Saturday, February 4

A very cold day (the thermometer showed -2 degrees) but lovely blue skies. The average number of layers worn was 4, with Mercy wearing just 3 layers!

We all met at the Goodwood Hotel - Sandra, Elise, Claire, Angela, Mercy and Caroline. There were a few problems today, starting off with gear problems for Elise, she thought she might have to go home but suddenly they started working again!

We made ur way up Sculpture Park Hill, turning right along the track and down the hill into the woods. The ground was hard, icy in parts but in places very uneven, we had to be very careful.

Up one long hill, here Claire had gear problems but happily sorted them out. We crossed the main road and back into the woods, here we did a circuit (actually I got lost but I don't think they  noticed!) changing direction and down a steep hill (which was great fun) and into East Dean. I know we keep saying this but we are so lucky to live and cycle in this area...

Two pups in a field in East Dean - there's a pup in the background on the left hand side of the pic, he always likes to wear a coat, according to his owner....very sweet

From East Dean we made our way to West Dean cafe, which has just re-opened since the new year.  No major changes here, so happy with our teas, coffees and bacon butties we then set off for home. Along the back lanes and through the fields to Lavant. We seemed to get separated here with me, Elise and Claire cycling back via the estate and to the hotel but Angela, Sandra, Mercy and Caroline turned right in Lavant and Caroline and Mercy had punctures! Not a good end to the day as Mercy had to be in Winchester for 2pm, I think.

Hope you all got home / Winchester safely. Another fun ride today, even if it was cold. I'm looking forward to the snow overnight tonight!

Hope to see you all again soon - next weeks ride is a new one and should be fun.

Sunday, January 29

Another great ride today - 42 miles, lovely quiet route, plenty of hills and we found a new cafe in Petworth.....

A chilly start this morning - we all had cold feet! We met outside our usual venue, cycled up Sculpture Park Hill and on towards East Dean, turning right at the pond and made our way towards the Upwaltham road. From here we cycled on towards Duncton Hill but turning right halfway down towards Barlavington. A pretty route from here all along to Byworth - we heard quite a busy woodpecker going about his chores while we were changing Leyla's flat tyre.

We did our best to repair it but by the time we had finished our tea and cakes in Petworth it was flat again. Leyla's dad came out to collect her and took her back home.

New cafe in Petworth - Chocolate Cafe and Sugar Lounge - well worth a visit and has a good selection of cakes and chocolates.

The rest of us carried on and made our way along the Midhurst road, turning left just opposite the Halfway Bridge pub towards Selham and Ambersham. Another pretty route all along here towards Heyshott, eventually coming out on the Midhurst - Chichester road. On up Cocking Hill and turning left once we arrived in Singleton.

To end on a high note we all cycled into Charlton and up East Dean hill, we were all getting tired now and the hill seemed longer than usual. Bit of a treat to cycle down Scultpure Park hill and back to the hotel.

A great ride, thoroughly enjoyed it and so did ...Angela, Caroline, Leyla and Jane. Good to see you all and thanks for coming out. Back home for a long, relaxing bath for me!

42 miles and I arrived home at 2.30pm just in time to see the final few games of the Nadal v Djokovic final, sadly, Nadal didn't win.

Saturday, January 21

This was a very good ride...long, challenging and hilly.....perfect!

There aren't many photos today as I was too busy cycling up hills!

It was cloudy and was raining lightly when we first met, however it cleared up and we actually saw blue skies by the time we reached Treyford.

This was our route and was the first time we'd cycled it, I think it worked well.....we met at our usual location, cycled through Lavant to Chilgrove and along the back lanes and came out at The Fish House - (encountering a lunatic 4x4 driver who thought he was on the M25 and not a quiet country lane - he was part of the shoot which was going on in the area). At the Fish House we turned right onto the main road and carried on along the road, up Harting Hill  - which was a long slow pull to the top and then a reward of a fast run down the hill into Harting village. Here we regrouped and were so pleased with ourselves for successfully completing the Harting Hill - from both sides.

From Harting we cycled along quiet lanes to Elstead to Treyford to Didling and eventually coming out in Cocking, almost opposite our usual cafe. However, we were dissappointed to see it was closed (wih mattresses piled high in the restaurant, so it could be a while before it opens again).

Caroline offered us all some high energy sweets which helped us carry on up Cocking Hill, which seemed a great deal easier this time around - so our fitness regime looks like it's working!

A peculiar folly in Treyford....

We avoided the Singleton cafe as it was packed, so we went on to The Partridge for cold drinks, coffee, sticky toffee puddings and ice cream....and cheesy chips! We said goodbye to Jane as she had decided to cycle along the road back to Lavant and the rest of us cycled through Charlton and up East Dean hill, again this seemed a lot easier this time around.

