Bromley Cyclists - Pluckley Circular, Kent Ride Feb 21st 2009

[ianrauk]

Here we go again with another Bromley Cyclists ride.

Although an LCC and Bromley Cyclists event, You do not need to be a member to take part. Tourers, Roadies, Hybrids, experienced riders and those not so, . . we wait for all... Just turn up and go . . .All are

Day: Saturday 21st February

Meeting points:
08:48 London Bridge Ticket Office meet Trevor by the ticket office to get the 09:08 service to Pluckley - ETA 10:18
08:45 Bromley South meet Andrew on the forecourt to get the 09:02 train to Orpington to change for the 09:26 train to Pluckley
09:10 Orpington Station meet Ian on Platform 3 for the 09:26 train to Pluckley
10:18 Arrive Pluckley staion. Happy to meet here also. But please let us know.

Distance: 30 miles
Contact: Andrew - 07717 693 701 no texts please
email - kayacan@aol.com
Ride details ...30 miles overall distance with 1051 foot of ascent and descent .
The only notable climbs on this ride are at the rides's start as we swing around the village of Pluckley ...and once we get to Egerton then there's a rather splendid bit of downhill ......villages passed through include Headcorn , & Hawkenbury ...before we get to our lunch stop at the marvellous local pub/Post Office (yep really) The Bell & Jorrocks at Frittenden for &
Post lunch there's it's a splendid level(ish) ride back to Pluckley Station ...taking in the extremely interesting village of Smarden en route ...I really savour the look of the place ...with all it's rustic charm .

This ride is one that pretty much anyone who's reasonably fit could manage ..

If anyone would like a Memory map (mmo) file or gpx file of the route.
Please pm me.
We look forward to seeing you.
Ian

 

[Auntie Helen]

Hi Ian,

I'm thinking about this one (it's in the diary) and I'll let you know nearer the time. If I do go for it I'd meet y'all in Pluckley where I should be able to park OK.

 

[ianrauk]

Hi Helen, it would be great if you can make it...

 

[Auntie Helen]

My chum who lives in Tonbridge in Kent (where I used to live) has just told me that Pluckley is the most haunted village in England. Spooky!

 

[ianrauk]

Also, it has the oldest train station (Building, built in 1842) in the world (apparently), and also The Darling Buds Of May was filmed there

 

[ianrauk]

Just a little reminder for his Saturdays ride.
For a few of us we are extending the ride to Tonbridge which will add another 25+ miles, and maybe even further 20 miles to Orpington/Bromley if we make good time.

 

[ianrauk]

another little reminder so please excuse the blatant bump..
Weather is looking very good for tomorrow.

 

[Auntie Helen]

...ah, but you can't do much about the company that's tagging along

 

[Auntie Helen]

And here's Auntie Helen's quick review of the Bromley Cyclists' ride.

I arrived at the start point, Pluckley Station, by car (100 miles from home!) Uncle James was then taking the car to Tonbridge to visit his parents so we got the trike out, put the seat back on and then the train rolled in to the station and promptly disgorged a gaggle of cylists.

At this point I fished out my cycling gloves from my bag and discovered that I had managed to pack two left hand gloves, rather than a pair (the perils of having multiple sets from Lidl!) so I had to wear a glove the wrong way up on my right hand. Which wasn't actually as uncomfortable as I thought it would be!

Off we set around what turned out to be a lovely route in the Kent countryside. Initially a little hilly it flattened out in due course and we had some great views.

Here am I somewhere near the back (probably up a hill!)

The group regularly paused to let people catch up.

We stopped for lunch at the Bell & Jorrocks pub in Frittenden and had a good long break there. The three ladies talked calories, healthy eating and cholesterol. I have no idea what the men talked about, but it was probably football or some other such boringness!

We carried on after good food & beer and came in due course to the village of Smarden which was lovely. We stopped to look at a couple of interesting houses – this one has wooden griffins carved along the top:

I was following the route on the bike GPS but if I was out in front (yes, it happened occasionally) I wasn't always concentrating where I was going. At one point Ianrauk and I were deep in conversation about why many of his miles on Cyclogs should be ignored so that I have a higher total, when we missed a turning. Those behind us all shouted 'LEFT!' but I was a bit late and decided to do a three point turn. I got it wrong, however, and got my back wheel stuck in the mud.

After we got back to Pluckley a did a bit of standing around waffling I managed to entice four riders to come on the next section with me, cycling to Tonbridge (26 further miles). Ianrauk had already decided to come and had programmed a route I sent him into his GPS. I'd subsequently done a more detailed version of this route but unfortunately had slightly changed it so at one T-junction my GPS wanted to go left, his right. We went left and it all worked out OK but imagine the moans I would have had if my route went wrong!

In a smaller group we were able to go a little faster and it was another lovely ride, through lots of villages that the train from Charing Cross to Ashford/Dover goes through (which I can recite from Station announcements) but that I hadn't previously visited. Traffic was very light, a few tractors, a few more horses, rather potholey roads, but fab weather for this kind of ride.

