Tour of the Hills August 2025 Report 

The 43^rd edition of TOTH Audax, and the Greensand ride that the club runs in parallel with it, took place on Sunday 10 August. As with last year, we had a warm and sunny day for the events.

The superb response we received again from the many who volunteered as checkpoint marshals and in the hall and kitchen ensured that the day was once again a great success for the club. 

TOTH Entries

We had just over 100 riders who signed up for TOTH including 3 on the day. As usual, about 20% failed to show up for the start (mostly without any explanation). Of the 82 starters, 65 made it back in times varying from an impressive 4 hours 54 mins to 7 hours 30mins – all well within the limit provided by Audax. The first rider back in the hall, Sean Kilroy, does his regular riding (and hill training?) near his home in Cambridge. The 17 who failed to complete the course provided the usual array of explanations – my personal favourite was the chap who said he didn’t realise it would be so hilly! 

Entry numbers were some 10% down on 2024, and the fact that this was the second successive year of decline is a bit of a concern. 100 entries is a nice manageable number and generates a healthy financial surplus for the club, but we do need to keep thinking about ways to sustain the numbers in future. The entry fee was held at £15 this year, which, at the cost of coffee and cake for two in Surrey these days, provides excellent value given the support we offer to the TOTH riders.

As well as a good contingent of Audax regulars, we attracted riders from many local clubs (Charlotteville, Ditton, Epsom, Godalming & Haslemere), but this year the biggest contingent by far was the 14 or so from Kingston Wheelers. Five regular WSCC riders entered the event. A further 17 had joined the now-traditional course check ride for the club G5 group on the previous Wednesday (though I could not help noticing that their numbers did thin out a bit on the approach to Barhatch!)

Unfortunately, there were a couple of medical emergencies this year. First, a rider from Woking CC took a tumble on her way to the Village Hall for the start of the Greensand ride. Second, one of the TOTH riders came off on a seemingly harmless stretch of road after the Whitedown Lane climb. Both unfortunately ended up in A&E and whilst the Greensand rider’s injuries proved less serious than initially feared, the TOTH rider suffered fractured ribs which will take a few weeks to heal. Neither accident involved other road users, but it highlights the need for us to continue to offer a clear safety briefing for riders on events such as this.

The accounts have not yet been finalised, but we should generate a good surplus for the club from this year’s event. Along with the success of the Elstead Audaxes run by Neil McIntyre and his team in June, the income from these rides continues to place the club in a healthy financial position, which is good news for all of us.

Greensand ride

We had more than 20 riders who signed up for the Greensand ride (“TOTH-lite”) this year, a 50km route that takes in a more manageable 700m of ascent. Once again it was nice to see a substantial group from Woking CC, organised and led by Kevin Hawken, and Angela also led a club G2 ride on the route. We could perhaps do more to promote this ride within the club in future, perhaps offering a choice of routes.

Event Publicity and Sales

We now have a pretty good idea of what combination of factors works to advertise the Tour of the Hills. It is an event that seems likely to continue to attract a good contingent of Audax die-hards, so the critical factor in maintaining or boosting numbers is encouraging cyclists from local clubs to the event. Some of these clubs actively promote TOTH to their members. We send details to our database of cycling clubs and cafes, and Alison Warren does a great job to follow this up with social media reminders. But given the number and diversity of WSCC members, I’m sure there’s untapped potential for using human contact with our friends and acquaintances in other cycle clubs to encourage them to bring a group along.

Volunteers

I say this every year, but we had a really wonderful response from club members to take on the many jobs required to get the event moving – a team of 25 or so all played a part and, as in prior years, the response was so good we even had the luxury of a few reserves.

Jill did a fantastic job managing the catering again this year. With shifts from the volunteers in the kitchen (Helen, Paula, Marion, Alison, Phil and Jessica) everything fell into place and we delivered the now-customary high standard of nutrition with a smile – much appreciated by the riders. 

Nick Moses once again coordinated the marshalling effort, with help out on the road from Ian, Martin C, Ben, Martin V, Nick F, Peter, Brendan, Roy, Penny, Ian, Liz, Anne and Clive on the 6 checkpoint desks, and Maggi volunteered once more for first checkpoint duties on Dunley Hill.  Many riders back in the hall commented on the cheery good luck messages they received, along with bananas and jelly baby supplies, from our volunteers. The steps we took to ensure more water supplies paid off this year too.

Back in the hall I also received valuable support in checking the riders in and out from Nick M, Nick F, Keith (who also took charge of on the day entries as well as the Greensand riders) and John Carolin. It was also good to see other club members who came by for a chat and a cuppa throughout the afternoon.

Rider feedback

One of the great joys of helping with TOTH is the fantastic positive feedback that our volunteers receive from the riders. Here’s a selection of the comments:

Just a quick thank you for yesterday.  An excellent route and an enjoyable day.  But I’d like to thank all the volunteers what a great job they did!

Big thanks to all your team for a well-organised ride on Sunday Derek, very much appreciated, we almost enjoyed it….(!) and well done in organising the good weather too…..

