Blog posts

This upcoming exhibition needs to enthuse all the cyclists out there who may be surprised to know that Ripley was once the most famous place on the planet for cycling .

The exhibition is called RIPLEY – WORLD FAMOUS AS THE ‘MECCA FOR ALL GOOD CYCLISTS’. It traces the origin of the so called Ripley Road which was, in fact part of the Portsmouth Road between Ditton and Ripley. The cycling craze from 1870 -1900 which brought thousands of cyclists into Ripley and in particular to the Anchor Pub and the hospitality of the Dibble family. It features the memorials in Ripley church and the ‘spin offs’ of the craze such as the Anchor Visitor books, a Ripley board game featuring the Anchor. We are delighted that The Anchor are supporting the exhibition with a free draw for lunch for 2 in their restaurant. as the new village hall is being opened)

So please encourage your members to come along from the 8^th of June any Saturday morning  from 10-12 (the 22^nd might be worth avoiding as the new village hall is being opened)  – we can also open at other times by arrangement

Clare McCann -museum curator

Maggie’s have asked whether any members of WSCC would like to act as guides at their forthcoming charity cycling event.

The event is on Sunday 28 April 2024, with 3 different distances available. The roads will not be closed for this event, but all routes will be fully signposted. The event page can be accessed here: https://www.maggies.org/get-involved/find-event/surrey-cycle-challenge/

There are staggered start times depending on the distance: 8am (100 miles), 9am (50 miles) and 10am (28 miles). These are the routes:
28-mile route: Maggies 28 mile 2024 · Ride with GPS
50-mile route: Maggies 50 mile 2024 · Ride with GPS
100-mile route: Maggies 100 mile 2024 · Ride with GPS
They are looking for some cycling guides to join them on the day, similar to the role of a ride leader, to ensure participants have a great experience. Someone to be on hand to support participants should they have any issues and for the less experienced riders to have someone to follow and cycle with. They are looking to secure six guides, two per route (and they have already secured three). Last year there were 70+ participants. They are hoping for a few more this year, up to a maximum of 100. All participants and guides will receive lots of fuelling snacks on the day and a lunch stop at their centre in Sutton. They would also be more than happy to cover your travel expenses.

All proceeds raised from this event will go towards supporting Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden, allowing them to support people living with cancer, so they’d be very grateful for our help. More information about their work here: https://www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-royal-marsden/

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Claudia Sandu at claudia.sandu@maggies.org or on 07725 487 951.

On Sunday June 16^th 2024, the Overton 100k, Danebury 150k and the (nearly) Stonehenge 200k Audaxes will take place starting from Elstead Village Hall at 8.00, 8.30 and 9am respectively. These events are being run by our club so come and support us! Details are on the Audax UK website – enter now to guarantee your place.

Alison

Message from CyclingUK North Hampshire:

This year’s event will be on Saturday 23rd March.  The ride is organised in memory of Phil, a cyclist from West Surrey, who was killed by a lorry while cycling on the A3 in 2002.  Our aim is to raise funds for The Cyclists’ Defence Fund, a charity set up to fight legal cases involving cyclists but which now covers all aspects of cycling and the law.

The routes are the same as last year, and as usual there is a choice of either 50 or 30 miles starting from either 09:00am or 09:30am respectively, allowing more time for the longer route to be completed.  Medstead Village Hall will be open until 4pm.

This year is the 21st edition of this ride, and the 11th that we have organised.  After this year we intend to step back from running it, in the hope that some other club members will step forward to take it on.  To reduce the workload this year we’re introducing some changes around the receipt of donations.  Please don’t send any money now as we’re rejigging the handling of the contributions.  A second email will be sent out at the end of February with details on how to send your donation, along with an entry form.  As always, donations in advance are encouraged to help the smooth running of the event on the day, and for planning the catering.

There will be free tea and coffee before the event, and sandwiches and cakes are available for a small sum afterwards.  Pubs and cafes can be found on both routes.

We look forward to seeing you on the day!

Dan & Janice