A thoroughly enjoyable ride and I think we all enjoyed it! Thanks to Caroline, Jane, Angela, Sandra and Mercy for coming out today.  Hope to see you all again soon.

Mileage: 35 and hilly

Saturday, January 14

We had planned on doing the 40 miles Petworth / Midhurst ride but as Angela still had her cold we thought we'd go a different route which proved to be a lovely ride, we ended up in Bosham for a cuppa.

From Goodwood Hotel we went up Sculpture Hill, straight across the crossroads down to East Dean, past the Fox Goes Free and all along towards West Dean (to note our lovely cafe is closed for most of January) along the back lanes and onto the CW until we met the sharp left hand turning down the CW - here we went onto the Midhurst / Chichester road towards the church in Lavant where we turned right,  past the Kingley Vale car park and all along to Hallidays in Funtingdon, turning left at this point.

Passing the village pond in Walderton we saw a beautiful black swan, she seemed to be all on her own.....

Once in Bosham we had a lovely cuppa at our usual cafe.

The tide was out so we continued around the bay back towards Chichester and home. I reached home at 2pm, approx mileage was 25 miles. Long flat ride and a lovely cold but sunny day.

New Years Day ride

Hickey Nude Ear....oops too much mulled wine at lunchtime, lets start again.....

Happy New Year to all Belles!

We had two clowns, a purple Quality Street, two fairies, a Christmas pudding, a rheindeer and a french lady. The prizewinner was the Christmas pudding - Angela, who recieved a set of Cath Kidston hand creams. Thanks very much to the landlady and the manager at The Fox Goes Free for their wonderful mulled wine...hic...burp....and we'll be back next year for more!

We had a fun ride today, meeting outside Goodwood Hotel, not much cycling but plenty of photos to enjoy.....

Helmets in the pub....

On leaving the pub we split into two groups - one went back home the easy way - without any hills (obviously the reason being they had rather too many glasses of mulled wine!) and there was my group who took on Charlton Hill - well done to Mercy and Claire for their bravery!

Thanks to all the Belles who came out today - Elise, Claire, Angela, Sandra, Tizzie, Gill, Mercy, Nikki.

All the very best for 2012.

Christmas Eve ride

Great to see everyone this morning.....Elise, Claire, Mercy, Sandra, Nikki, Angela, Steph, Tizzie and welcome back Leyla!

We all decorated our bikes in a Christmas theme, Tizzie brought along her wonderful singing teddy.....

A new type of water bottle.....

The Jingle Belles......

With much enthusiasm from Tizzie, it didn't take her long to repair her flat tyre....

Steph's bike with pretty christmas tree on the handle bars....

From here we made our way to our cafe in Bosham where the tide was starting to come in....



A swan having one of our mince pies

On leaving Bosham we were all admiring this lovely apricot coloured cat sitting watching the world go by.......unfortunately Lelya turned around to look at the cat and.....

oops, over she goes......!!

She was fine. We then made our way towards Chidham for a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie at The Old House at Home pub - a place we'll have to visit again on another ride as we see they do cream teas!

Not much cycling today, but it was fun. We all cycled back to the start and said our goodbyes and Happy Christmases. Good to see everyone today.

Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to all Belles!!

Saturday, December 17 - Maratona ride

We met at 9am this morning, another cold yet sunny winter morning. Welcome new Belle - Alison, Elise, Mercy and Steph were also out.

We cycled up New Barn Lane towards the East Dean crossroads, turning right here when it suddenly started to sleet, which was not expected. Just further along this road approximately 6 deer shot across our path, looked like youngsters, rushing over into the woods. We carried on along towards Benges crossroads but unfortunately, Alison had a puncture on her back wheel. Within seconds Alison had the wheel off and busily found the culprit - which looked like a thorn - new tip for everyone....she always carries within her puncture kit a pair of tweezers which were perfect for pulling out the thorn.

We changed from cycling to Petworth, over to Midhurst and back via Cocking due to the wet and cold weather, instead we cycled our 'Heyshott route'. Good testing ride this and we all made it and were even encouraged on the Cocking hill by a 6 year old who was helping his dad clear part of side track on the hill.

Down into Cocking we then made for West Dean cafe, the weather had improved by this time and it was now dry and sunny again.

After mince pies, cake, tea and coffees we decided to go back home via the Centurion Way rather than up Charlton hill this week. We said goodbye to Steph and Alison at the Lavant point as they were going on towards Chichester. Mercy, Elise and myself carried on via Lavant and cut through Goodwood and back to the hotel.

Mileage - 32 miles - hilly and testing.
Speed - I gather Alison hit 34 mph going down Duncton hill!!

Good to see everyone today.