We stopped to buy water and for a 'comfort break' in Marden, occasioning some comments from passers-by. Ianrauk and I did a brief bike swap so I rode my first ever clipless two-wheeled bike (and managed not to have a clipless moment!) and Ian had a spin on my trike around the car park:

One of our other companions also tried the trike and experienced that which all trike riders know - stuff in your leg or hip pockets always falls out! He distributed a bunch of coins all round the car park and was challenged to pick them up from the trike without stopping (which he didn't manage!)

The sun was getting quite low as we head off west again towards Tonbridge, finally arriving just after two hours after we left Pluckley. At this point I bad my four companions goodbye and went to my mother-in-law's for a well deserved drink, then to a friend's house for a slice of cake and a pub meal. A lovely day all in all and thanks to Ianrauk and Bromley Cyclists for letting this CycleChatter tag along!

 

[Aperitif]

Look at that sun giving the pictures that longed-for chiaroscuro!
A nice bonus ride tacked on the end of that Auntie, and I like the picture of the pargetting on the house...get closer next time! (take a collapsible ladder)
No group shot. We like names and faces from our roving reporter.
Celebrate in song today - well done!

 

[ianrauk]

Excellent reporting from an excellent day Helen.
Here's some more reporting from Katie & Myself..

Ride Report – Pluckley Circular 21 February 2009

At London Bridge – Catherine, Ian P, Jan, Tom, Trevor. At Bromley South – Captain Andrew, Burak, Katie boarded the train to Orpington where, after the train doors nearly took me and my bicycle apart, we joined Andy, Ian, Ibrahim. Last, but not least, we met up with Helen at Pluckley. Cue much 'aahhing' and 'oohing' at her fabulous tryke.

The sun shone upon us as we set off past that very old pub (The Dering?)at Pluckley and on towards Egerton. First impressions of the day was the wonderful birdsong and the great social element that a larger group of people brings, much quipping about the ongoing battle in mileage totals. Captain Andrew had also gone easy on us with less hillage than usual which was good, and we made excellent progress over the sometimes pot-holed roads.

The main highlight of the ride was lunch at the Bell and Jorrocks at Frittenden, which also has an active post office inside. The publicans are very easy-going and had kindly reserved some tables for us. The three ladies of the ride ended up on the same table, with a free spot available for any male to join us. Unfortunately Ibrahim had picked up a stool and naturally gravitated towards the male table where he was spotted and picked on mercilessly. He saw sense and sat down next to the ladies, where he chewed on his dry fruit as we devoured our lunch. After some jokes about how we should have a curtain between the sexes, a wary male (Ian) approached our table and sat down too.

After an hour in that wonderful pub we set off for the latter part of the ride, and were heading towards my favourite village in Kent – Smarden. Queen Bess was equally impressed with this place and during the 15th and 16th centuries many houses were built which forms the nucleus of the village. Andrew kindly gave us some time to be tourists and take lots of photos.

A few miles later we were back in Pluckley – most people got the train back, whilst 5 of us chose to cycle onto Tonbridge, and then the final 2 cycled towards the sunset in Orpington.

Many thanks to Andrew for leading such a fabulous ride and to everyone for a sociable pootle!
Katie C.

So the plan was after the 35 mile Pluckley circular we were to cycle on to Tonbridge with Helen, who has relatives living there, then on to Orpington and home (dinner was at 7pm). Volunteers were asked for to join myself, Helen and Andy.. 2 came forward, Katie and Tom.. so 5 of us for the onward journey. We said our goodbyes to Andrew and the rest of the days riders and set for Tonbridge. No hanging about, we upped the cadence and pushed on West. Re-tracing some of the route we had travelled a few hours previous. It was a lovely afternoon, quite warm with the February sun & our fast work rate.
We were making good time so had a pit stop at Marden to take on snacks and water (and for a couple of us to take turns jumping into Helen's Trike to zoom around a car park (forgetting the laid back position would deposit any coins which one had in ones pocket being deposited on to the tarmac). On we cycled, this time non stop to Tonbridge, through small hamlets and villages. We missed the turning to bypass the very fast A228. No worries, we cycled carefully 200 yards along the pavement to get to the roundabout. At Tonbridge we said our goodbyes to Helen and her trike, and to Tom and Katie who decided to get the train back the last few miles. So it was now just me and Andy. We had to tackle the 4 miles climb over the Weald. It was a long and drawn out climb. Methinks it would have made Paul Taylor of Lewisham Cyclists parish very proud. It was hard work but we were rewarded with an equally long descent down into Sevenoaks and Riverhead and views of a most beautiful sunset. Over the M25, (Starhill Road and Knockholt climb?.. after Hildenborough?, no thanks, we took the easier option taking the relatively easier climb to Pollhill) . Arriving at Orpington we had covered 77 miles for the day and the time was 6.45pm. So..we carried on. Down Orpington high street, dodging in and out all the funny, noisy, music blaring little hatchbacks cruising up and down, around the one way system and on to home. We had done it. 80 Miles exactly and home 7pm for a well deserved dinner. What a brilliant day's cycling.
Ian A.

More photo's here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianrauk/sets/72157614190755443/

 

[Sittingduck]

Looks like a top ride! But was that a spot of mud I spotted on your chain Ian?

Will have to tag along on one of these sometime... unfortunately have a lot of weekend work commitments over the next couple of months or so