Mid Sussex Hilly

[inappropriate_bike]

assuming you are coming from London

07:19   East Croydon [ECR]   
Haywards Heath [HHE] 07:57   38m

will do you 

The same train departs Blackfriars at 6:52 I believe. Say hello if you see a black btwin.

[Whitedown Man]

assuming you are coming from London

07:19   East Croydon [ECR]   
Haywards Heath [HHE] 07:57   38m

will do you 

The same train departs Blackfriars at 6:52 I believe. Say hello if you see a black btwin.

I'll be boarding at EC - changing from a Clapham Junction train (black Indy Fab)

[Martin]

entries now closed (I needed to print off a start list) but can probably take a half dozen on the day, please PM 

Phew - just got in under the wire at 16:07 

I've already had 3 EOL requests since I closed!

[inappropriate_bike]

Thanks to the organisers for putting on such a great event 

[TigaSefi]

Great ride and many thanks for organising.

[Whitedown Man]

Cracking ride today, and the mid-ride hot dogs just what the sports nutritionist ordered. Cheers Martin, Ann and everyone else involved in organising

[Martin]

thanks for the kind words; managed to get out of the hall on time; finished off the weekend down there with a sublime ride round AAA Milne yesterday 

Down to Downs (reversed) is in the calendar for 21st May, Uckfield start with alfresco eating on Toys Hill 

[Martin]

entries coming in nicely;

note to self buy more veggie hot dogs. Routes are the 2004 Hilly which includes the seldom visited and sublime (at any time of year but especially in autumn) ride up Twyford Lane; and the Hillier where you also get to see where you've been all day from the South Downs (twice)

Cob Lane is on both routes but it's all in the mind (I can I must I will) all over in seconds! Top Tip, roll down as fast as you wish then wait until you almost stop on the way up and carry on at 0 mph in lowest gear; don't try to attack it will bite back!

[maffyoube]

I've fairly recently moved down to Sussex and this just happens to start a few miles from home - so I'm in.  Looking forward to it 

[TigaSefi]

This is a great route and definitely worth doing the Hillier version. Better views you see. I'll be sadly skipping it this year!

[mmmmartin]

Cob Lane is on both routes but it's all in the mind (I can I must I will) all over in seconds! Top Tip, roll down as fast as you wish then wait until you almost stop on the way up and carry on at 0 mph in lowest gear; don't try to attack it will bite back!

I found myself torn between pressing harder on the pedals in which case the back wheel spun on the wet leaves, or pulling harder on the handlebars in which case the front wheel came off the ground. So I walked. On steep wet leaves. In racing cleats. All this and hot dogs too!

[Arry-R]

I found myself torn between pressing harder on the pedals in which case the back wheel spun on the wet leaves, or pulling harder on the handlebars in which case the front wheel came off the ground. So I walked. On steep wet leaves. In racing cleats. All this and hot dogs too!
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Camera at the ready and I look forward to taking a few shots of wheels spinning

[hillbilly]

You can big ring Cob Lane.

(click to show/hide)

And fall sideways off your bike.

DAMHIKT

[Martin]

Both routes checked yesterday and uploaded; nothing much to report apart from a few + signposts and a lot fewer -

Cheese / ham / tuna toasties back on the menu at the finish ;-P

[Martin]

Entries almost at the nominal maximum (mainly due to car parking; but there is plenty of space 2km up the road and I'm expecting quite a few to ride to the start as usual) roughly split 50 / 50 between each ride. I'd really rather peeps didn't EOL so the online entry will close Friday Night unless I have a last minute rush that cleans me out of cards

as another regular pointed out the Word docs don't always work (assuming you have even paid Mr Gates his dues) so a pdf version  is available by email on demand

Note to self "get a gazebo" although that may all change by Saturday.....

[maffyoube]

Currently looking like it might be a good idea to peg that gazebo down!  Weather forecast suggests it could be on the blowy side 

[Martin]

I will certainly make boiling water on a Camping Gaz stove more tricky;

at least the predicted rain is not currently

[Moritz1860]

Just looked at the BBC weather website, for Saturday prediction of a mix of sunshine and rain (at points heavy) plus southwesterly winds of up to 50 mph. The return leg from Staplefield and the Ditchling Beacon car park info control  could be fun, probably get blown down the hill when pulling out the brevet card.

 

[Martin]

Thanks to all those who took the forecast of weather doom with a pinch of salt and turned out to ride on what turned out to be a pretty pleasant day interspersed with only a few biblical downpours , it was a case of "don't Buy One GOF" (or even GOFGOF) with the hot dogs so I won't be looking like one after next week!

next year same time same channel in the meantime I'm mentoring a lovely little ride in Surrey for next spring watch this space...

[maffyoube]

Glad it went well.

I got up and got my gear on.

But then leaving the house coincided with a horizontal biblical downpour which soaked me by the time I got to the bottom of my road....

Hmmmm.  I made a swift decision to go back to bed.  Sounds like it may have been the wrong decision....

Next year!