What is an RRtY (Randonneur Round the Year)
RRtY
It is always harder to get out this time of the year what with the weather changes and the darker nights drawing in, so to help with motivation this month I've started the RRtY. This is a 200km+ Audax ride completed in one go in each of any 12 consecutive calendar months.
November being the first month. This would be my second attempt as I missed a month after a 4 month streak previously so thought this way I'd also knock off the Strava monthly Gran Fondo as well. You can choose any specific Audax permanent rides as seen on the Audax website or you can do a DIY route from your door step. I had decided to use the GTD due to the amount of rain we'd had recently and although none was forecast for the day I knew the roads would be mucky.
The Route
I had opted to head out of Sussex and into Kent and this meant battling the traffic out of Brighton and Lewes before the busier roads became quieter and a little less hectic. This was more my fault as leaving the house on a Friday at 8am I was always going to see some peak hour traffic. Note to self to head out slightly earlier next time. It was also much colder than the weather forecast had shown so I quickly became cold with all the stop/ starting. Choosing the right clothing at this time of the year is always a hard one to fathom out as you don't want to be too hot as well for an all day bike ride.
Heading East
Once out of Lewes I headed to Ringmer, onto the Broyle and over to Cross in Hand via Halland, Blackboys to Heathfield. I was now 1:40 in and settling in for a lumpy day on the bike. A slight rise in temperature when the sun appeared from behind the clouds was most welcome but I was still feeling it in the extremities. It was at this point I thought I'd need to pick up the pace just to keep warm.
Kent and Medway
As you get towards the Sussex Kent boarder it becomes apparent as you start to see Oast houses and between Hurst Green and Iden Green I caught site of my first one. An Oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning (drying) hops as part of the brewing process.
They can be found in most hop-growing (and former hop-growing) areas and are often good examples of vernacular architecture. Many redundant oasts have been converted into houses. The names oast and oast house are used interchangeably in Kent and Sussex.
Warming the hands
By the time I'd got to Tenterden, just over the Kent boarder at 80km and 3:35 hours in, I decided to grab a drink at a well known high street coffee branch. My fingers were so cold now that I was having to leave voice notes on WhatsApp as I couldn't type. The soya chai latte took too long and I was annoyed at myself for not stopping earlier in a smaller type of outlet but the drink and the Trillionaire shortcake hit the spot and motivated me to push on around the outskirts of the High Weald AONB and onto the back lanes of Kent.
Less travelled roads
I've done a fair bit of riding in and around Kent but these parts not so much. St Michaels, Sissinghurst and Goudhurst were pleasant enough and at Brenchley I saw this fine example with 4 points, not often seen with this amount. This one had nicely been converted into flats by the look of it. Stunning setting.
The noise
From Brenchley the route took in Colts Hill and then headed towards Pembury. It was here that I stopped to grab something to eat and drink at a garage but the main reason was because the chain was making such a noise. A wee bit annoying some might say! With the wet weather the night before I had stupidly not lubed the chain before the ride and the wet start and then onto crispy dry roads had taken any smoothness out of the chain. It sounded horrendous.
I knew I had to do something as I still had 85km to go so I purchased a small bottle of oil and gave the chain a splash. Not ideal but much better. I'd have to clean that off properly once home and lube properly. The roads were so mucky at this stage everything was just sticking to the bike. Thanks goodness for the Fend Offs.
Cycle path
I'd been riding the National Cycle Route 18 for a little bit now and this headed directly into Royal Tonbridge Wells and through the center. The road was very busy and I decided to stick to the cycle path running along side the main road. At 13.30 the vehicles were at a stand still for as far as I could see so this was the better option rather than weaving in and out of the cars and annoying stationary traffic. I think I would have been better on a gravel bike! Whilst the path was wide enough for bikes and pedestrians the amount of slippy leaves along the route made for extra concentration to stay upright and just bimble along.
Familiar roads
I now knew where I was and what route I was taking without having to follow the GPS. Past Pooh Corner in Hartfield and onto Forest Row where I stopped for another refill of the bottles and grab some food. The Styrkr subsistence I had used had run out and I wanted to make sure I was good before hitting the Ashdown Forest. Up and down the forest at the back of East Grinstead and down Legsheath Lane, the climb I did for an Everest in 2019 by Weir Wood reservoir, before passing Saint Hill Manor, the Church of Scientology made famous by Tom Cruise.
The finish is in sight
With 150km and 7 hours of riding done I was on the finish straight and just had to head south via Turners Hill, Handcross, Cowfold and onto my commute route which would see me going over Devils Dyke and back into Brighton. The external battery had kept my Garmin fully charged so I was pleased that I could just upload and relax and then spend the next half hour looking at Strava. I would upload the ride onto the Audax website for validation on the following Monday and hopefully tick off number #1 of #12. Just in case it hadn't recorded what it should have I've booked another 200km in for this weekend.