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....