This blog is a record of the activities of the various members of the TCA, a worldwide association formed in Titchfield, Hampshire (UK) in the late 1990s. Our mission is to seek out adventure and good beer using environmentally sustainable transportation, whatever the conditions...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Chichester Challenge 2009
A firm fixture in the TCA calendar a hard core of veterans assembled at the start on a overcast, rainy morning. A departure from previous years the ride would set off from Lavant some distance north of Chichester. The organisers announced too that this year would be more of an orienteering event, with less marshalling and signposting around the course. This would cause chaos to riders less familiar with the area throughout the day.
Jerry and Ade were off out of the blocks on the gun, closely followed by Jon. Billy-Bob and Al brought up the rear. The route would be familiar to the TCA - following closely the regular rides of yore from the Parsons Pad. The first punishing climb up Chalkpit Lane was certainly all too familiar and the riders soon got spread out on the ascent.
Billy-Bob and Al split where the 30km and 55km routes diverged - Billy-Bob taking on the shorter route due to recent illness and family commitments. Billy-Bob obviously got back first but Ade was close on his heels. Jerry (who suffered an off, which resulted in a broken rear brake) came in second and at 4h 33m Al finished just as the Billy-Bobs and Ade & Julie were packing up for the day. Rather bizarrely Jon came in last after taking a wrong turn in the wooded section of the route.
Tee arrived later with Jimmy and accompanied Jon and Al to Whetherspoons for a post-ride pint. Thankfully the weather held off and another excellent day was had by all.
Al arrived at John's early on Thursday morning. Both were nervous - this year the organisational duties for the annual Boy's Weekend had been left in the hands of the TCA. Over the last year there had been a string of 'Extraordinary General Meetings' to discuss The Route, The Beer, The Food, The Rugby etc.. and now it was all coming to a head. The bar had been raised by last year's Scottish outing and the biker boys were keen to do their best to emulate the experience. For the first time the bikers were dragging the institution west, across the border to Wales. The Llandeusant YHA, once The Red Lion pub, had been booked a year before.
Bikes were loaded onto the roof, holdalls and rucksacks into the boot and the pair made for their first stop, Devizes to pick up Ad. Another bike, another rucksack and a cup of tea before setting off once more for Sainsbury's Cwmbran. £300 worth of morning goods later and the trio were on on their way to rendezvous with Jim at the Breconshire Brewery to pick up 36 pints each of Brecon County Ale (3.7%), Golden Valley (4.2%), Cribyn (4.5%), Red Dragon (4.7%) and Rambler's Ruin, (5.0%). We were even treated to an impromptu tour of the brewery by the friendly staff before carefully stowing the 'polypins' in the back of Jim's X-Trail and heading off again. A bizarre misunderstanding also saw the group rendezvous with Phil and Graeme at the brewery.
Except a brief stop for a bacon butty the convoy proceeded without event, even as the roads gradually got more and more narrow, until the final turn of the journey. Al, leading the party, overshot the turn and insisted on a demonstration of his new reversing sensors. Sure enough - the beeps got closer and closer together as his car reversed towards Graeme's enormous Land Rover Discovery, which filled the rear view mirror. Similarly the beeps merged into a continuous high-pitch alarm as Al reversed straight into the 'Disco' with a thump! Fortunately no damage was done to Graeme's vehicle (although Al's boot remained stuck shut for the remainder of the weekend).
The Hostel is described thus on the YHA website: "A break in this rural retreat will restore your spirits. Set in the least developed area of the Brecon Beacons, the hostel overlooks the magical Sawdde Valley... Trails lead up to the legendary Llyn y Fan glacial lake and the heights of the Carmarthen Fans. Circular walks will take you to an Iron Age fort, Roman camps and standing stones. The hostel, a former inn built in 1789, retains many of its original features and offers a warm welcome with an open fire in the lounge". It certainly looked inviting and Jo, the Warden, was as friendly as she was efficient in her safety briefing on arrival.
"The Old Red Lion"
Llandeusant YHA
Beer and luggage were unpacked, bunks claimed and beer laid out in the 'drying room'. Beer was sampled and the first handful of arrivals enjoyed the real ale and glorious evening from the spectacular vantage point of the Old Red Lion beer garden. Ad and Al surveyed the spectacular ridges of Bannau Sir Gaer way above the Youth Hostel and remarked how much they fancied an assault the following day. And so it was that months of careful route planning by John went up in smoke over a couple of beers. John got stuck into preparing the lamb cobbler for the following evening as Jim and Al made a batch of Welsh cakes.
John's carefully planned routegoes
up in smoke over a beer with Al and Ad
Others trickled in and the bar system, consisting of tiddlywinks and a sheep-shaped piggy-bank, were explained increasingly incoherently to new arrivals by Al.
Al conducts the first of many briefings... ...as the sun sets on the first evening.
Friday 20th March Al was up first - if you discount the fact that Andrew Sloane had decided to crash in the living quarters after being kept awale by Jim & Peter's farm-anima-esque snoring - he knew that others would be expecting his Boy's Weekend Special porridge laced with raisins and his secret blend of spices. Ian was delegated the cooking of this vat while Billy-Bob and Jon cooked a splendid fry-up. Although chilly it was gloriously sunny and a few took advantage of breakfast in the beer garden listening to Graeme's running commentary on the latest Lambing Action from the adjacent field.
