On Tuesday we did a ride from Lake Vyrnwy …
… visiting Pistyll Rhaeadr.
Then on Wednesday we explored the twisty, hilly lanes heading for Caersws.
We’ve been quite lucky with the weather so far.
On Saturday we cycled along the Montgomeryshire Canal and visited both Welshpool and Newtown.
Sunday was a grey day with quite a few showers around; not good for photographs. We visited Montgomery with its castle, the town of Bishop’s Castle, and cycled to the top of the road that crosses the Stiperstones ridge, at which point we saw a large grey cloud heading our way and ran for home. That was the one shower that got us, and we only had our waterproofs on for half an hour.
On Monday we rode to Llanfair Caereinion and then meandered around the hills between Welshpool and Lake Vyrnwy.
Train-assisted rides are great for getting outside your normal orbit, but surely not as far as Canada!
Helen led a group from Haslemere station via Linchmere, Redford and Iping to Aylings Garden Centre at Trotton, where a fair few West Surrey CTC members were easily outnumbered by Portsmouth CTC.
Near Redford
Many, sunny, twisty miles later (on wings of speed?) we arrived here:
Louise – “Great to be so close to home!”
“Great to visit exotic places”
Is there any truth in the rumour that we left one small piece of black PVC tape stuck to the signpost?
At the foot of the South Downs
From Quebec more twists and turns heading east at the foot of the South Downs took us to Cocking, where an excellent, though not cheap, lunch was provided by the Bluebell Inn. Then a few more such lanes before turning north through Selham and Lodsworth to Gospel Green. Some returned to Haslemere while others accepted Helen’s invitation to tea with hot cross buns at her home by Witley Station, whence the rest returned home. It was uplifting to do something out of the ordinary on a day when the weather too was out of the ordinary.
This is just to let you know that West Surrey CTC is now a member of the Surrey Hills Society. We use their logo so it was considered appropriate that we joined, and doubly so since a good proportion of our rides take place in the lovely Surrey Hills.
Their letter of welcome is shown below. Should you wish to take part in any of the events they lay on, I am sure that you can. If you need to quote a membership number then, the number is 798/0.
Another superb day of gorgeous spring weather and a fine route from Guildford to coffee at Newdigate, then lunch at RSPB Wigginholt (otherwise known as Pulborough Brooks) before the ride home. Once the legs got going it was brilliant and the previous Wednesday’s ‘suffer-fest’ no doubt helped to firm the legs up for this 124km ride, taken at a slightly slower pace; and what a difference that makes! Thanks, Clive, for leading it and sorry we lost you for a while.
For a gpx of the route, see http://www.strava.com/activities/129889999
