REVISED RUNS LIST WITH BRIGHTON & BACK MOVED TO JUNE10th

Due to popular demand all Sunday runs will start at 9am except where stated.

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Jeremy writes in anguish:

Eva took these pics and sent them to me.

I’m not sure I should write any words as I’m still licking my wounds from a coup d’etat from the temperist wing of the club.

I was left to cry in my beer on my own at lunch whilst everyone else gorged themselves on tea and sandwiches in the cafe. I’m sorry you or Graham where not there as a beer drinking wing man would have been useful!

During my time in the Anerley Bicycle Club, I had a chain break going up Flower Lane towards Marden Park. Yoshi had a chain break near Henfold Lakes and Jack had a break at Chartwell. On each occasion we would have had a long walk home because none of us had a chain rivet extractor tool. But fortunately John Turnbull did!
 He always carries one as part of a mini-multi tool and I have learned from his example. A small investment in a chain tool will at sometime save you a lot of  hassle and a long walk home.

However, owning and carrying a chain tool is not a lot of use unless you know how to use it!  Whilst working on a chain is very messy, a chain problem is normally very easy to fix.  Further down is a link to show how to use a chain tool, but first a bit more about another chain problem.  Fortunatly rare, but Brian suffered this problem only last week, and his was the third of which I am aware of. So it could happen to you!  

This problem is the loss of a jockey wheel from the rear derailleur.  The jockey wheels are mounted on an axle which is screwed into the derailleur cage. (see photo on left)  The problem occurs when the bolt unscrews and drops out.  Brian was lucky in that searching the road he found both the missing jockey wheel and the axle bolt, so with the appropriate sized Allen Key he was able to screw all the bits back together. On another occasion it was John T whose jockey wheel dropped out when we were returning from a tea stop at High Elms. An extensive search by all the Anerley club members present did not find either the jockey wheel or bolt. Without the jockey wheel  to tension the chain, it was much too loose to ride the bike.  However John’s multi tool resolved the problem.  By shortening the chain it was at least possible to ride home.
To avoid this problem, at least occassionaly check with an Allen key that the axle bolts are tight.  There are 2 jockey wheels and hence 2 bolts to check!   

 
Fortunately damage to chains,  breakages, or loss of jockey wheels are rare, but when they do occur they are terminal without the little and simple to use tool required to fix the problem. This link will take you to a good video showing how to use a chain tool.  http://www.pinkbike.com/news/tech-tuesday-fixing-chain-2010.html.
It is followed by photos and a simple instructional guide. In this DIY guide a small multi tool is used which includes the all important chain tool. See photo below, taken from this web site.

The course of the Roman road can be traced on O.S maps and evidence of it can still be seen at various points along its route.  For example Roman artifacts were uncovered during construction works at Clacketts Lane Services on the M25, and are on display there.  Edenbridge exists because it was here that the Romans built the first bridge to carry their road over the river, and Edenbridge High Street is part of this ancient roadway.
 Below are some of Anerley’s finest crossing the present day Eden Bridge and displaying a more modern and peaceful use for iron age technology.

For many years now the Tuesday Riders have been visiting the Bridges Centre which is charity tea room run by local volunteers.  It offers a good cuppa and a choice of food at very reasonable prices. Unfortunately it is not open on Sundays. The photos below show what you weekend riders are missing!

Our round trip to Edenbridge was some 35 miles (miles being a word given to us by the Roman Legions) and not a drop of rain!
So next week it is back to the Surrey Hills, providing the rain stays away, and meet at Tesco, Purley at 10.

A dry Sunday. Well except for the drizzle. To give the Met Office a break they did amend their forecasts after the event …

Four of us ignored it all and turned up. For a change we went up the non-eponyously Purley Downs Road. Now I know why we usually don’t. Then out through Sanderstead and West Wickham towards Farnborough. We did come across two Italians who got too close – a Lamborghini and a Fiat. The Fiat had won but the road was blocked so we opted for the parallel cycle track only to ride up behind a jogger who was far away in iPodland. No amount of cajoling could persuade her anybody was around. Eventually a bit of a roar got her out of her skin and us back rolling at a decent pace to the Golf Club for tea.

The drizzle came, then the rain and another pause before the cycle repeated. The weather being miserable we thought it best not to let it have too much time to make us likewise. We abandoned our plan to head out to Chequers at Heaversham and beat a retreat the Stanhope Arms in Brasted leaving Ewa to take this photo as she headed straight back along the Pilgrim way …

Refreshed we did the hard climb up to Botley and then down through Warlingham. A thoroughly unremarkable ride. Oh for the warm balmy days of summer to come. Not even 40 miles!

