FNRttC recce to Bognor 29/30 June 2009
- Thread starter dellzeqq
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
The zig south, zig east, and zag south again? you best pray for no rain........
regret that I'll be in hopefully sunny cornwall the week of the Bognor ride which is doubly annoying as I can get free bed and board in Bognor......
regret that I'll be in hopefully sunny cornwall the week of the Bognor ride which is doubly annoying as I can get free bed and board in Bognor......
Not at all! These are the questions we have to work out
1. Is the A24 going to be as clear as it was last time we went to the Cabin Cafe - or were we just plain lucky? However much I look at the map I can't see a sensible way of taking our usual route south with the Cabin Cafe.
2. What is that A264 going to be like west of Faygate at 4 in the morning?
3. (this is the one that worries me) What is the B2139 west of Storrington going to be like at 6 in the morning?
4. If it rains, what is the flint and chalk path over the Downs going to be like (it could be a skating rink...)?
And, more to the point, it will be fun.
1. Is the A24 going to be as clear as it was last time we went to the Cabin Cafe - or were we just plain lucky? However much I look at the map I can't see a sensible way of taking our usual route south with the Cabin Cafe.
2. What is that A264 going to be like west of Faygate at 4 in the morning?
3. (this is the one that worries me) What is the B2139 west of Storrington going to be like at 6 in the morning?
4. If it rains, what is the flint and chalk path over the Downs going to be like (it could be a skating rink...)?
And, more to the point, it will be fun.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
dellzeqq said:
Votes of the Horsham jury
1. where are you trying to get to from? I don't know what your usual route is so can't comment, but I cycle to Bugger Regis a lot and never use A24.
2. fairly quiet but you do have the back road via Colgate as a parallel alternative. east bound A264 will be busier with shift workers en route to gatwick.
3. it won't be that busy at 6 on a Saturday but what there will be will be moving very fast. But i cycle that road a lot, it isn't one on my "bothered" list.
4. underneath the surface of slippery like ice wet chalk lie fairy's teeth, dreaded downland flints, the people at the back could get their tyres chewed up once the path gets chewed up
We go to the Cabin Cafe near Faygate. Last year I had intended all kinds of high jinks south of Epsom, but changed my mind en route when it started to rain (but only lightly) and we saw that there was zero (as in none at all for 20 minutes) traffic on the A24. As I say, maybe we were just really, really lucky.
We did the Colgate road last year, but it's an additional hill. These routes have to be reasonably quiet, keep discretionary turns to a minimum, have a bit of romance about them, but (and this is the important thing) not be too arduous. If the A264 is safe, that's our best bet.
Whitstable is too tough for some of our regulars, and we're doing it three times this year, so, in a sense, I'm already letting people down. I want Bognor to be as easy as possible, because I think that there are parts of the route (through Newdigate, south of Horsham, and Jasper's delightful denouement) that are superb. Walking half a mile on the top of the Downs (at 84m above sea level), if it comes to that, is better than walking a mile and a half on the B2139/A284 (which goes to about 150m above sea level) - and it would undoubtedly come to that for at least one person in August.
And the North Stoke route has charm. I'm rubbish at birdsong, but there was a kind of peep-peep-peep call coming off the downs that really hit that wide open spaces spot. The road to Stoke was sweet - you can just make out where it becomes a kind of green tunnel a couple of hundred yards down the road....
and the view on the way up to the top was inspiring, although this snap doesn't do it justice..
I'm also rubbish at off-roading (this is the cause of much amusment to the other members of my CTC section) but I managed the chalk and flint path without being too pathetic about it. So, if it's dry, I'm hopeful, although User10571, Adrian and Adam may put me straight when we do the recce.
We did the Colgate road last year, but it's an additional hill. These routes have to be reasonably quiet, keep discretionary turns to a minimum, have a bit of romance about them, but (and this is the important thing) not be too arduous. If the A264 is safe, that's our best bet.
Whitstable is too tough for some of our regulars, and we're doing it three times this year, so, in a sense, I'm already letting people down. I want Bognor to be as easy as possible, because I think that there are parts of the route (through Newdigate, south of Horsham, and Jasper's delightful denouement) that are superb. Walking half a mile on the top of the Downs (at 84m above sea level), if it comes to that, is better than walking a mile and a half on the B2139/A284 (which goes to about 150m above sea level) - and it would undoubtedly come to that for at least one person in August.
And the North Stoke route has charm. I'm rubbish at birdsong, but there was a kind of peep-peep-peep call coming off the downs that really hit that wide open spaces spot. The road to Stoke was sweet - you can just make out where it becomes a kind of green tunnel a couple of hundred yards down the road....
and the view on the way up to the top was inspiring, although this snap doesn't do it justice..
I'm also rubbish at off-roading (this is the cause of much amusment to the other members of my CTC section) but I managed the chalk and flint path without being too pathetic about it. So, if it's dry, I'm hopeful, although User10571, Adrian and Adam may put me straight when we do the recce.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
I've only gone through Storrington in the car, but also thought the B2139 from there was OK. A bit narrow in places though.
