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.
trust me anything above 60kph and I'm not looking at the computer. I found the sweeping left hander, rather scary as all you can see on the other side of the road is sky....
...anyway I feel like I've put a tiny bit back into FNRttC now after tacking out huge amounts of pleasure on the 3 I've done.
See you next month.
...anyway I feel like I've put a tiny bit back into FNRttC now after tacking out huge amounts of pleasure on the 3 I've done.
See you next month.
clivedb
Guru
- Location
- Milton Keynes
Bugger work! Are you going to report back after the recce? I am trying to plot a route for next Saturday morning back from Brighton to Haslemere and it looks as if the best route might be to skirt along the coast to Littlehampton and then up to Arundel. If that's the case then the route out of Arundel via North/South Stoke may be the only way to avoid the A284/A29 before heading north west towards Petworth/Midhurst.
I'd have thought that the B2133, which is a fine road (we used it for the Shoreham ride last year) would be your best bet. I can't remember what the minor road through Ifold is like, and I know the B2131 is hellish, but the B2133 is a dream.
But, yes, we will report back.
But, yes, we will report back.
Davywalnuts
Chief Kebab Taster
- Location
- Staines!
Sorry Dellzeqq, I've snapped a spoke! Very annoyed as cant get it fixed at LBS for almost 2 weeks! So the Fnrttc is out now too! I have a spare rear wheel, but it needed new bearings when I replaced it and never did... so can just do the commute, but would not want to be a liability! And my cyclogs miles where just on the up too!!
well that was delightful for the most part, but cause for concern in one particular part....
User10571, Adrian, Flying Dodo and yr ob'd'nt serv'nt pushed off from HPC at ten past twelve, and tiddled (tiddling being a little quicker than pootling) down through Tooting, South Wimbledon, Morden, North Cheam, Epsom and Ashtead without incident. We collected our thoughts (courtesy of a hedgerow) at the turn on to the Leatherhead bypass, and pushed off again, counting the cars that passed us on the A24 all the way to the Blackbrook turn, just south of Dorking. There were three, which is not bad going for over six miles of trunk road. We slid past Blackbrook, scoped out the fishing club at Henford Lakes (but no lights) and got to Newdigate at 2.19, and there turned left instead of right, making for Costa Coffee at Gatwick.
Which was fine, although Gatwick was playing host to hundreds of sleeping passengers-to-be, some conscious, some snoozing, and some completely out of it, which is no bad thing because, having woken up a few dozen snoozers clippyclopping around in my cleats I managed to tread on the hand of one of the completely out of it brigade, and almost woke him....what he made of the SPD-SL impression this morning, heaven knows.
So, we set off south on the A23, traversed Crawley, went on to the A264 and re-joined the route at the Cabin Cafe a little east of Horsham at about ten past four, the sky behind us smarting from the rising sun. All was well - we only have to use about a mile of the A264 before sliding off on to the old road, and taking the B-road in to Horsham.
On then, south from Horsham, turning right at Tower Hill, by which time it was turning light. And there followed some delightful tiddling, the sun behind us and to our right, going from mid orange to yellow, the clouds turning from pink to white, all setting off cottage gardens full of roses, stocks and delphiniums. The road through Coolham and down to Storrington unrolled smoothly under our wheels, and we cruised in to Storrington at about ten past five, feeling just fine. But...
..the B2139 west of Storrington is not good. It's narrow, it's got blind summits, and it's got drivers that are idiots. Taking fifty or sixty riders down there is going to require a military operation at the back end to stop drivers overtaking and then squeezing left half way past our little peloton, and I'm going to have to heed the advice of the Cheam and Morden's Route Guru and check out his recommended route which travels further west.
We took the North Stoke road. My companions were charmed by the ride eastward up to the top of the downs, holes and gravel notwithstanding, but less than overwhelmed by the chalk path southwards. But.... there are superb views, and the calls of skylarks whizzing about overhead are quite lovely.
We sat around at the southern end of the path for a good while, taking it all in, and decided that there was time in the budget for the less adventurous to walk the path if need be.
We went south again, past Burpham, and skirted Arundel (that is going to take some looking at) then south to Ford and across to Yapton and down to Felpham, turning in to Blakes Road, and coming to Jasper's denouement, the simultaneous arrival at sea and cafe.
And then in to Bognor, where we had a fried breakfast that was cheap, filling, and, as yet, not fatal, before catching the first groupsave train home. A great night out. Some food for thought, but this will be a classic FNRttC, and those that don't find themselves at the beach on the morning of 8th August will think themselves accursed etc., etc., etc....
User10571, Adrian, Flying Dodo and yr ob'd'nt serv'nt pushed off from HPC at ten past twelve, and tiddled (tiddling being a little quicker than pootling) down through Tooting, South Wimbledon, Morden, North Cheam, Epsom and Ashtead without incident. We collected our thoughts (courtesy of a hedgerow) at the turn on to the Leatherhead bypass, and pushed off again, counting the cars that passed us on the A24 all the way to the Blackbrook turn, just south of Dorking. There were three, which is not bad going for over six miles of trunk road. We slid past Blackbrook, scoped out the fishing club at Henford Lakes (but no lights) and got to Newdigate at 2.19, and there turned left instead of right, making for Costa Coffee at Gatwick.
