Quite a crowd turned up for the club run preferring to do this than ride
the Old Portlians Reliability Trial.
Our roster was:
Roy Siggs, Len Smith and Alan Timms who decided on a short ride whilst
the rest of us:
Ed, Terry, Mick H, Austin, Alex, Mack, Dave, Steve, Rob, Garry and Paul
plus two guests (Simon and Matt), who we hope will come again, set out for the riverside
café at Yalding.
A day with little or no sun and forecast as 4°C.
Ed led.
Hockenden Lane was closed so it was along to Godseal Rd and then the
lanes to Shoreham and on to Twitton.
From here it was off to Otford Pond and the Bat and Ball then the lanes
again through Godden Green and to Ivy Hatch.
Then the usual route thru’ Plaxtol, Hadlow (at this point Terry headed
for home-was it to take the wife out or hopefully to gloat at Arsenal being
hammered thus helping the Spurs towards a champions league qualification), East Peckham and to the café.
Some of the lads dropped off the pace a bit and came in on a slightly
different route from East Peckham.
The café became quite crowded with cyclists when some flatlanders turned
up.
Alex had to leave early but the rest of us took the Wateringbury,
Mereworth route and then on up what Phil likes to call ‘dead man’s gultch’ - it
was at this point that Garry led Simon astray taking him partway up the Swanton
Rd. They soon came back.
Then onto to Boro’ Grn, Wrotham and the A20. By the time we had got to
West Kingsdown we were in two groups. The A) team of Matt, Ed, Mack, Rob,
Austin and Mick H and the B) team Steve, Garry, Dave, Paul and Simon.
From meeting point to café and back was in the order of 54 miles.
Ed