Uppertea 200 8.3.09

[Martin]

just had my route sheet back; looks like being one of the best El S 200's for quite some time; combining the best bits of the Coastal Canter (the coastal bit and the Shoreham cafe) and the pre-PBP feast (the Mid Sussex traverse back from Pease Pottage but unsportingly using the Hilly bit between Handcross and Ardingly via Balcombe).

anyone else?

[Cyklisten]

possibly ... when i've got my act together and sorted out my 5 + a reserve for the Grimpeur de Sud ... clashes with the Invicta Grimpeur unfortunately, which was a good 'un last year.

[Martin]

possibly ... when i've got my act together and sorted out my 5 + a reserve for the Grimpeur de Sud ... clashes with the Invicta Grimpeur unfortunately, which was a good 'un last year.

yes his March 200 usually does unfortunately; but RRTY beckons

[mukkinese]

possibly ... when i've got my act together and sorted out my 5 + a reserve for the Grimpeur de Sud ... clashes with the Invicta Grimpeur unfortunately, which was a good 'un last year.

yes his March 200 usually does unfortunately; but RRTY beckons

perm+cal for the Invicta?

[Martin]

roll call;

Me
JBB

is that it?

[JBB]

Looks like it! Dave's happy for us slow coaches to go early(ish) so I 'll collect my card grab tea and go . The only problem i can see is the bit along the shore which WILL be into a headwind so hopefully I can grab a train as it passes unless I team up with Anton ( who I met last week on the kennet) .

See you at the start

Julia

[mukkinese]

That came around quick. I'm out...

[Martin]

Looks like it! Dave's happy for us slow coaches to go early(ish) so I 'll collect my card grab tea and go . The only problem i can see is the bit along the shore which WILL be into a headwind so hopefully I can grab a train as it passes unless I team up with Anton

I assume that's Anton who's my only MSH entry so far; will look out for you but I hope to be riding on the Hailsham Massive train

[Martin]

well that was hard 

a very strong headwind all the way along the coast from Exceat to Shoreham (which to those not familar with the area also has some gert hills which even the wind managed to get over) not helped by every single light being red; I didn't manage to stay with the Hailsham Massive as Paul Outhwaite was flying after his Spanish training camp and Rich Thomas was also on a mission but I did catch hime momentarily in Balcombe before the visitation. El Supremo put in an extra control at Shoreham so didn't need to put hands in pockets all day. Rode on and off with "Gravesend Garry" King most of the day and also the Lewes Wanderers.

The field got split in two just after Shoreham as the lock gates shut for about 30 mins while an enormous cargo ship came out. Chris Tracey had also lost Mr O by this time so we rode together to Upperton where Tim was on hand to photo my YACF jersey. After the tea stop the weather really closed in with a few persistent showers for the rollercoaster to Pease Pottage but we had the benefit of the wind for most of the return half. Did not see Chris and Paul (who we rejoined at Uppertea with another visitation at which point I announced I was shot so they left me for dead) after P Pott

Saw JBB attending to a fairy visit just before Horsham (where Garry and I went wrong after taking the golf course or rather A24 avoider). Risked getting disqualified by the AUK nutrition police by getting a Burger King receipt off the table at P Pott

Therafter it got a bit ugly with the reverse hilly leg of the MSH to Ardingly before a lovely bit to Fletching (fairy visit just before T stop the 3rd where I froze my nads off) and the rollercoaster continued through Buxted Horam and Grove Hill (the Hil is silent) to get back just as it got dark; discussed GPS woes with Phixie at the finish; mine did lots of nice but ultimately useless things with the downloaded route all day  It was 1oC and sleeting as I drove home but most people were back by then.

congrats to Tom Norris on his first 200 

[dougal]

Cheers for the name check.

Tom

[JBB]

Cheers for the name check.

Tom

 I hope you gt back before your knees froze!