Which was fine, although Gatwick was playing host to hundreds of sleeping passengers-to-be, some conscious, some snoozing, and some completely out of it, which is no bad thing because, having woken up a few dozen snoozers clippyclopping around in my cleats I managed to tread on the hand of one of the completely out of it brigade, and almost woke him....what he made of the SPD-SL impression this morning, heaven knows.
So, we set off south on the A23, traversed Crawley, went on to the A264 and re-joined the route at the Cabin Cafe a little east of Horsham at about ten past four, the sky behind us smarting from the rising sun. All was well - we only have to use about a mile of the A264 before sliding off on to the old road, and taking the B-road in to Horsham.
On then, south from Horsham, turning right at Tower Hill, by which time it was turning light. And there followed some delightful tiddling, the sun behind us and to our right, going from mid orange to yellow, the clouds turning from pink to white, all setting off cottage gardens full of roses, stocks and delphiniums. The road through Coolham and down to Storrington unrolled smoothly under our wheels, and we cruised in to Storrington at about ten past five, feeling just fine. But...
..the B2139 west of Storrington is not good. It's narrow, it's got blind summits, and it's got drivers that are idiots. Taking fifty or sixty riders down there is going to require a military operation at the back end to stop drivers overtaking and then squeezing left half way past our little peloton, and I'm going to have to heed the advice of the Cheam and Morden's Route Guru and check out his recommended route which travels further west.
We took the North Stoke road. My companions were charmed by the ride eastward up to the top of the downs, holes and gravel notwithstanding, but less than overwhelmed by the chalk path southwards. But.... there are superb views, and the calls of skylarks whizzing about overhead are quite lovely.
We sat around at the southern end of the path for a good while, taking it all in, and decided that there was time in the budget for the less adventurous to walk the path if need be.
We went south again, past Burpham, and skirted Arundel (that is going to take some looking at) then south to Ford and across to Yapton and down to Felpham, turning in to Blakes Road, and coming to Jasper's denouement, the simultaneous arrival at sea and cafe.
And then in to Bognor, where we had a fried breakfast that was cheap, filling, and, as yet, not fatal, before catching the first groupsave train home. A great night out. Some food for thought, but this will be a classic FNRttC, and those that don't find themselves at the beach on the morning of 8th August will think themselves accursed etc., etc., etc....
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Sounds pretty good, caveat about the route you took notwithstanding (not an insurmountable problem). I am most emphatically up for that one- apart from the ride itself, a home trip of a mere 22 miles or so is an added bonus (the train will not be taking the strain for that!). And the 8th happens to be my birthday- not normally something I prefer to remember, but if I'm going to do something...
Davywalnuts
Chief Kebab Taster
- Location
- Staines!
I missed a treat... and Arundel.... *lil cries*....
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
AdrianC said:
I don't like riding the Pulborough Storrington stretch in either direction - they fly down those bits...
having checked feeble memory on bikehike I can confirm there are a number of ridable bridleway white roads from West Chiltington going broadly SW via Hurston Place meaning one could bypass A283 & B2193 entirely until Amberley. However these prob aren't in keeping with ethos of FNrttC
I'm going to check out the alternative that our own Route Guru gave me and a couple more besides - probably early one morning next week. I have ridden this route before, but it was a few years ago. Details later, although it might involve an overnight in Amberley.
mangaman
Guest
PM me if you're in the area Dell - I live in Chichester and could provide quality coffee and local organic Sussex breakfast for hungry cyclists if my arm was twisted.
I also volunteer at Fishbourne Roman Palace and if you arrive on a Saturday am (and have any energy) - I could sort out a brekky at the cafe there and a free tour courtesy of myself (if I can swing it with the management - which I could with a little warning)
(Only caveat - I work on Sats quite a bit so a bit of warning would be cool)
I've always held you Friday night coast riders in high regard (put another way - thought what a buch of nutters)
Of course I can set off any evening at 6pm and arrive at the coast at about 6.30pm on West Wittering beach, but I shouldn't say that
I also volunteer at Fishbourne Roman Palace and if you arrive on a Saturday am (and have any energy) - I could sort out a brekky at the cafe there and a free tour courtesy of myself (if I can swing it with the management - which I could with a little warning)
(Only caveat - I work on Sats quite a bit so a bit of warning would be cool)
I've always held you Friday night coast riders in high regard (put another way - thought what a buch of nutters)
Of course I can set off any evening at 6pm and arrive at the coast at about 6.30pm on West Wittering beach, but I shouldn't say that
Aperitif
Meme bar
- Location
- ...I don't have much idea - really.
mangaman said:
Oh mangaman..."I feel an honorary membership of the mouseketeers coming on..." a 'lay' breakfaster...
that's a very generous offer. I have been round Fishbourne, and it's a blast if you're in to mosaics. (And I am).mangaman said:
We did do two rides to Bracklesham and East Wittering, but could never find a cafe willing and able to do sixty breakfasts at seven thirty in the morning. A pity, because the boat trip from Bosham to Itchenor was great - especially as it came as a surprise to some of the riders.