Ready to go!
The party then split in to its two component groups and the bikers were the first to set off: The five cyclists enjoyed the short downhill section on country lanes towards the track which heads up to Llyn y Fan Fach dam. The track was relentless - the 'granny ring' gear was the only option for mile upon mile. A brief respite was provided by a fish farm half way up - there was much hilarity at Billy-Bob's expense as, bringing up the rear, he stopped for a breath and toppled off his bike.
Eventually the dam was reached and energy gels were consumed (all except Jon who had brought a pot of jelly). The five then started the long walk with the ridge looming large overhead. The ascent was hard, slow work, hauling the bikes over the uneven terrain. However, the views across the Fan were very rewarding. Eventually the bikers reached the plateau and remounted for the first time in an age.
Ad takes in the view of
Llyn y fan fach
The gradual ascent to the cairn was terrific - with no marked trails and a sheer drop to the left. The group were smiling so much their faces started to ache. Once at the top Jon and Ad dangled their legs over the precipice. The group were treated to a spectacular fly-past by a police helicopter as they drank their isotonic drinks and made an ad hoc lunch of Welsh cakes and chocolate bars.
Time for holiday snaps
After the obligatory group photo the bikers simply pointed their mounts downhill and let go of the brakes. What followed was 20 minutes of sheer adrenalin - punctuated only by brief stops to say 'hi' to Mags and Peter, and to admire the Llyn again on the way down. Ad had a close encounter with a dog which was taking it's owner for a walk and Jon complained about the fork malfunction that he had experienced.
Team Photo at the Summit:
Jon, Al, Ad, Billy-Bob, John
In a fraction of the time that it took to reach the summit the bikers were once again back at the Old Red Lion, beer in hand enjoying the afternoon sunshine. It was not long however until their minds turned to the evening's entertainment: Jim and Al made another batch of Welsh cakes, Ad and Paul put the finishing touches to the dessert and John put the lamb cobbler in the oven.
Bikers' Route Map (click to enlarge):
Bikers' Elevation Profile (click to enlarge):
The more intrepid walkers kitted themselves out in shorts for what was a sunny but breezy day and a testing 20km (12.5 mile) walk.
The walking party set off at 10 am albeit with the usual dawdlers of Alan, Brian and Phil at the back. The first part of the walk was a stroll down the road to the filtration station before a steady 1.5km walk up the shale track to the lake, Llyn y Fan Fach gaining some 250m in elevation along the way. The steady slog saw the walkers strung out with those at the front hell bent on getting to the lake as soon as possible and others taking in the scenery, the Red Kites, Buzzards and Ravens to name but three species.
Start of the ascent up to
Llyn y Fan Fach
It was on the approach to Llyn y Fan Fach that the peleton of bikers were observed walking and pushing their bikes up the first 170m ascent to the Bannau Sir Gaer ridge. At the lake the walking party split into three with Mags, Pete and Andrew following the bikers up onto the first part of the Bannau Sir Gaer ridge. The speedy walkers with Ian and at times Barry, Chris and Jack at the front blazed a trail along the foothills of the ridge with the bikeless peleton of Jeremy, Graeme, Matt, Michael and twitcher Jim faithfully following close behind. The perennial backmarkers of Alan, Brian and Phil were left in our wake. The undulating trek along the foothills of the ridge took the group to the south end of Llyn y Fan Fawr and at 10 kms and after just over two hours a refreshment stop was called for.
Welcome refreshment
Refreshment break over the group, now joined by Jim, faced the 200m ascent to the summit of Fan Brycheiniog, 802m above sea level. The climb wasn’t to everyone’s liking with the group becoming strung out but Ian tested his new aortic valve and was one of the first to the trig point. Reunited at the trig, others of the group remarked that Ian’s performance had set them thinking about surgery too! It was at the summit that the panoramic views across the Black Mountain and beyond could be best appreciated even though the long distance views were spoilt by a smog-like haze. The back marker group were spotted at the foot of the ridge making their measured way to Llyn y Fan Fawr. From the summit there is a fine ridge walk of some 4km taking in three distinct cairns at 781, 749 and 677 m with the escarpment ever present on our right hand side.
Graeme practicing for
his next catalog shoot
The group was fast approaching the final cairn above Llyn y Fan Fach with various members trying to cast stones into its blue waters to no avail! It was also the opportunity to snap off those Max Boyce photos to record the “I was there" moment.
The Walkers' Advance Party
sporting mainly navy blue and khaki
There then followed the long 4km descent and return to base. Once everyone was home and hosed a menu of lamb cobbler, followed by Welsh Whisky Trifle with raspberries was served and the instructions for the bar were once again related by Al. The evening saw Peter tear up his 'dry weekend' plan as he could also no longer resist the lure of the 180 pints in the drying room.
