{"id":6373,"date":"2015-05-05T06:43:57","date_gmt":"2015-05-05T06:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lewishamcyclists.co.uk\/?p=6373"},"modified":"2015-05-30T08:29:10","modified_gmt":"2015-05-30T08:29:10","slug":"lewisham-cyclists-ride-to-the-seaside-climb-a-very-big-hill-or-two-miss-sharing-some-hunny-with-a-bear-of-very-little-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lewishamcyclists.org.uk\/lewisham-cyclists-ride-to-the-seaside-climb-a-very-big-hill-or-two-miss-sharing-some-hunny-with-a-bear-of-very-little-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"Lewisham Cyclists Ride to the Seaside, Climb a Very Big Hill (or Two) but miss sharing some hunny with a bear of very little brain."},"content":{"rendered":"
I had set aside the whole day for this ride.\u00a0 It’s neither the shortest, quickest, easiest nor the only way to Hastings, but it’s my favourite.\u00a0 So, I had booked a cheap return ticket for the 7.55 pm train back to London.\u00a0 0ver 80 miles and more than 5000 feet of climbing, plus fish and chips on the beach to get done before that.<\/p>\n
We met at Le Delice, breakfasted, and then had to sort out a few mechanicals even before we could set off.\u00a0 I had given my bike it’s spring service the previous day, replaced chain and cassette, wheels, new tyres, removed, cleaned and serviced the bottom bracket (amazed at how much water had got in there over the winter).\u00a0 It was all running smoothly on the repair stand, but I had neglected to complete the important final check, a ride around, as I had finished fairly late and was knackered.<\/p>\n
So of course, there was a last niggling problem, which became apparent on the ride to the cafe, to be sorted now..a front mech that wouldn’t shift on to the big ring while riding.\u00a0 Schoolboy, (well schoolgirl) error: never neglect that last post service check ride around.\u00a0 A bike which works smoothly on the repair stand, may well not do so smoothly on a real road with a rider attached.\u00a0 Then another rider needed air in the tyres.\u00a0 Neither problem was serious, a quick limit screw adjustment and some nifty pump action. But added together, meant we left half an hour late!<\/p>\n
Our delay meant Danny and Katharine were left standing around at a junction in West Wickham for longer than they expected.\u00a0 They tagged on to the back and now 11 of us were heading south.\u00a0 We picked up route 21 at various points to get us out of London.\u00a0 A little off road path here and there, then down Spot Hill to New Addington, where the route winds its way through the large housing estate before turning you out at the top of Layhams Rd and those familiar lanes leading to the first proper descent and ascent of the day.\u00a0 One which all our regular riders knew well, Beddlestead Lane.<\/p>\n
It’s a rollercoaster going south and the climb up longer, but less steep and hard than riding it northwards.\u00a0 If you are lucky enough to get a clear road ahead, you can forget your brakes and let the steepness of the descent build enough speed giving the bike the power to get you up a fair bit of the climb ahead.\u00a0 The road is not in a great state, however, and, the bike does begin to rattle and vibrate to the point where your vision becomes blurred and your eyes stream with water.<\/p>\n
At the junction with Clarks Lane, we stopped to regroup.\u00a0 Along with several other ride parties.\u00a0 No one passed me on the descent, but I have to admit, I lost count of the riders that passed me on the climb up!\u00a0 Lots of club riders out testing their limits on these very popular, well ridden lanes.\u00a0 I no longer feel the need to test my limits.\u00a0 I would probably not survive the testing, anyway.<\/p>\n
I was a bit concerned that we seemed to be waiting a long time for Fiona.\u00a0 When she finally arrived, she announced she thought she should give up and go home. It was far too hard, she said.\u00a0 Which surprised me as she had done that hill before and coped pretty well.\u00a0 Then, it became apparent, she wasn’t able to engage her lowest gears!\u00a0 No wonder she felt like going home!\u00a0 Climbing Beddlestead without your bottom gear must be pure torture!<\/p>\n
We had a quick look.\u00a0 It was a brand new bike, and new cables always stretch a bit, so all that was needed was a bit more tension.\u00a0 A few turns on the cable’s barrel adjuster and all her gears were back in action.\u00a0 We were off again!<\/p>\n
Down Titsey Hill, which is still sorely in need of resurfacing, so another bone juddering descent.\u00a0 No braking needed though, at least on this occasion, the road was dry, it’s wide, two lanes so no danger of meeting an oncoming car, and we weren’t turning off half way down as we often do, to head along the Pilgrims Way.\u00a0 So all the way down and into Limpsfield.<\/p>\n
Limpsfield is another of those pretty Surrey villages spoilt by too much traffic.\u00a0 We turned off up a winding, steepish lane which ends with an off the bike scramble up a few steep yards of very loose surfaced bridleway, which those of us on skinny wheels had to walk, although Maxine found them easy on her big tyres.<\/p>\n