Devil's Dyke! Like Amy, the need to complete the 100 miles by riding up and down the street evaporated when the thought of a shower and a hot bath materialised at home...but did manage to get back to commuting on Wednesday to get the legs turning again.

Top marks also to Virginia for battling on, to Toks for having the most extravagantly saddled and pedaled bike in history (he knows what I mean) and Alex for having 'hair of the dog' after 50 miles and taking action shots.....'I tell you the yoof of today' plus Ben for repairing that blokes chain at the bottom of Ditchling (let's just hope he made it up there ).

Here's looking forward to other such agreeable longer rides (I've been checking on those sportive thingies for the 2nd half of the year ) - so time to get a few plans together

Hopefully be at CR on Sat, just got to check on Sat am as to whether Braxton Hicks are becoming contractions.....the missus will be the judge!

Ride safe all....

Tim

[Marky Mark]

Hey Tim.

Fingers crossed all goes well with the birth. The first pint of beer is on me buddy.

I hope you don't mind me posting the Scan your fine lady gave to me.

[img]http://britishness-test.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/lifeintheuktest.gif[/img]

Marky Mark

[Rob Q]