Ride report A’s to Shoreham 10 June

 The forecast showed showers were likely for much of the day and we had a new untested pub for lunch. However, the route was mainly our tried and tested one, tinkered slightly to divert through the pretty village of Bramber which then put us in the right place to enter Shoreham using the new underpass and an old bridge.

Fiona’s group was first to leave at 10.15:

We were the first group off from Tanhouse and almost got to Bramber before the heavens opened and we were rushing to put on our wet weather gear. The rain didn’t last long and the ride into Shoreham dried us out. The Crown and Anchor served us a good lunch and were efficient.

Dave and Mike sat out the next shower before heading to Brighton to get the train. The rest of us set off in freezing wet, windy weather - we didn’t even make it onto the beach for the customary photo. At Horsham Patrick and Clive went to the train station. Leaving Steve, Guy and I to make it amongst intermittent showers to Leatherhead .

Thank you to Janice for a good route, my group for cheerful company and Dave for back marking.

My group was away next with Neil W, Karl, Richard B, Dave E and Brian.

 It was a bit windy but the sun was often shining and we made steady uphill progress, pausing to admire the pond and fine show of waterlilies at Warninglid.

The ride continued and around Small Dole the sky darkened, the wind increased and after the first few spots of rain we stopped to put rain jackets on. We had 3 miles of busy and very wet road before things improved again.

Somewhere around Botolphs we passed Fiona’s group as they had stopped to fix Steve’s snapped chain so we were first at the Crown & Anchor. The pub proved to be a success as it was reasonably priced and service was both friendly and very quick.

We left in sunshine and we stopped at the beach for a photo, by which time the weather deteriorated and for the next few miles it was a howling gale and torrential rain. Never mind as we dried off in sunshine by Horsham. Brian, Richard, Neil and I stopped at the leisure centre intending to cycle on but the weather changed to torrential rain again and as a train was due to depart all but Richard headed to the station where our journeys home continued in sunshine. There was just one more downpour just before we got to our front door.

Dave’s was the final group and here’s his report.

My group (Sue C, Gina, Dave F, Neil C, Steve W and new to Wayfarers Rob) gathered at Tanhouse in pleasant sunshine. As we set off the clouds gathered and the temperature fell. But we kept dry until around Wineham, where the first of several showers forced us to pause to don waterproofs.

This set the pattern for the rest of the day with much stopping and starting to don and un-don. At Small Dole it was clear we had missed a major downpour, with surface water everywhere. That and the unpleasantly heavy traffic on the approach to Upper Beeding caused us to reassess the route, and get off the roads for a while. So we took the traditional gravel track to Shoreham, a bit puddly at first, but later givingus a smooth ride, where we could exchange greetings with a party of B riders.

Lunch was excellent at the Crown & Anchor. Thanks, Janice for finding a pub with reasonable food, reasonably priced, speedily served too. And we were allowed to park our bikes safely on the terrace. Can we go back next year please.

However at lunch we learned that other groups had not been so lucky, and to avoid getting soaked we delayed our departure by 15 minutes. Getting to the beach for the traditional photo, we managed to capture a patch of blue sky.On leaving we met Steph, completing her own solo marathon trip.

Sue had planned to return direct from Shoreham, but the rest of the group headed back, this time taking the tunnel route, shorter and less wind exposed than the road. I had hoped for a wind assisted return, but it was not to be. No takers for ice cream at Partridge Green as we decided to make the most of a dry spell and ride on.

One more rainstorm around Copsale, before we arrived at Horsham Leisure Centre around 4.30, ahead of the café’s 5pm closure. There were no takers for the train, so it was onto the last climb of Old Holbrook with leaden legs, followed by the pleasure of descending from Rusper, with legs encouraged by thoughts of home. We all parted company at or just before Leatherhead, with nobody stopping for tea.

My thanks to my group for their unfailing good humour, and especially to Neil for back marking all day. It appears that we were the lucky group, seemingly always behind the worst of the rain, which meant that we could “enjoy” the full Shoreham Experience.

A memorable day out. Well done to all those who completed the ride all the way to Leatherhead despite the weather, hitting 100 plus miles. 

Thanks to everyone’s cheerful perseverance and especially to Fiona and Dave for sub-leading.