John's Lamb Cobbler
In keeping with the history of our accommodation Al and John had constructed a traditional Pub Quiz - consisting of 3 general knowledge rounds, a picture round and a music quiz set to pictures from previous Boy's events. At times things got a little fractious but on the whole there was less disruption than previous Scrabble encounters so the exercise was deemed a success.
The Picture Quiz (click to enlarge):
One point for each individual pictured
The Music Quiz (click to play):
1 point for the right artist/composer and 1 point for title of the track
Saturday 21st March Saturday morning saw more superb weather over the Brecon Beacons and (after Graeme had conducted his customary update on the overnight lambing movements) various parties had different itineries for the morning before the afternoon’s final Six Nations matches. Ian had planned an 11km (7 mile) walk through farmland and then onto the moorland with Carreg Ogo at 565m above sea level the target, the bikers (minus Jon) planned to circumnavigate the Usk reservoir, where a birding party of Jim and Jon were also heading.
The group of Ian, Barry, Brian, Chris, Jack, Graeme, Matt and Michael set off in anti-clockwise mode – Alan and Phil, it subsequently transpired, tackled the route in a clockwise fashion. To reach the moorland the group tackled various obstacles consisting of loony sheep, frisky Highland cattle and crossing a river not helped by on the one hand an absence of footpath signs and on the other no footbridge. At the river it was Graeme who showed us how not to cross by losing his footing and having an impromptu sit down. After that example it was boots and socks off and paddle across.
To the strains of bleating new born lambs in the air and the stripped carcasses of sheep on the ground we made it to the open moor at which point we faced a 350m steady climb over the next 2kms. Thinking on his feet (literally!) and mindful of the stern talking to from Big Al the previous afternoon and then before and after breakfast about not getting back later than 1:30 pm Ian led his group upwards to about the 480m contour and then around the northern slope of Carreg Ogo for a refreshment break at a point where we could see both where we had walked and our destination. The summit will have to be tackled another time.
Saturday Bikers: Al, John, Billy-Bob and Ad
The bikers had a more leisurely day in mind - a bimble around the Usk reservoir. Bikes were strapped onto cars and driven the short distance to the car park adjacent to the lake. The route comprised well maintained track and tarmacked lane with passing places. However, a ford provided some excitement and the dam at the head of the reservoir served as a sprint race track - an event which Ad and Al both launched themselves at with relish (...for the record Al winning both legs, Ed.).
Billy-Bob splash-down
Immediately after the sprinting Grand Prix, on a perfectly level and straight section of tarmac Billy-Bob managed to wrap his handlebars around Al's and eject himself from his bike. In an incident which saw a role reversal from the previous year Al patched his pal up with the first aid kit he had brought along.
Ad enjoys some rare off-road action
Approximately 3/4 of the way round the lake John contrived to get the group lost with a 'shortcut' through a dense section of forestry. Soon the bikers were carrying bikes in what felt like a reenactment of jungle warfare. Eventually Wrong John found a way out of the woods and we joined the track again to meet up with the car park and the waiting twitchers.
Biker's Bimble Map (click to enlarge):
Meanwhile Jim and Jon's birding splinter group had walked part of the way round the reservoir where they were rewarded by sightings of Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, and a national rarity, a Great Grey Shrike. Bikes were once again strapped to cars for the short journey back to base and the remaining beer for a cheeky pre-pub snifter.
The Saturday Bikers enjoy a post-ride drink
withthe Birdman of Llanddeusant (Jon)
Walkers drifted back to the hostel in dribs and drabs, prepared for the fixtures ahead and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine before the mass exodus to the Red Pig pub about a mile down the road.
Barry makes the most of the light
Richard, the landlord, had promised Al over succesive weeks that he WOULD be open in time to cater for the party. An unannounced inspection on Friday afternoon seemed to suggest the contrary with tables and chairs piled up and several individuals brandishing paint brushes. However, when the group arrived after the short (but very hilly) mile walk beer was on tap, the telly was installed and the pub looked as if it had been open for years, although a note in the window announced that they were to open for one day only - we were guineapigs! Richard served up pint after pint of Tomos Watkin OSB as the group arrived at the pub in dribs and drabs - some had taken advantage of feeding time at the local Red Kite feeding station opposite.
A Red Kite homing in to the feeding station
Others were more desperate for a beer, and/or the pre-match build-up. As the beers kept on coming the buffet lunch was arranged in the dining room - what fantastic fare. Those connoisseurs of pastry based products amongst us agreed that a finer pork pie had never passed their lips, while the local cheese came in for numerous complimentary Mmm's and Ahhh's. Meanwhile France demolished Italy in a game that played largely to an empty bar in the other room.
Italy 8 - 50 France
The buffet out of the way and attention turned to the rugby. All except two of the Boys were supporting England and there were only a few locals in the newly opened pub. The atmosphere was partisan and fortunately the result went the 'right' way for the majority.
England 26 - 12 Scotland
The ecstasy of Scotland taking an early lead....
...and the agony of the final result.
Towards the end of the Calcutta Cup match the ranks of locals began to swell for the main event. England fans switched their allegiances to Ireland, but the locals evened things up and the atmosphere was tense for the Six Nations decider. Sadly Ireland came through to win a closely contested game but the final whistle also signalled dinner time for the Boys.