I cycle to Bognor a couple of times a year, although as it's from Luton, I'm dropping down through Guildford. When I get to Bury, I come off the A29 on a nice little back road to Houghton (although there's a bit of climb there), then right onto the B2139 to the A29 roundabout and then the A284 south to Arundel and then onto Ford.
If after Faygate, you ended up coming across north of Storrington, you could then go this way. That way you'd miss quite a few of the ups and downs on the first part of the B2139.
I cycle to Bognor a couple of times a year, although as it's from Luton, I'm dropping down through Guildford. When I get to Bury, I come off the A29 on a nice little back road to Houghton (although there's a bit of climb there), then right onto the B2139 to the A29 roundabout and then the A284 south to Arundel and then onto Ford.
If after Faygate, you ended up coming across north of Storrington, you could then go this way. That way you'd miss quite a few of the ups and downs on the first part of the B2139.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
I'd offer to tag along on the recce, as I can't do the real ride, but I'd slow you down too much. May I do my own wee small hours and broad daylight recce's and offer thoughts?
Davywalnuts
Chief Kebab Taster
- Location
- Staines!
98% count me in! I could do with a few days off work!
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
so I can go have a look see at the appropriate bits at an appropriate time this coming Sat morning what is the planned route from Cabin Cafe Faygate to Storrington please?
West on the A264. There's a kind of a lane that comes off the south a mile from the Cabin Cafe. We'll take that if it's nice, then go in to Horsham, passing the mainline station on the left, then taking a right, and a left on to the B2237. We'll turn right at Tower Hill, then head for Barns Green, but turn left on the road that is signposted to Coolham - there's some loose gravel at the junction. And then straight down to Storrington....GrumpyGreg said:
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
excellent I'll head out from the Cabin at about 4:00 am and take the A264 all the way into town to judge traffic levels. your route to storington is same as my route to Bugger Regis btw so 'Good call' says the cheeky neophyte.
On the night, as you whizz past the station in the 'Sham spare a thought for me sleeping soundly in my holiday bed in Cornwall cos, at that point you are about 100ft from my house on the B2237/Hurst Road dir. Dorking. So tell the campag boys to keep pedaling as freewheeling may wake the Aged P, Samwise or Bunny Lake.
On the night, as you whizz past the station in the 'Sham spare a thought for me sleeping soundly in my holiday bed in Cornwall cos, at that point you are about 100ft from my house on the B2237/Hurst Road dir. Dorking. So tell the campag boys to keep pedaling as freewheeling may wake the Aged P, Samwise or Bunny Lake.
If, by the way, I've inadvertantly given the impression I'm not fond of Bognor, then I apologise. I really do like Bognor, and wouldn't have wanted to go there if I didn't. And my first ride after getting back on a bike post big crash was to Bognor. (almost killed me, but there you go...)
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
my first long ride after a 20+ year absence from road riding was last year Horsham to Bognor to my sister-in-law's house at Aldwick. Had to ride up Houghton to top of Bury Hill on my tourer as a single speed as by the time I got to Storrington the shifters had stopped working.... not an entirely pleasant experience not an entirely unpleasant one.
About Bognor itself I'm equally ambivalent
About Bognor itself I'm equally ambivalent
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Yawn - I can report that at 04:00 am this morning the A264 west of Faygate is as quiet as a very quiet thing trying not to draw attention to itself by making any noise.
For 'fun' I then stuck with the A264/A24 combo right round the 'Sham. Very little traffic, one police car; we had a chat along the lines of "Have you got enough rear lights mate?"
Bwhatever west of Storrington, around 06:00 am. Good to go, a very few cars, I went through Houghton and up the hill saving the off road stuff for another day as I needed to get back to the 'Sham
Down Bury Hill is quite a blast, never done that way on a road bike before.
FNRttC is the collective brand name of a bunch of nutters from London, the South East and Hull, and is regulated by the Cheam and Morden branch of the CTC. Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of this report, and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, I cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur as a result of my being half asleep when I did the recce. GrumpyGreg will not be held responsible for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any inaccuracy or error within this post. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Other night rides on other roads are available. Your mental well being may be at risk if you fail to participate in FNRttC often enough.
For 'fun' I then stuck with the A264/A24 combo right round the 'Sham. Very little traffic, one police car; we had a chat along the lines of "Have you got enough rear lights mate?"
Bwhatever west of Storrington, around 06:00 am. Good to go, a very few cars, I went through Houghton and up the hill saving the off road stuff for another day as I needed to get back to the 'Sham
Down Bury Hill is quite a blast, never done that way on a road bike before.
FNRttC is the collective brand name of a bunch of nutters from London, the South East and Hull, and is regulated by the Cheam and Morden branch of the CTC. Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of this report, and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, I cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur as a result of my being half asleep when I did the recce. GrumpyGreg will not be held responsible for any loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any inaccuracy or error within this post. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Other night rides on other roads are available. Your mental well being may be at risk if you fail to participate in FNRttC often enough.
