Shadowed the Veteran Car Run from London to Brighton today; just over 100km.
Or might have done if the train timetables weren't so ****. I only live a few meters outside the M25, it's hardly remote.
And engineering works meant I couldn't easily get to East Croydon to meet the gang.
Decided to meet them at Redhill instead, but progress was slow. Headed for Crawley instead, and beat the group there by half an hour.
Had a very large Mediterranean breakfast at the Parkside Cafe with Tim & Vicky, whilst waiting for Gordon, Ross, Tea, Marcus, Bob, Adam and others to arrive, then we headed off towards Handcross; now in the thick of old cars; wonderful smells of half-burnt hydrocarbons; no catalytic converters!
Caught up with
@Shadow at Staplefield, and continued southwards; Cuckfield, Ansty, Burgess Hills, past Hassocks and then a bit of a climb to Pyecomb (where Shadow ignored the NO BIKES! pronouncement from a very strict marshall, she sent us right instead, and we ended up in the same lane just 100 yard further down the road. Hurtled down the A23 to the seafront at Brighton.
Lingered for a while to see the cars, then went to take some photos of a UFO on a stick before heading back north. The road back to Hassocks would still be closed, so I ended up jumping on a train at Preston Park. Arrived at Redhill and the onwards train to Dorking was cancelled. Didn't feel like waiting 90 minutes, so rode home from there.
Only had the company of others for about 25 miles, but had a good day on the bike. Legs coped well considering how little I've been using them in recent months, but I'm a little tired tonight.
And finally got my imperial Eddington number up to 50.
Weather soon brightened up in the morning.
Joined the traffic in Crawley and saw this chap on a Penny Farthing.
Big wheels, small wheels.
Thirsty work:
That chain's slack
The taxing hill to Pyecombe
Rather you than me
Slight trouble with trains home, so rode a bit extra; it was getting a bit nippy.
