Sunday All day ride 7th June: Guildford, Horsham, Steyning

My wife noticed first, on Friday to be precise, and told me when she got back from teaching Bikeability on Friday morning and cycling over to Woking in the afternoon; there was something in the air. I answered with a rather non-committal “yes” as I had not had a chance to experience it. I was rather focused on the Sunday ride as the weather forecast was very good and I had had a lousy week. I needed to turn the pedals. I had even decided which bike to take out – my grin machine, or negative gravity machine as Peter Fennemore (spelling?) had once christened it.

Guildford is the best start for me – it’s the closest and I can cope with leaving the house just before 8:30. And I was not going to be late. In fact I was blowing away the cobwebs and didn’t realise Martin was chasing me down through Merrow. Arriving at Guildford there was Mark, resplendent in blue to match the chosen steed of the day. Finally Clive rolled in at just after 9:10 and seven of us set off. I missed the conversation as to what Peter had forgotten but as we were going within a few yards of his house he was going to divert and pick it up. Good of him to roll down the hill just to cycle up it.

A slightly unexpected right turn into Lawbrook Lane meant that Leith Hill was not on the route today. Instead, we had the pleasure of Radnor Road out of Peaslake, with a decent pause at the top. Mark had commented on the amount of gadgetry on my handlebars – a GPS/phone and a cycle computer for my powertap hub. The latter clearly did not like the climb and gave up and no amount of fiddling with it the top of Radnor Road could get it working again, so now I have to do the detective work and find out which battery has died. And great pity as I would love to see the stats on the ride. (More anon). The rest of the ride to Horsham was lovely – though Mark needed a little persuading – but the promise of meeting up with Don, apparently did the trick. Didn’t know you were such a gambler, Clive, but luckily for you Don  was there, as well as all the women and girls in pink doing the Race for Life. I hope they raised a lot of money.

Two turned back at Horsham, and the rest of carried on southwards. At Warninglid we had a slight indecision as to the turn so Martin climbed the two feet over the humpback bridge to the gates of “Lyndhurst” to ensure he did more climbing than the rest of us – until Clive decided we should all do it and Peter should take the picture. Then having decided we should take the turning, we retraced the 20 yards and headed down to Fulking

.Warniglid

So what was it take my wife had noticed? Well, there is something in the air and it affects drivers of certain prestige German cars, Range Rovers and a few others. I lost track of the number who overtook us on blind bends, just coming up to the brow of the hill, who used their horn for absolutely no reason, the many who did not acknowledge us when we stopped to let them through but the award of the day goes to the woman in a red car who just had to squeeze past us only to pull in to a car parking space about 50 yards further on. As if we were going to steal her space! The sun, UV or pollen just completely turns their brains to mush!

The road along the south side of Edburton Hill and Trueleigh Hill, from Fulking to Upper Beeding, is a delight as long as there is no headwind – which there was not. But one lone cyclist nipped past and didn’t say hello. Paul commented on my restraint at not latching on to his wheel. But my mind was on more pressing things – lunch, taken at the Café in Cobblestone Walk. A charming place, very friendly, but mind your head.

The need to get to a tea stop meant that we set off at around 2:30 hoping to cut through Wiston House but a closed gate, camera system and warning sign made us turn back and head up the Horsham Road and past Wiston. A little before Adversane three cyclists overtook us – without saying hello. Their leader was small man, his bike had a rack and a pannier and he was pedalling 19 to the dozen. His companions were larger in stature, one was wearing that dreadful Heinz beans jersey. We let them go and I thought no more of it. But on the B2133 we slowly reeled them in and then Clive was on their wheel and I was on Clive’s. That gentle incline around Streel Farm seemed to be troubling them and as I seem to be getting a reputation for accelerating uphill I just put my foot down and apparently left them standing – the joys of a negative gravity machine. The GPS trace shows me hitting a ridiculous speed. I slowed for the left turn to Wisborough Green to let the group catch up but Peter said that we had to get to the café first as he was fed up of finding the item he wanted had run out. Full steam ahead all the way to the café and we arrived at 4:02. The café closes at 5pm in the summer (Kirdford at 4pm so we would never have made that.) Never was a cup of tea so needed. Of course the three turned right at the junction so our efforts were not needed but it was the talking point during our break.

On the green a cricket match was in progress and as we set off the batsman was clearly intent on slogging everything.   He pulled one to mid-wicket and it crashed into a car and off across the road just a few yards in front of me. Time to move out, I do not like being a target. The rest of the journey was uneventful and one by one my companions peeled off for home as I made my way to W Horsley and completed my second hundred of the year. When I got home I said to Alli, “ There is something in the air – the car drivers…….” “I told you so,” was the response.