Wales 15 - 17 Ireland
Dinner was a three-course affair and, although the service and some of the dishes were a little rough around the edges (it was their first night after all!) the fair was mostly good, honest local nosh. We could not fault the warm welcome, the brilliant atmosphere and extraordinary lengths that Richard had gone to to open up in time for our visit. A couple more beers after dinner, and (complimentary!) bottles for the walk home for some, and we wandered back to spend our last night in the Old Red Lion.
Sunday 22nd March After a breakfast of hot cross buns and toast with Al's home-made Seville Orange Marmalade activities turned to the traditional clean-up operation. Various individuals were reunited with clothes and equipment that had been mislaid since the first night, polypins were crushed and binned and the left-overs distributed with the efficiency of a UN aid initiative. Eventually everyone had packed themselves into their cars, said their goodbyes and it was up to John and Al to close the door on a fantastic weekend in Wales.
On behalf of the TCA we should like to thank the Old Guard for inviting us again to participate in this institution. We trust the arrangements met with your satisfaction and we hope to see you all again next year.
(Posted by: Al & Ian; Photos by John, Barry, Ian & Al)
After a good nights sleep at the Mattthews homestead in Devizes, we set off in convoy until it was realised that the Matthews car was not taxed. After a brief stop, it was decided that Jon and Charlie would continue and we would meet again at Chipping Norton once the tax was sorted. Jon was not impressed with this delay as he had got back early specially which is not a happy experience for him. Despite this we got to Afan just after 10 and embarked on the Whites trail.
The roll call
Julie and Ade soon showed up the rest of the group with their fitness levels having benefitted from a previous trip earlier in the year. For others, it was an experience with Jon crashing down a hillside looking for Ian behind him and Charlie crashing out but with more spectacular results, involving damage to both man and machine. However the ride was completed and we finished off in the Drop-Off cafe with copious amounts of food being consumed by Jon especially involving a huge lasagne and jacket potato - Billy-Bob would have been proud.
Scene on whites trail
The intrepid group set out from Glyncorrwg Ponds leaving behind the very soft and comfortable leather sofas and creature comforts of the ‘Drop-Off’ cafe! After a short wait where Charlie had his bike fettled (Rear mech hanger straightened, new rear mech jockey wheel, chain shortened and general shop TLC) we set of at a good pace along the stone/tarmac track that used to be the riverside railway, the start of ‘The Wall’ being some 6kms from Glyncorrwg site. We darted and dashed along the track playing like school kids with good weather on our backs and the excitement of the ‘Graveyard’ and other great technical downhill sections that lay ahead. A.D had the only bike with narrow enough handle bars to ride through the motor bike stoppers that stalled our progress momentarily.
The Wall starts with a long fire road track ascent interspersed with shorter cross-forest single track, which gives the rider a pleasant break from the constant push of the seemingly never ending ‘Up’! With spirits still high after a very successful ‘Whites Level’ completion earlier in the day, the group stayed together and nailed the climb. King of the Hills for the weekend had to go to Julie (shared with Big Jon) who seemed to lap up the hills with gusto! The start of the single track descent gave the group a nice taste of things to come and the accomplished group made light work of the early sections. The Graveyard gave a much larger test to the happy group (still enjoying the Welsh sunshine). Having had their ‘offs’ earlier in the day, the group stayed remarkably upright, finding their respective groves at the right time for the tricky Graveyard section which made the rider pick a careful route though the huge rocks with ample drops and sharp edges. The only stop for us was at the Old Ruin to enjoy a quick energy bar or guarana chewing gum (for the brave). The route was almost empty and we only saw 4 other riders the whole way around (maybe that was due to our speed!)
A breather from the Wall
The downhill continued to thrill and by now small jumps were being hit with speed and switchbacks were becoming relative pieces of cake. A highly recommended route even with the 6km outride and c.10km in ride above the river edge. Well earned beer and refreshments awaited after we built camp and cleaned ourselves up.
The group returned to the campsite, tired and hungry after 10k of seemingly never ending family route. The tents were erected rapidly under an increasingly grey sky and a growing wind and the promise of a hot shower and food to come. Gill and Ian’s tent had its first outing while pro camper Charlie-man scrounged tent pegs off the others having forgotten his own! The sweat, blood and mud was washed away in 2 minutes flat in accordance with the showers timer system and the girls returned to find Ad, Ian, Charlie and Jon hatching a ‘man-plan’ to secure our five bikes (plus one acquired from a pleasant chap in the next tent) to a very small tree. Cars were then moved to surround the bikes so that even the most accomplished bike thief could not break past our security (car) fencing.
