Eight riders were ready to leave the drome at 8.30 when Phillip G spotted a rogue inner tube protruding through the side wall of his back tyre.
Attempts to repair the side wall damage with some boot failed until a generous loan of a spare outer from one of the drivers and the use of a track pump remedied the problem and we were under away just before 9.00. Fortunately no other mechanical problems slowed our progress over Turners Hill, Sheffield Park, Isfield, through country lanes towards Alfriston and our final destination at Exceat on the Cuckmere river where refreshments were consumed. Mike O decided a photo stop on the narrow bridge outside Alfriston with a back drop of the South Downs was appropriate, our leader arranged everyone on the bridge to await the arrival of the official photographer who managed to take a long cut and avoid the bridge. A couple of telephone calls enabled us to meet up a few miles down the road but with no photo, hence the attached photo is of the survivors back at the drome. The return was helped by a tail wind for much of the way but hindered by an absence of road destination signs off the main roads ( narrow road is not very informative for cyclists!) towards Uckfield, over the Ashdown Forest, down the Wall and back to the drome for a total of 92 miles at an average of 15.5mph.