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Fleet Cycling – Magna Carta

Message from Fleet Cycling:

This coming Sunday, 7th June, we have a special ride planned.
We are cycling from Odiham to Runnymede as part of the Odiham celebrations of the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta. This will be a club ride but is open to all CTC members as well as 10 guest riders.

The ride starts at 9:00am outside the George Hotel in Odiham High Street and stops at 9:30am in Fleet at the Hart Leisure Centre to pick up Fleet riders. Then onto coffee at Deepcut and lunch at Runnymede. The ride finishes in Fleet at Hart Leisure Centre – total of 70 miles

There are more details on our website – where you will find details of the route out and back as well as contact details for the ride leader, Ken Crookes. It is possible to download ‘gpx’ files of the routes if you want to load them to your GPS.

IMG_0343Also on the website is a Guest Rider Form which should be handed to Ken on the day.

BUT MORE! From Sean Hayden, Secretary of Reading CTC: –

“You may be interested to know we have our own ride to Runnymede the following Sunday 14th June led by John Lomas to meet the celebratory carnival and water procession. It’s a 40 miles at a leisurely pace departing 10:am from Dinton Pastures (between Reading and Wokingham)  and returning there for those parking cars. I have copied our ride leader so he is aware that we are not the only cycle club with a local interest in the subject.”

More at http://www.readingctc.co.uk/rides/

Best wishes

Colin Waters,
Secretary
01252 677909
07703 305745

 

Danebury 150

One of the reasons  I go on the Sunday ride (and there are others such as just enjoying being on the bike and the companionship) is to get over the stresses of the week.  So having to decide whether I was going to go on the Danebury 150 given the weather foreast, which bike to ride and what to wear doesn’t reduce the stress.  And having faffed for too long and driven in the car along the roads I would have ridden – rather than going the car-friendly route – and struggling to find a parking spot I was late. Everyone had set off.    Huge thanks to Nick for registering me at top speed and ringing Peter to say I was chasing behind.  I should catch up at Whitchurch.  No idea why the usual 10min-grace-period-for-a-puncture-on-route delay to the start was not observed.  But anyway I set off in haste and hoped the weather would improve.

Luckily for me, Peter Clive, Ann, Chris and Alan dawdled and stopped for a dropped chain and I caught up with them before Farnham – which significantly improved my mood as I was not sure that I would make Whitchurch on my own if it got any wetter .  But having pushed hard I was now getting cold.  An unfortunate puncture for Alan meant I had time to put on a an extra layer which did the trick.  And as the rain increased I deployed my rainlegs whilst wondering when I became a fully paid up masochist.  Rainlegs are great – they keep an important part of you dry and warm – the downside is the stick that you get from some of your companions – which happened at Whitchurch.  Great cake though – which tasted even better as the rain start to pour down outside.  Our coffee break might have been extended a little bit.

Finally braving the great outdoors once again we set off for Danebury and the weather steadily improved.  The ride was uneventful and taken at a steady pace, held back a bit by the wind.  Danebury was marked by the taking of a photo and a selfie. The less said about both the better.  Lunch in Stockbridge and the food got my internal combustion engine going and warmed me right through.  On to  New Alresford through beautiful countryside and past innumerable thatched cottages that look amazing from the outside but I imagine them to be dark inside and the regular re-thatching a financial millstone.  But what lovely villages and hamlets to live if you want to get away from the city.  The sun came out and it was a lovely ride.  On to new  Alresford and we arrived at the station just as the station master was walking away with his stamp.  Not to worry, tea and cake were waiting.

The final push back to Elstead felt like the end of a long ride and the temperature was beginning to drop.  The new pennant was a welcome sight as we rolled back in the Elstead.  Even more welcome was the tea and food –  huge thanks to Nick and Marion for such a wonderful spread full of treats that really hit the spot. Great end to a great ride.

West Surrey CTC Audax events – 31 May 2015

Audax flagOur new feather flag flies outside the Elstead Village Hall on Sunday 31st May for the three Audax events organised by Nick and Marion Davison, Peter Hackman and Bob McLeod.

We opened the Elstead Village Hall control at 0645 in steady rain and strong winds. Despite the bad weather, forty six riders on the Stonehenge 200k, Danebury 150k and Elstead 100k braved the elements as they headed out to Whitchurch and were rewarded with sunshine and tail winds in the afternoon as they headed back from Alresford.

The last two riders finished at 9.15pm just as it was getting dark. We had some impressive riders taking part: two riders on the 200k are due to take part in the PBP in August and another two were training for a race from Belgium to Turkey this summer.

Sunday 31 May Audax events

On Sunday 31st May our club is organising three audax events from Elstead village hall: the Stonehenge 200k, the Danebury 150k and the Elstead 100k. See the Audax UK website for more details. Entries are accepted on the day.

Thanks and regards,

Nick