The “man plan” puzzle
Man plan complete, the remaining boys went off to shower while Jules, Gill and Jon cracked open a beer, opened the crisps and began chilling in the camp chairs, unfazed by the start of the rain. Aware that time was getting on and that the time for last food orders was fast approaching the group headed back to the drop-off cafe. Jon was most disappointed to find that the lasagne had run out having craved a second helping of this monstrous sized dish since lunch. Charlie (?) and Ad filled up on the largest doorstop beans on toast you’ve ever laid eyes on and Gill, Ian and Jules settled for a pizza (each!) Dinner was eaten among recollections of the new energy section of Whytes, The Wall and talk of the days ‘offs’, a conversation Ian could avoid being the only one to escape a fall. Inspiration was gained from the mountain bike videos played in the cafe and we all picked up a few tips on how to glide over the rocks at speed for the following day. Tiredness soon began to get the better of us and the plans for a few beers were soon changed as the group started to fade at the table. Goodnights were said by all everyone made it back to the tents before the heavens opened and the rain came down, which was to last well into the night...
After a good nights sleep in the tent, we woke up nursing tired limbs which struggled to get moving after the two rides the day before. Julie was up first followed shortly by everyone else with Jon up last. Everyone had prepared different breakfasts for themselves ready for our ride of the day, Penhydd Trail. Gill and Ian munched some Pain au Chocolats, Charlie some porridge, later finished off by Ade, Julie and Ade some cereal whilst Jon munched a large iced flapjack.
The plan was simple, eat breakfast, wash, pack up, pay up and leave to go down the valley to Pontrhyden to start the trail. Part of this of course involved unravelling the man puzzle of interlocked bikes surrounded by cars to prevent bike thieves which had so impressed the womenfolk of the group. Remarkably all went plan including the unravelling of the bikes, chains and cars with the men congratulating themselves on job well done.
Sunday’s roll call
At Pontryhyden, it soon transpired that Penhydd trail had alot of ascent, 550m in fact. The trail involves alot of steep ups interspersed by technical downs and ups over rocks and tree roots along sides of hillsides. In fact lots of TTFs John, if you are reading this! The first requirement was though getting to the top. A tester of fitness which Julie took with gusto as she had the day before going up the Wall. However it was not to be her day as Jon overtook his pretender having something to prove after really losing the mantle of the King of uphills the day before. Gill and Ian took it steady as there was not really a race.
At the top, a poor welshman had to endure our chit chat and upon instruction from Julie refuse to divulge the tri-nation rugby score. However, to his relief, I am sure, we left after a brief debate over who should go first, with Jon being a bit cocky saying it was not his turn. So we set off with Ade in front along a narrow section before encountering some narrow zig zag sections such as Hidden Valley, Side Winder where we attempted to put all our skills learnt from the previous nights tv entertainment into practice, some achieved this more successfully than others. One thing was for sure, we all had no hesitation in tackling drop offs even if they seemed to drop all the way down into the valley. Certainly the number of craches were less than the day before apart from the odd tight switchbacks on the way down. Julie and Ade tried a particularly hard TTF along the side of boulder strewn river valley known as the Rocky Rebellion and we all found the Welsh version of the “Hambledon embankment” challenge on the other side of a ford which some, Ian, achieved better than others, Jon and Charlie.
Gill and Ian finishing the ascent of the Penhydd Trail
All in all it was another achievement. Apparently the year before, the ride had been achieved in just over an hour and half which we did not achieve this year despite part of the trail being closed. However over 1500m of ascent and probably just under 50 km of riding was not bad in one and half days. We all said our goodbyes with some of us, the sensible ones, opting for showers before we got in our cars, and others , the foolhardy ones, deciding to put up with bodily odours and bad mosquito bites, for the M4 and our respective homes.
After a night spent at Meadow Barn Farm Ed, Ad, Jules and Charlie-man turned up at Oaklands Park dead on 9pm ready for the day ahead. Making their way over with Billy-Bob and Stef they met the rest of the group – Jerry, Jon, John and Gill - who were queuing to confirm registration. Al had spent the night shivering under the duvet, suffering as he was from a mystery illness which confined him to bed. He issued a sicknote at the last minute and was gutted to withdraw from what would have been his fifth Chichester Challenge.
The next problem of the day was the two queues - one to register and one to confirm registration. We obviously queued at the latter. The organisers had however failed to calculate the number of riders who would just turn up and register on the day due to the great weather. As a result, the start was delayed to just after 10am, a depature from the published start of 9.30 am. However this enabled the usual showing of bikes and gear (or lack of it in the case of Billy-Bob) to each other. In the case of John and Jerry they both found that they had the same tastes in kit in that they both had chosen matching white Commencal bikes - they looked like two embarrassed ladies with matching dresses at a wedding!
Left to right: Charlie, Jon, Stef (!), Billy-Bob, Ad, Ju, Ed, John, Jerry
So after a late start due to a record number of participants the crew soon spread out along Broyle Road – Ed taking the lead, followed by Ad, Jerry and Charlie-man, the two Jo(h)ns then Jules, Gill and Billy-Bob bringing up the rear. The first hill proved to be a bad boy, a killer with Charlie-man being forced to stop part way up for a ‘moment’ before wisely deciding to complete the 30km route instead. Gill had ‘cold shivers’ in the 29 degree heat after two nights out on the trot but ploughed on regardless. Jon rode up in one go losing John, who was later found to pushing his bike up in a "walk of Shame" pose (above). However down the other side of this all riders negotiated a steep rutted flinty track down towards the second hill known as ‘Charcoal Burner’ on account of large wood burning stoves and at this point the leaders headed up in top form, AD and Jerry catching the man in the yellow jersey – Ed – to power on toward the first check point. It was at this point John was struggling with the heat but despite this kept up with Jon, with Julie and Gill leap-frogging them every so often.
