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.