10 - Viva Lewes

LEWES
WANDERERS
Riding on the chain gang
While cycling over Bo Peep on the
way to a Lewes Wanderers ‘chain
gang’ training session, I see a
waiting police car. A truck labelled
‘Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal’
pulls up, and two fatigue-clad men
step out. Of course, my journalistic
instincts kick in, and I, er, leave
without asking what’s going on. I
regret this on the way down the
hill, and decide to call the police
tomorrow to get the story.
I arrive at the Golden Cross Inn
a little after 6pm, and chat with
a friendly group of Wanderers,
including Rob Pelham. He explains
how the chain gang works. Wanderers
cycle in a line, with about a
wheel’s length between each rider.
The person in front absorbs most
of the wind, making it 20-30%
easier for the people behind.
To make it fair, members of the
gang swap positions regularly, Rob
says. When the person in front is
tired, they �ick their right elbow
out, as a signal (“it looks professional”).
The people behind then
overtake, in formation, and the �rst
rider joins back on the end.
We split into gangs of four and set
off on the seven-mile route. I join
the so-called ‘slow group’. Though
I exercise regularly, their pace still
has me out of breath within a few
hundred metres.
WWW.VI VA LEWES .CO M
WE TRY OUT
Photo: Unknown Wanderer
As I told the Wanderers before we started, my dad was worried I might
crash and cause a pile-up. Club chairman Chris Martin notices I’m
lagging behind a bit, and assumes I’m being cautious. He tells me not
to worry; it’s safe to get closer to the person in front. I try to explain:
“It’s kind of [gasp] hard to keep up [gasp] anyway”. Chris offers to
slow the guys down, but I don’t want to spoil their training session. I
somehow keep up, much to the displeasure of my legs and lungs, which
are threatening to go on strike.
Near the end of the �rst lap, Rob says it’s time to “use up whatever
we’ve got left in the tank”. He shoots off with another Wanderer, while
Chris and I hold a steadier pace. We regroup at the pub car park for a
quick rest.
Our chain gang is working fairly well, and the position-swapping
seems quite smooth. However, Chris says I’m wasting energy by slowing
down too much when I’m being overtaken. Rob suggests I should
change gear more often. The second lap feels easier, partly because I’m
following their advice, but also because I’m on a huge endorphin high.
We average about 20mph for the two laps. I do a more leisurely �nal
half-lap with Chris, who tells me about his recent 24-hour race. My
�fty-odd-minute workout, though enjoyable, is enough for me. I ride
home, exhausted.
I call the police newsdesk in the morning. Someone had seen an
unexploded shell; “not an unusual occurence by any means”. The shell
was empty. I hadn’t missed a big story. I also managed not to cause a
pile-up, so it was a pretty sucessful evening. Steve Ramsey
The Wanderers do a ‘club run’ every Sunday morning, and a range of
events and competitions throughout the year.
See www.leweswanderers.co.uk
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