Thanks to Ewa for the pix and Yiannis for the GPS track.

Friday 27th April was the annual York to Hull FNRttC. A mere 70 or so miles starting at midnight outside the York Minster and ending with breakfast in Hull with a few bridges in between.

It is believed that Louise took the train to York and was caught in Hi-Viz Flagranti by my erstwhile spy changing at Victoria (above). There she and thirty odd other crazies prepared for a long night time ride in the traditional manner …

While London and the South were swept by fearsome wind and rain – balmy Yorkshire kept dry and everybody had a pleasant ride to the City of Poets, breakfast and the odd glass of hopjuice.

Sensible people then retired to the city station and dozed on the train back to Kings Cross. But not Louise!

Two folk deciding to save on the train fare decided to ride back from Hull to London: Martin and Louise. They pretended it was merely a training ride for the 2013 London-Edinburgh-London event. But who would sensibly head into the worst weather conditions even April 2012 could throw at you?

Here is the story as told by Martin on CycleChat about starting back that Saturday night after a short rest:

The least part of our problems was the weather. It was torrential rain and howling gales and there was a yellow warning from the met office for heavy rain and flooding but this is all in an audaxer’s day. We had clothing to deal with the outside world. By and large we were soaked and cold for about 22 hours.

So to sum up: no sleep on Friday night, 6 hours on Saturday afternoon and 22 hours in appalling weather trying to navigate with confusing navigation, exhaustion, hunger, dehydration, gales, torrents. Would I do it again? You bet. It was simply bloody awesome and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

So that’s it. Louise’s excuse for welshing (sorry Gina) on the Sunday Ride leaving Jeremy standing in the drizzle. And that’s not all – as Martin concludes:

Louise was superb company, the only trouble I had was keeping up with her. She has the three hardest rides in the country coming up. Brevet Cymru 400k, Bryan Chapman 600k chepstow across mid wales to menai and back, and mille alba 1000k of scotland …

BRAVO LOUISE!!!!

 In my first few years in the Anerley we often went to the Running Horses for the New Year’s Day ride. They served a most delicious Turkey Hot Pot, using up the left overs from their Christmas dinners. But the Anerley have been using this pub for many years. The earliest Anerley Gazette that I have seen, lists a Saturday afternoon ride from Purley Cross to the Running Horses in May 1903, close on 110 year ago!

There is an interesting story to this old coaching inn, formally known as The Chequers.  After a long day on the road, weary travellers could while away an overnight stop with a meal and a small wager over a gaming board. Then in 1828 two locally trained horses ended the Epsom Derby with the first and only dead heat. The two famous “Running Horses” and what became known as “The Dead Heat Derby” are immortalised in the renamed inn!
One side of the pub sign shows the horse named Cadland, and the other side the horse named The Colonel.

From Mickleham we continued onto the cycle path alongside  the A24 and onto Leatherhead.  A bit more history! 
The lane throughMickleham, named The Old Reigate Road, was part of the first and original coaching road from London to Brighton. Thus this old road would have been well known to the early members of the Anerley Bicycle Club. The modern dual carriageway of the A24 was build in the latter half of the 1920s and would have been much welcomed by the then Anerley B C cyclists because it, and parts of the modern A23 Brighton Rd, were built with adjacent cycle paths.  It is these cycle paths from the 1920s which have been rejuvenenated for today’s pedalling fraternity. 

Paralleling  the River Mole I took the opportunity to see what effect the recent heavy rains had had on our drought stricken rivers.  The normally slow flowing Mole was a swirling, muddy brown, torrent  which should help to keep our taps flowing in the coming summer months. 

And then it was  back up past Headley Court towards Tadworth and some welcome tea and coffee, provided by birthday boy John T.  And next week it is Tom Vaz’s turn as he also just had an annual anniversary!

Next week will it be dry?  I hope so, and hope to see you as we head off into Kent for Tom’s Teas!  

Government Petition to stop Addison Lee: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/33116

Many of commuter cyclists regard the fleet of Addison-Lee public hire and courier vehicles as a particular hazard on London’s crowded roads. The bus lanes provided a safe haven from their self-employed drivers trying to beat the clock.

Well if you haven’t caught up with the story – the managing director issued an instruction to use the bus lanes and the company would re-imburse any fines.