The Female contingent: Ju & Gill
Jon rode up to the first check point first amongst this group seeing Ad and Jerry just leave here. It was from here along the South Downs Way stretch from Cocking to Harting that Jerry and Ed left Ad for dust at several points as they sped along with scant regard for personal safety! Meanwhile at this first check point Jon waited for John and whilst waiting saw Julie and Gill arrive chattering away as normal. John arrived and the two Jo(h)n set off after Julie and Gill with the leaders, amongst them, Ade, Jerry and Ed, well ahead by now. At this point I think we had forgotten about Billy-Bob - what friends are we!
Julie reaches Checkpoint 1
Following on behind Julie and Gill and the leaders along the South Downs Way stretch from Cocking to Harting, along Cocking Down, and the Devils Jumps, the Jo(h)ns made good progress especially down "Boneshaker Alley" towards Hooksway, mind you the pub was closed as usual ! It was particularly pleasing to see many cyclists hauled up at the sides of this "alley" with punctures and equipment failures of some sort or another - surely not something that would befall TCA riders! Jules and Gill had thoroughly enjoyed the number of fast down hill sections on it, one of which Jules almost had an ‘off’ when confronted with a particularly deep water gauge but just managed to recover in time... she was probably chattering to Gill thought Jon. The two girls made it to the top of South Harting Down in time to meet Keith (trusty father-in-law with the video camera) to be clocked a mere 15 mins behind the lead riders Ad and Jerry.
John - pre-puncture - tearing up the trail
Further uphill ascents ensured up Beacon Hill saw Jon overtake Julie and Gill but he waited with the two girls for his fellow rider John at check point 2. Jules, Gill, and the two Johns met up again and decided to track down the missing members of the crew: It was quickly established that Charlie-man was on his way round the shorter course and would meet us at the end. It was also discovered that Billy-Bob had completed a superman manoeuvre (most commonly seen in MBUK mags) and had flown over the handle bars down Bone Shaker alley, twisted his handle bars and injured both knees. With superhuman effort he was part way up South Harting Down when contacted - battered and bruised but otherwise fine. John discovered he had problems with his spindle and after a fight over who got to wait for Paul it was decided that as John had to fix his bike then he and Jonny P would gallantly cycle with their wounded comrade.
Billy-Bob demonstrates some international sign language
Thus we were split it three groups – the Namibian dust-badgers (Ad & Ed) and Jerry (legs of steel) Anstey in the lead, Gill and Jules in the middle followed by the core TCA members. Spurred on by the sight of his father and sporting a huge home-advantage, Ad used the slip stream of some crazy Tandem riders to push on up the hill on the new section of steep Forestry Commission tracks. Jules and Gill, after almost getting lost at this point, proved their prowess (must be the practise in Afan) by beating 4 guys up the hill! The best moment being when the phrase ‘that’s not fair – being beaten by girls!’ was heard as they sped on past on a steep up hill track. With head down and bum up Ad continued through to Checkpoint 3 (Stoughton) where he hopped off the bike to plough through some cereal/fruit bars and Lucozade drink! He then got beaten on a short but steep uphill section out of Walderton having to take to two feet, through the gate (Gill and Jules also getting caught out here some time later). Through the long, fast, sweeping downhill section that followed, Ad picked up a rear blow-out (scaring the 4 picnic’ers in the adjacent field) and fully expected his team buddies to fly past!
Meanwhile, somewhere behind, Jules, who had ridden the course the year before, was offering Gill false hope by mistakenly referring to the third-to-last hill as the final one. After much effort, hot, uphill climbing and overtaking they reached the top of the final hill they took a breather to take in the sights. They were not to be disappointed as the Isle of Wight was clearly visible along the coastline and even the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth could be made out, surreal in the distant haze.
Three Dustbadgers: Charlie, Ad, Ed enjoy a cuddle at the finish
The riders all pushed through to the balloon clad finish line to nurse sore muscles and replenish lost liquids and nutrients (with coke & burgers) and were greeted by their support crew - Al, T and baby Jimmy! They had had their own fun and games: Ill, but not wishing to miss out, Al had filled his cool box with ice-cold drinks, chocolate bars and energy gel and had driven to the Buriton check-point for 11.30am. In all previous years this had been the furthest check point before the turn for home, when energy levels were at a low ebb. This year however a last-minute route change left the car-park desserted except for a few dog-walkers. Not a fluorescent jacket in sight! Therefore, after driving round the fringes of West Sussex for almost an hour without seeing hide nor hair of a mountain biker, the three decided to cut their losses and head for the finish. Jimmy seemed to enjoy it most - the musicians, balloons and other infants provided ample entertainment until the TCA riders arrived to give a little of their attention.
