Mike Morley of CTC SW London has asked me to publicise this early-season warm-up event which is raising money for St. Raphael’s Hospice, North Cheam. Entry is £5 (at least) payable on the line which will all go to St. Raphael’s. Signing on is at Ryka’s cafe car park Burford Bridge/Box Hill from 9.30am Saturday morning with prompt start at 10am. Pre-entry will be helpful. For full information look at ‘Hilly 50K’ on their home page at www.cyclingswlondon.org.uk. This is a sporting, challenging, unsupported ride and few will complete it in under two hours. Now there’s a challenge! The event has been running for over 30 years and is a well tried route finishing at the Cafe on top of Box Hill by 2pm.
The Midweek Wayfarers Annual Lunch will take place tomorrow, and is always a well attended event, which enables all ride groups to get together, as well as those who, for one reason or another, are not currently riding. For the riders, the start will be at Ripley, followed by coffee at Polesden Lacey. Thereafter, the separate groups will make their different ways to lunch at The King William IV at West Horsley. In this way we should arrive at different times, which will no doubt help the pub with their catering; you can order food upon arrival, no pre-booking is required. Non riders may wish to arrive at the pub between about 12.30 and 1.30 and enjoy a purely social occasion.
The weather looks as though it should be pretty good tomorrow, although rather chilly, so wrap up warm and I hope to see you there.
John
letter from Dan Montgomerie:
I would like to let you know about this year’s Phil Hampton Memorial Ride since you may have ridden this event in the past. This will be the fourteenth consecutive year we have organised this ride to commemorate the life of Phil Hampton, who was tragically killed while cycling in 2002
This year it is on Saturday 19th March 2016, starting at 10am from Medstead Village Hall (grid reference SU659369). As usual, all funds raised by the event will be sent to the charity The Cyclists’ Defence Fund which works to raise awareness of the law relating to cycling.
There is a choice of 30 or 50 miles, and the routes are the same as last year. There will be refreshments available at the start and finish. Please see the attached entry form for more details, including how to enter. Information about entering is also on the North Hampshire CTC website www.nhampshirectc.org.uk. Pre-entries would be much appreciated so we may better estimate numbers for catering.
Regards,
Dan Montgomerie
Bob Mcleod writes….
I’m feeling a little guilty about abandoning the group 3 ride today. It looks as though I only started riding with them so that I could enjoy last week’s excellent Christmas dinner at the Scarlet Arms. Not true. Neither was it just because Pat was leading dressed up as a reindeer.
The truth is very simple. I was enticed by the offer of Apple Crumble at the Crossways Inn at Churt, plus the added inducement of being towed home, almost to my door, by that excellent leader John Murdoch. (This is not to assume that there are not equally good leaders with group 3 but so far they have never offered their rear wheel and towed me home.)
As to the photo. I shot ahead, being familiar with the opportunities this ford on the road past Little Frensham offers for a sometimes dramatic picture. It can be a very tricky crossing, as many of you, including our leader, know. Often riders dismount to take the bridge in order to stay dry, only to be thrown into the stream having slipped on the greasy planking. Sadly no such incident occurred today. Another common incident is for a rider to run out of speed having removed his feet from the pedals and then not being quite able to clear the stream, dismounts into the water. This happened to one unnamed individual today but due to my ineptitude I had failed to get the camera ready in time.
I offer my apologies for the photo of Don looking triumphant having foiled my attempt at getting an interesting action shot.
