The Shoreham Century

Well, that was a jolly day out.  After all the Henfold kerfuffle, neatly solved by Terry and Sally, fifteen of us set off from Tanhouse Farm shortly before 1100.  A good turn-out, given that a number of A Group stalwarts are away in distant lands.  Briskly over Rusper, where we had hoped to meet Geoffrey Shields, but alas this was not to be.  Down to Faygate, over Tower Hill and on to Grouse Road, where some took the opportunity to have a good blast.

Good group riding and good route marking ate the miles steadily, and decent weather did no harm either.  Warninglid, Blackstone, past Upper Beeding and then a detour over the Adur to Botolphs for quiet lanes and the wooden bridge to Shoreham.  We were at the Bridge Inn on time, and it was good to see Sue, Dave Vine's wife, and their friend George already installed.  Even better news was that Dave, invalided off his bike for the moment, was on his way on a train, so we should expect him shortly.  More or less as Dave arrived Pete T turned up too, passing through on his way to Lewes.

Although they were expecting us, service was slightly haphazard, with a troubling rumour circulating at one point that the food would take forty minutes to arrive.  In the end we got served quite quickly, with those who ordered the simplest dishes first being last to eat. There you are. As long as you were out of the wind everything was fine.

By 1430 we were all ready to go -  a slightly smaller group as, as is usual, some made their way to other destinations.  A baker's dozen headed back up towards Partridge Green, a bit chilly at first, but soon warming up as we climbed in the sunny lanes.

Partridge Green was an important milestone, as this was the Ice Cream Stop.  A complex mix of carbohydrates and sugars, the perfect athletic supplement.  No one complained, anyway.

Refreshed, we powered away to tea, and sat for a few minutes in the sun before returning to our steeds for the last lap.  The new route out of Horsham, known to many as it turned out, worked out well and we were in Rusper with little apparent effort.  Familiar roads now, and the pace was up.  A wave to Tanhouse Farm as we passed, though Newdigate, up Pixham Lane and along the cycleway to Leatherhead.  Here Mr Wetherspoon provided his excellent Sportsman's Tonic, avoiding the very real risk of dehydration, and we passed the time of day pleasantly, though I thought that my suggestion of back-to-back centuries fell a bit flat ...

So, an excellent day out in good company, with a very high level of group riding skill enabling a steady pace to be maintained.  70.1 miles elevenses to Leatherhead, at a rolling average of 14.4 mph, which is better than respectable for the distance.  Those who sought their personal centuries - and there were several - pretty much had them in the bag.

My thanks to all for making such an enjoyable day possible, special thanks to Geoff and Neil who acted as back markers, and to all those who took a turn as corner markers - the performance of the group as a whole depends on this.  It's a pleasure to sweep through the English countryside with such capable riding companions.

Mark