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More Tales from 16 December

By Mark Waters on 4 January, 2016 / Blog posts

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.

Nick Higgin

By John Murdoch on 2 January, 2016 / latest news

Many of those who attended the New Year’s Day gathering yesterday (and there was a really good crowd I am pleased to say) will have known that there was an unfortunate incident on the ride from Mayford Green that day. There was a very low speed collision, but it resulted in Nick Higgin falling to the ground before he was able to unclip. He was taken to the Royal Surrey, where it was discovered that he had fractured his femur. They were able to operate the same day, and I am pleased to report that he is well and already looking forward to the time when he can be back on his bike. I am sure that we all wish him well for a speedy recovery.

My thanks to all those who helped at the scene, and particularly Roger Philo and Phil Hamilton, who have also visited Nick in hospital and have each been able to provide some first hand experience of what recovery entails as well, no doubt, as a great deal of empathy.

John

New Year’s Day

By John Murdoch on 31 December, 2015 / latest news

Just a reminder of the New Year’s Day arrangements for tomorrow; weather permitting, this can be our largest get together of the year, and is a great opportunity for riders from all the different groups to meet up. Even if you do not fancy riding, or are unable to do so, why not come along for coffee and a chat?

Groups will set off from both Mayford Green and Godalming (see the Rides Calendar), but if you go direct to coffee, plesae do not forget that we have a different meeting place this year, Squires Garden Centre at Badshot Lea (Seale Craft Centre is closed).

See you there (when I will also be pleased to accept bookings for the dinner on 5th March).

John

Sunday 20 December 2015 – the Lash-Down from Lasham Ride

By Mark Waters on 30 December, 2015 / Blog posts

Following the JW Epic / Christmas Lunch ride of last Sunday, out of which I funked owing to…. well, lots of things really (but not a sense of foreboding – I am no soothsayer sadly), a sense of duty urged me to turn up for today’s ride, not to mention the proximity of the start to my domicile.

Under lowering skies and temperatures more akin to Gaza than Godalming, we set off by climbing the dreaded Holloway Hill before joining what I call my regular training ride – I do it at least once every two years: Enton (Water Lane) – Witley (Church Lane) – over the A286, but not before managing to fall off grace à M. Hackman, but entirely my fault for being so close as to be half-wheeling him; then he slowed and swerved somewhat abruptly; that’ll teach me! Once over the 286 it was my favourite lane and track all the way to Hindhead.

We continued happily westwards through Grayshott and Headley to reach the Greedy Frog garden centre at Oakhanger for morning coffee and nibbles. This is quite a new stop for us and really quite pleasant – made even more so today because it rained whilst we were there – and stopped by the time we were back on the road. Another 20 or so miles brought us to Lasham aerodrome and a spot of lunch.

Once devoured we headed off once again homeward bound but those lowering skies finally decided that we no longer deserved to remain dry. From a few light spots as we left Lasham, the rain slowly but innocuously increased in that fashion which inclines one to refrain from stopping to don waterproof in the belief that it might just ease up. After all, I was wearing for the first time my new West Surrey club Gamex windproof so perhaps it was worth testing for ‘waterproof-osity’. And in fact it did very well indeed; however, such was the length of the ride home, not to mention the deluge that we rode through, that I doubt even my trusty old Freestyle Goretex would have kept the rain out. Thankfully the mildness of the day meant that it was almost impossible to get cold and so one reached home soaked but not frozen solid.

My ride from Godalming was a respectable 100.4kms with 986m of climbing; Julian’s from West Horsley was considerably more respectable! Details of the route may be found here: https://www.strava.com/activities/453478391