I started with Tom but took a comfort break at Exeat so was on my own into the headwind to Shoreham. Took the road at the base of the cliffs at Telscombe to avoid the seriously unpleasnad road layout on the A259 then got a nice tow for a few miles with a friendly trio but let them go when my chain unshipped - they were too fast for me anyway.
The funniest bit was our gallant photograpers in action . I'm sure if I 'd gone any slower they could have captured me on a plate camera as I got the giggles as it all seemed so absurd as I grovelled up the hill in deaparate need of lunch 

Met Anton ( who I'd done the KVR 100 with the previous week) at Upperton after belting through the earlier wooded section and coming across a herd of deer in the middle of the road...  I'm sure I saw Martin at the lunchtime spread as well but chatted to Richerd thomas for a while and then left with Anton before I got any colder.  made steady progress and got caught in one shower; then has the pleaure of being overtaken at speed by the speed merchamts racing in the Surrey league. passed a few fairy visitations before Horsham and then contemplated suicide on the long drag in the rain to Pease Pottage.
Stopped briefly; changed into dry gloves and off we went with Anton navigating as he's local. One terrifying moment on the downhill to Ardingley reservoir when the sidewind hit and my bike went into speed wobble mode - horrible  but survived. It got dark just after we left Buxted and it soon became clear the next leg was going to take ages. Anton's lights were OK for a commute on lit streets but useless in the lanes and he hated it as we struggled on to Blackboys . We wimped out here and took the B road down to the A22 where we timetrialled it back to Hailsham for a total of 211k.

Got back just as it started spitting. It was sleeting when I left after a bit of socialising with Dave and Richard. I really felt for those still out there.

Despite the weather it was still a good day!

Julia

[Martin]

welcome to YACF Dougal 

JBB; were there the football sized lumps of escaped chalk from the cliffs along the sea wall route? they've always struck me (well not literally) as being less desirable than the as you say horrible A259 layout around the marina

re the deer; certainly looks like the Animal Liberation Front have been out in force around Petworth Park judging by all the holes in the wall

I know the Alfold / Loxwood / Ifold triangle is popular with the Surrey League (and also all of WSCC's Highways division as the surfaces are streets ahead of the rest of the county  )  but never actually seen any races there just the street furniture; I thought it might be the SWRC sportive which El S mentioned.

[JBB]

welcome to YACF Dougal 

JBB; were there the football sized lumps of escaped chalk from the cliffs along the sea wall route? they've always struck me (well not literally) as being less desirable than the as you say horrible A259 layout around the marina

re the deer; certainly looks like the Animal Liberation Front have been out in force around Petworth Park judging by all the holes in the wall

I know the Alfold / Loxwood / Ifold triangle is popular with the Surrey League (and also all of WSCC's Highways division as the surfaces are streets ahead of the rest of the county  )  but never actually seen any races there just the street furniture; I thought it might be the SWRC sportive which El S mentioned.

No lumps of chalk - a few wet patches and bits of seaweed where every 7th wave was chucking a bit of spray over; one chap in a van collecting the contents of the litter bins and quite a few joggers. The wildlife was near Lodsworth and the race was definitely NOT the sportive - a lead car and breakaway group of about 6 then a 2 minute gap to a peleton of 70 odd plus ambulance and following car - all riders with yellow numbers.  A bit later we passed race HQ with the lapboard out. They must have been doing double our speed. We saw one of the marsalls at Loxwood where I stopped to put on my waterproof and he said it was a race ( followed by some comments about sportives...)

J

[Martin]

my brief encounter with the Surrey League (as a rider) was a way of telling me that I really should ride Audaxes instead 

Nice to see the Wey and Arun canal restoration slowly coming along in Loxwood too; there was nothing there last time.

[JBB]

my brief encounter with the Surrey League (as a rider) was a way of telling me that I really should ride Audaxes instead 

Nice to see the Wey and Arun canal restoration slowly coming along in Loxwood too; there was nothing there last time.

As Anton was leading at the time I did suggest he grabbed a wheel but he thought it might be bad manners