The support crew were amazed when Charlie crossed the line first. No offence to the guy but he had the likes of Jerry and Ad to contend with, whose cyling prowess is legendary on this event! Charlie explained that he had overdone the start and, exacerbated by the heat, had decided to follow the 30km route rather than hack round the longer 55km route feeling grim. Ad was some 60mins later, looking as if he had been out for a Sunday afternoon stroll (only the moaning and rolling around on the floor gave away the real story), Jerry next, then the girls at about 15.00.
Al, Jimmy & Tee enjoying their day out as spectators
A selection of refreshments were available from the Scout's tent (the WI cake stand and beer tent again conspicuous by the absence) but, much to Ad's dismay the ice-cream had run out - [Note to the organisers - you need more that 28L of ice cream when the temperature's over 30 degrees C! Ed.]. Information slowly dribbled in regarding the fate of the other three missing riders but the accuracy of the reports that they were "15 minutes behind" could not be relied on. Besides which, Al, Tee and Jimmy had eaten their fill of burgers, cups of tea, cans of coke and pureed vegetables and, Jimmy in particular, was getting restless. They could wait no longer - they packed up at 3.30 bound for home.
Bikes are discarded after the race at the hospitality tent
Meanwhile…. somewhere way back in the forests on route to Checkpoint 3 which seemed to take forever to reach were the dogged TCA contingent, the Jo(h)ns regularly stopping to wait for their injured colleague in true Band of Brothers fashion. Billy-Bob, hoping to shake off his earlier injury, was forever cursing every bump and rutt as he bounced down the new route on Forestry Commission tracks (damn those event organisers!), and blaming his first generation coil sprung forks and dodgy knee joint. Grimacing every time he caught back up with the TCA advance party only to find yet again John had upended his bike and was yet again replacing another supposedly puncture-less inner tube.
For what seem to be turning into a true TCA epic on one of the hottest days of the year, the pain continued with yet more punctures and dwindling water supply leading John to complain about heat exhaustion. Billybob even considered an abort after checkpoint 3, knowing full well to continue up the final few hills may well see a premature end to his cycling career. In the spirit of the TCA he circumnavigated the last hilly section before the final check point by taking a cheeky unofficial road route which allowed him to rendezvous, for once ahead of the Jo(h)ns, who had announced they had used up the last spare on Jon’s fourth puncture of the day!
As the sun was setting and the event organisers were packing up their tents and event cards the intrepid trio were greeted on the final run in and escorted to the finish line by Ade and Jules who had patiently hung around to see them finish, fair play to them. Were we last? Possibly, who cares - we finished. Close, but no cigar this year and, more importantly, no coke and burgers!
Another eventful Chichester Challenge in the blistering conditions which seem to inevitably accompany the occasion. Thrills, spills, laughs and burgers (for some) - roll on 2009!
The London to Brighton British Heart Foundation 54 mile on-road race is the UK's largest charity bike ride with 27,000 riders cycling the scenic route between London and Brighton on the south coast.
Since 1980 when the BHF first became involved with the London to Brighton Bike Ride, over 650,000 riders have taken part in the event and more than £40 million has been raised to help fund pioneering research, patient care and vital information. (Please click on the picture above to donate).This year team Dessert Storm – catch phrase ‘Bring on the pudding!’ took up the challenge, made up of 5 ‘Dustbadgers’: AD Matthews, Charlie Gough, Jenny Moran, Charlie Sims, Ed Hazeldean and a coupla extras (and initial organisers) Jules (Prouting) Matthews and Gill Salisbury.
We met on mass in London on the Saturday night and so began a frantic attempt to prepare for the following day.Last minute bike repairs were made, race cards lost and found, team flags named and attached to bikes, tubes blown (way to go AD) and debates over the weather forecast (how can the BBC give three different forecasts in one day!??) and what to take by way of waterproofs were had before we all uploaded and headed for the pub for some quality English grub.
Rising bright and early on Sunday morning we made a good start from Jenny’s flat in Camberwell and commenced our 3.7 mile warm-up ride (courtesy of Charlie-man’s GPS) to Clapham Common.This took us through the surprisingly quiet streets of London picking up unknown competitors on route swelling the ranks of the relatively small peleton.Despite the knowledge of many miles ahead some play cycling was had to get to the grounds.Once at Clapham Common it became obvious that we, along with about 20,000 others were starting in staggered rows from 7.30am onwards which made the opportunity for a quick toilet stop in bushes as opposed to queuing for the portaloos an attractive option. Then time for a quick team photo before heading toward the start line.
Team Dessert Storm: bring on the pudding!