Directly undermining the law and putting any law abiding (yes, there are some) AL driver at a disadvantage and possible loss of business.

John Griffin the owner is a major Conservative Party Donor and is using his money to buy access to David Cameron and Transport Ministers to push his moneymaking agenda. He has also attacked cyclist who feel threatened for ‘not paying road tax’ needing traning (to avoid his drivers?) and more.

TfL have taken the company to court and got an interim injunction to stop AL incentivising their drivers to break the law. The fight goes on with AL seeking judicial review.

If you feel AL (and the rest of the mini-cab market) from making bus lanes a joke please sign the petition. If you disagree please add your comment explaining their case.

That petition again: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/33116

More on this story:
http://londonist.com/2012/04/addison-lee-challenges-tfl-over-bus-lanes.php
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/19/tory-donor-addison-lee-bus-lanes?newsfeed=true
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/apr/24/addison-lee-protest-boycott-chairman
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/9229092/Taxi-firm-Addison-Lee-banned-from-telling-drivers-to-use-bus-lanes.html

What a week of aweful rain. However, Sunday morning was sunny, bright but with a forecast of rain later. How much later? The BBC forecast was all over the place.

We decided to make it quick and fast. First was our tea stop at Annie’s in Leatherhead. Scones, scones and even more scones … before setting off south along the A24 cycle path through Dorking, up and over the green mount, and on to picture postcard Brockham.

The clouds were gathering from the west leaving the tricky choice – pub stop or a dash home? Ewa took this shot leaving Jeremy, (an out of sight) Graham and myself to do our Canute-like thingy …

Replenished we took a straight way home via Reigate and the Merstham Gap. We had a quick rain shower, we even had a dose of hail but not enough to dampen our relief and getting home dry. Just.

A real shortie of about 38 miles.

Finally a lovely photo of her beloved Pearson by this week’s guest photographer – Ewa. Thank you!

GETTING THERE.

The Picos Riders board the ferry at Santander in 2010.

The S.E.C.H.C has organised our return ferry crossings, Portsmouth to Santander, with Brittany Ferries.  The ferry company has generously provided our passage, including a 4-berth cabin, gratis!  The normal cost is £970.  We make a donation to the S.E.C.H.C for this amount, so our charity purse is guaranteed nearly £1,000 before we even start the ride!

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD.
The next bit to be determined was our cycle route, of which there are many that lead to Santiago.  Many hours were spent studying maps and finding out about interesting places that we could visit en-route.  Here the internet is invaluable, with Google maps and Via Michelin being particularly useful for foreign tours.  Of these Via Michelin is my favourite, for 2 reasons. 1. Scenic roads are lined in green and on a cycle tour you want to see the best of the countryside!  And 2. You  can select a “Bike” option which automatically chooses a route via quieter roads which are better suited to cyclists. Whilst not perfect it is the best that you will be able to get for an area about which you have no prior knowledge.
When you come to do your European tour, Michelin Regional maps are in my opinion the most useful to take with you. They show adequate detail and the scaling means that they are easy to read. For some popular areas with tourists Michelin Zoom maps are at a larger scale and include cycle routes.         

For our route to Santiago we settled on the most obvious, which is known as El Camino del Norte – the way of the north.  This route starts on the  coast at Irun in the Basque country by the border with France.  Conveniently for us it passes thru Santander following an ancient Roman road, cutting inland at Ribedeo to cross over the mountains to our destination.  The route provides stunning coastal scenery and lots of little fishing villages at which to enjoy a glass of Asturian cider with barbecued sardines.  Or if we are more  adventurous, octopus or some such Spanish delicacy!
Having reached Ribadeo, the road inland starts a long climb, up and over the mountains where we hope to stay for one night at the beautiful monastery at Sobrado de los Mojes, shown on the diagram above.  Los Mojes means the monks.  Not too difficult to translate!

On the return journey, for a change of scenery, we will leave Santiago de Compostela via the Camino Frances (blue route on diagramatic map) and then divert onto the yellow route which is known as the Camino Primitivo.  This will allow us to visit the World Heritage Site at Lugo and walk along it’s famous, encircling, Roman walls.  From there we come to the most difficult part of our journey, three days in a mountain fastness, leading us  to the city of Oviedo. From here we will divert to Covadonga and enjoy the not to be missed, Picos de Europa mountains.

                                                     
The Roman Walls of Lugo and  The Stunning Picos mountains.

There was much more to be considered and decided, but from this basic outline for our intended journey, internet research and detailed planning could now begin. More about this to follow.