Just wanted to say a massive thank you today. It was brilliant. Obviously helped by the weather but the organisation was impeccable and catering just staggering. Please pass on a big thank you to all those that helped on the catering and all the check points, lots of encouragement all the way.

I’d love to go again next year and will try to get a bigger contingent from Angmering Cycling Club. 

I greatly appreciated all the unseen hard work by you and your team behind the scenes to make the event the huge success it was. I was really impressed with the caring attentions to detail throughout the end-to-end process.  Everyone was super friendly too which made for a special day out. Thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Ride was really good so thanks for organising. Will definitely do another one

Thank you to you and everyone at WSCC for a friendly, well organized and thoroughly enjoyable day out. You picked a perfect day!

Next year? – ALL CHANGE!

We have requested our booking for next year’s TOTH at Shere Village Hall on Sunday 9 August 2026, however this is provisional at the moment and may change.

Jill and I have been heavily involved in organising the TOTH and its catering since 2019, and even though we all had an unscheduled break in 2020 due to the COVID cancellation that year, we both feel that being in the lead roles for the five years since then is long enough. So next year the event will have a new team in charge.

John Carolin has stepped in to take on my role with the Audax admin and management of the riders, but the club still lacks a clear plan for who tales on responsibility for the catering. However, this gets resolved, Jill and I will be on hand to assist the new organisers and to ensure a smooth transition. We have set up the WSCC Events Committee which pools resources, energy and ideas across the club to make sure that both the TOTH and the Elstead Audaxes run successfully.

So if this is something that appeals to you, please let me, Jill or someone on the Committee know. It really is a rewarding experience to be involved in an event that generates so much goodwill and interest around the club and across the cycling community, so please don’t feel shy about stepping up to the challenge!

Derek

Record-breaking participation in a long-standing cycling tradition

On 8th June 2025, the Elstead Audax rides marked another memorable year, standing out in a series that has flourished for almost 50-year span. This year’s event was the most popular to date.

Established in 1978, the Elstead Audax rides have become a popular fixture on the cycling calendar, attracting both seasoned audaxers and newcomers. Over nearly five decades, the event has maintained its reputation for camaraderie, scenic routes, and a sense of tradition.

Riders can choose from three distinct courses, tailored to various experience levels and ambitions. All three routes ventured westward into the picturesque counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire, offering riders sweeping countryside vistas and glimpses of historic landmarks:

• The Nearly Stonehenge 200k – A challenging long-distance ride with over 2300m of climbing for those wanting a demanding experience
• The Danebury 150k – This mid-distance route provided an ideal blend of challenge and accessibility, with scenic lanes and sites of historical interest.
• The Overton 100k – A shorter yet rewarding journey, making the most of the region’s delightful scenery.

A total of 95 riders took part in 2025, a new event record. The Nearly Stonehenge was particularly popular with 40% more riders than the previous record from 2013; The Danebury also had more entrants than ever before.  This illustrates the continued rise in Audax cycling’s popularity and the enduring charm of the Elstead rides. 

Riders were welcomed at Elstead village hall, where refreshments were served before and after the event by members of the West Surrey Cycling Club. The village hall provided a friendly hub for participants to gather, share stories, and relax together.

Feedback was positive again this year.  One rider said: “A fabulous event. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”  And another: “A great event – well organised, great route, clear instructions and well looked after at start and finish.”

The date for 2026 is 7^th June.  Come and join us!

Orders for Club Kit

The Poll on Spond was successful, with more than enough interest expressed to meet the Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) of five required for the Supplier to accept a new order.  The Supplier now offers the facility of an online “club shop”, which will enable members to order directly, pay and have their kit delivered direct to their homes, thus being more convenient for members and greatly reducing the financial and handling logistics for the Committee. Depending on the individual order size, there may be a delivery charge of £5 – the Committee has decided that it will reimburse this subsequently to members (details of how to do this will be provided later).

The club shop for our bespoke kit has now opened and will remain open until 17 July 2025. The shop will then close, and provided the orders have met the MOQ’s, the supplier will move to production of the kit. This typically takes 45-60 days, but unfortunately we run into Italian summer shutdown, with the Alé factory being closed for all of August. Delivery of the kit will therefore not be before September.

As previously, there is a No Return policy on the kit so it is essential that members take every effort to try to get the right size when they order. There is a Sizing Guide Size (on p76 of this catalogue,) , but experience suggests members need a bigger size than they may think, particularly for the Short Sleeved top. The supplier says that the stretch fabric Short Sleeve top is designed to be worn skin-tight with no under-layers whereas the Long Sleeved top and Gilet would be expected to be a looser fit to accommodate under-layers. By far the best approach is to try on the tops that existing members already have.

There is also an issue regarding Male and Female versions. The Supplier offers Male and Female versions for all the tops (Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve and Gilet) and this choice will be available through the Club Shop. However, in previous years, whilst we have ordered separate versions for the Short Sleeved top, all the Gilets and Long Sleeved tops ordered (and therefore being worn by existing members) are the Male version. Therefore if Female members are planning to order Female versions of the Gilet/Long Sleeved top they need to bear in mind that the size they tried on from an existing member would have been a Male version.

The range of kit available to members is PRIME, and this can be seen from page 18 on the catalogue (see link above). The prices for the different tops are:

• PRIME Short Sleeve Jersey £49.68
• PRIME Long Sleeve Jersey £53.38
• PRIME Gilet with 3 pockets £59.95

Here are the details regarding the Club Shop:

Visit the Alé UK site https://alecyclingkit.co.uk/

Navigate to “Sign In” on the top right and either login to an existing account if you have one, or create an account.

Once Logged in – navigate to My Account, on the personal details section you will find a box to enter you club code which is:

873df4fcd0a81c0304328c0faf5ca929

After entering the code you’ll see a box like this:

There will be a new link on the top navigation bar between “Custom Kit” and “Mens” stating “My Club Shop” click on there and all the available kit will be there to purchase.

This is the desktop site view:

This is the mobile site view:

Following the successful Elstead Audaxes on 8 June, at which we attracted more than 100 riders thanks to the efforts of Neil McIntyre and the rest of the WSCC events team, it’s time to turn our attention to Tour of the Hills (TOTH) Audax.

As most of you know, TOTH is a 110km ride that takes in all of the main climbs in the Surrey hills, with around 2,300m of elevation. It takes place this year on Sunday 10 August, at Shere Village Hall. The event is open to all cyclists who are intrepid enough to take on the challenge, and we normally attract cyclists from across the country (and even beyond).

Entries have already started to come in and we are on track for a healthy number of participants. As well as being a very significant income source for the club, TOTH is also a very sociable occasion that brings a lot of club members together and creates excellent publicity and goodwill for the club each year.

Alongside TOTH, the club runs a gentler Tour of the Greensand ride on the same day and venue, which is also open to all comers. Further details of the Greensand ride, which normally attracts a good number of club riders from the G2 and G3 groups, will be posted on Spond nearer the time.

Entry for TOTH (the fee is £15) is via the Audax website

There are two main ways you can help:

• Volunteering for one of the roles on the day
• Assisting with publicity for the event

Please take a moment to read on and consider how you can help the club make the event a success.

Volunteers

TOTH cannot function without a small army of volunteers in the hall, and out on the course. Each year, we have had a fantastic response from club members who have taken on these roles, and our volunteers have also had a great time in the process. Since this year’s TOTH will be the 43rd edition, this is also a chance for you to become part of the club’s history!

Checkpoint Marshals

There are 6 separate checkpoints around the course, and we need at least two marshals at each one of these. Their job is to check the riders in and out, stamping their Audax cards and – most importantly – handing out jelly babies, water top-ups and encouragement.

We are also looking for someone to coordinate the marshals from the Village Hall. We have a well-drilled system for the checkpoint stations (and all the necessary equipment) so the requirements for this job are already well set out. Expert guidance is on hand for anyone who would like to give it a try for the first time!

Catering and in-hall support

Jill Ridyard is once again masterminding the catering in the village hall on the day, and will need some help both with preparing the food and drink in advance, and serving on the day. The catering is one of the main attractions of the event, and Jill will once again be managing the helpers by recruiting two shifts (morning and afternoon) to ease the load on anyone who steps forward.

There are also a few other jobs in the hall itself, including a volunteer to deal with on-the-day entries and checking in riders when they return to the hall at the end of the ride. We need a volunteer to coordinate entries for the Greensand ride too.

Please let me or Jill know if you would be available to assist on any of the above roles. To make this as simple as possible, we have set up a poll on the club’s Spond page that allows you to register your availability at the click of a button – or just get in touch direct or via your ride leader if that’s easier. It would be nice to see some of our newer members getting involved this year.

Publicity

We have already sent out emails to last year’s entrants and more than 30 cycle clubs and cafés throughout the South-East to let them know details of the event, and the Audax magazine and website also provide valuable publicity. But these mailshots can be rather hit-and-miss, and it would be really helpful if club members could use their own cycling contacts and local knowledge to ensure that we bring TOTH to the attention of potential entrants.

We are relying increasingly on social media to promote the event, this post includes the jpeg file which contains the poster we have used this year. A personal recommendation can speak far louder than an unsolicited email, so please feel free to post this on any Instagram/Facebook/website where we have a good chance to reach fellow cyclists who might be interested in signing up to ride TOTH.

Finally, there we have printed some TOTH business cards and posters that can be displayed in cycle-friendly cafés and other hot spots, so please get in touch or ask you ride leader if you would like to help in that way.

Thanks, in anticipation of your support!

Derek

The second of our new Saturday morning rides has been posted on Spond (7th June).  Please sign-up!

A relaxed and sociable G2/G3 pace which the leader will always adjust to suit the actual group of riders on the day.  A committee member will join each ride to help welcome guests and potential new members, and to encourage them to join and ride regularly with our club.  We also aim to ensure that these rides will be ones where women riders can always expect to have female company.