We stood in the 8.00am queue full of anticipation for the ride ahead, proving too much in some cases when more than half the group succumbed to the portaloos leaving AD, Jules and Jenny holding 7 bikes.Finally, the race started and it was all go. Or should have been but tens of thousands of people trying to get through the streets of London, on bikes, close together, with SPDs and lots of starts and stops meant that it took us around 1 and a half hours to cover the first 10 miles to the outskirts of the big city.Just like being stuck in stop start traffic on the M25 but worse as the danger of crashing is so much greater!Luckily the group emerged from the mass of cyclists together, frustrated but unscathed, expecting a freer ride now the city was left behind. Despite upholding the great English tradition of keeping to the left if going slowing (think motorway and London tube stations!) it was still frustratingly congested and hard to pass slower riders without cunning, aggressive (and sometimes, lets admit it, showy) riding (no names mentioned).We hit the first hill and as more and more people got off to walk so the congestion worsened and formed a bottleneck.Jules and Charlie took the lead, attacking the hill not at speed but with guile and gradually gained on the lead police car but despite their best efforts became stuck behind an impenetrable wall of riders.Not far behind Charlie-girl was pumping up the hill when a man in front of her stopped suddenly, with nowhere to go but down she fell with the bike, the first (but not the last) Dessert Storm casualty of the day.Bouncing back up she was at the top in no time and the team headed for hill no 2.This was reached at the 20 mile mark and once again the road became thick with riders.Once at the top Dessert Storm and the rest of the riders came to a grinding halt as an accident impeded any further progress for the next half hour.
‘Riders take a break whilst waiting for traffic to clear.’
Making the most of the sun, the team members (minus AD who was stuck somewhere up ahead) chatted, applied sunscreen, snacked and made friends with the random cyclists surrounding them.Stayed away from the old guy with the big sidies and the blow up doll though!AD eventually made his way to the team and the crowd started to move forward, passed the Dog and Duck pub.At around the 25 mile mark we flew passed the Burstow Scouts and on toward the second biggest hill of the ride, Turners Hill, at the top of which marked the half way point.
At the top of the hill we were met by Ed’s Mum, Dad and sister who had a spot on the green by the Lancing Brass Band with a prime time view of our fellow racers including punks, the pink panther, Fred Flintstone, Batman and the 118 118 men. We enjoyed a quick lunch in the rapidly fading sun and contemplated whether or not we’d get to Brighton before the forecast heavy showers set it in.Jules and Gill decided their KDC MBC luck would hold and rain would be avoided.So we took off with minds set on completing the last 24 miles and the giant obstacle that is Ditchling Beacon.
After an 8 mile blitz we passed the entrance to the Ardingly Showground and continued to push on stopping only for a water refill. Jules took on board another 2 litres after emptying her camelpack and whilst the other girls pushed on towards Ditchling, the boys waited (by accident only a few metres in front of 4 official photographers stationed on the gentle rise leaving Lindfield).After a few minutes we started to help the camera men and women out by making jokes to the traffic as they rose out of the picturesque village.
Once Jules rejoined the team, the remaining foursome took the chance to use their speed and try their overtaking skills on the hundreds of riders surrounding them. Ad & Jules tried slip streaming one another to save valuable energy for the last slog!Soon the group were up together again and closing in on their pre-arranged Ditchling break.
We pulled of the road and enjoyed a break from the saddle before planning our tactics for the ascent and descent before meeting the city limits.The Ditchling Village rest and refreshment stop had all the usual treats, portaloos, drinking water, bike mechanics and resting space in the gardens of a beautiful private dwelling opened up by the owner who welcomed everyone into the garden and was happy to have several hundred strangers spread out across his manicured lawns.
The time had come and the ascent had to be nailed, so we mounted up and started pumping those peddles, most of us chose to stay right and ride as fast as we could overtaking where possible. ‘The Beacon’ had been billed as ‘nothing we had ever summitted before’ due in the main to the sheer number of riders and more particularly walkers choking the narrow road. When the 400m rest stop sign was passed it spurred us on and when the PA system could be heard clearly enthusing the riders to keep going the ascent was basically over and gave us time to lower the heart rates, calm the breathing and take in the panorama. Not that this was a race, but the order was Ed, Ad, Charlie Man, Jules, Gill, Jen and Charlie Girl.We regrouped and started the long descent toward the finish, Charlie Man and Ed streaked away whilst AD was looking back the other way, leaving the local yokel in their wake. It took the next 10 minutes of flat out peddling by Mr. Matthews and good luck at the traffic lights for the 3 boys to be in convoy once again. The last section along the half open roads through Brighton was a little interesting as the group were more used to non-traffic routes, so the boys tried their hands at lane hoping and white-lining between the steady and stopped traffic on the busying roads.
In sight of the finish and Ad faked a sprint then sat back in the saddle, but it was too late and Charlie and Ed zoomed away once again crossing the finish before jamming the anchors to receive their medals in efficient BHF organised fashion.
The group re-gathered and beat their way through the thousands of finishers and on lookers between Madeira drive and the Beach towards the fish and chip stands for a well earned dinner, however the weather was turning sour and the group decided to head for the bus and get back to the big smoke!This seemed to be going well and with bikes carefully bubble wrapped and in the truck and tired bums on the coach seats we were happy… Then after being stationary in Streatham for 25 minutes, the driver announced that a tube station fire had caused the hold up and was unlikely to be cleared for an hour at least, so we took the option to off load 100 passengers and bikes and ride the remaining 5ish miles back to Jenny’s flat!
Charlie Man off-loading!
Ride Elevation (click to enlarge):
If you think Dessert storm have earnt their pudding you can add to the value raised on behalf of the British Heart Foundation by clicking HERE!
Pre-challenge Assembly:
