Sunday All-Day Riders ~ 14 August Ride

Some fabulous August weather saw a small group of us heading out to Lasham aerodrome for coffee, followed by lunch at The Good Life at Headbourne Worthy, near Winchester, and we even enjoyed yet more cake on the way home at Selbourne.

Is there really a better way to spend a mid-summer Sunday!

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

 Below is an image of the route we took. For further details of it, you can click on the following link:

https://www.strava.com/activities/677795716

Map of Route

WMW Group 3 Ride ~ 16 March 2016

What, no rain and no frost? It must be spring! It is and we all know what that means – cold easterly winds; and we were not to be disappointed. Nevertheless, it wasn’t too bad, and as the day wore on, it became sunnier, but not much warmer. Certainly more riders had crawled out of their burrows than on the past two or more rides and here they all are at the bus stop on Pirbright Green – well, the thees and fours anyway; the ones and twos were allowed another half hour in bed so we didn’t see them.

The threes quickly overtook the fours – Mr Murdoch was re-named Mr Puncture for the day, although they still somehow beat us to coffee in Odiham – must have taken a shorter route. The route is only glorious for the last section; unfortunately there are things called connurbations between Pirbright and Odiham and they have to be passed through: never mind, close your eyes and think of England (or the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, if you prefer – you see a lot of it!).

The coffee stop in Odiham, the ‘Next Door at the George’ – it looked like the Bel and the Dragon to me – with no fewer than two blue plaques on the outside, is a very pleasant place to take a mid-morning break; and it really was a mid-morning break today, since we had to cycle a lot further than usual to get to it. The place was buzzing; nevertheless, a large young man with a Scottish accent took our order before we even had time to sit down and make ourselves comfortable – now that’s service! I had a delicous cuppacino and toasted tea cake and still got change from a fiver – 30p!

After that we enjoyed a most enjoyable twelve or so miles south to Churt, along comparatively quiet country lanes – they are seldom very quiet in this part of the world. There were a few ups and downs but nothing that stopped the surge of energy being put into a multitude of cranks by the fourteen of us; oh yes, the Spring sap is beginning to rise!

Luncheon was taken at the Crossways in Churt, who told us they weren’t informed that we were coming; they didn’t seem unhappy though and served us quickly and efficiently, mainly with sandwiches. Neil and a.n.other bought baskets of chips and passed them round – how very civilized! And very good they were too! Thanks!

As always happens after lunch, it wasn’t long – well immediately on this occasion – that people start peeling off bound for home; this time Marion left first heading back to Haslemere, and not long after, once we had passed through Tilford, having done a stretch along the dreary Rushmoor straight at a speed of over 22mph, I noticed with surprise, we lost Ian and Brian who were headed for Godalming. I should have been with them but they had cycled to Pirbright and I hadn’t, so I had to see this ride through to the bitter end.

Once over the bridge at Tilford, I noticed that it’s uphill all the way to the top of the Hog’s Back, although we crossed opposite Tongham, so it didn’t involve a big climb at the end, but I, for one, was looking forward to something a bit flatter; and indeed the final stretches to Pirbright are thankfully fairly flat but we did have to fight the wind all the way.

Thanks, John, for the ride, the route, and for not getting upset with all the people who didn’t keep behind you all the time. Riders out today were: Marion Davison, John Child, Neil Eason, Brian East, Phil Gasson, Pete Hathaway, Russell Johnson, Alec MacKenzie, Ian Pickering, John Pletts, Keith Rickards, Keith Stainer, Chris Williamson and Mark Waters.

The route may be viewed below and if you want to see it in more detail, then click on this link: https://www.strava.com/activities/518600034

The Bicycle Icycle

Icycle 2016 (Medium)

Civilised start time for Goldalming and the promise(?) of croissant is an added bonus. Even the weather forecast had improved so no excuses – the ride is on. A warm welcome from Mark accompanied by tea and biscuits is forthcoming on arrival and some new faces – we are going to be joined by two Fleet cyclists. The regulars slowly arrive but it does take some serious prodding to get the second cuppa and to make the croissant appear requires feats of which I am barely capable at that time of Sunday morning – but I am rewarded for my efforts. Then the prodding is the other way – you lot should get going. Yes Mr Chairman – anything you say!

It should be noted that Clive is remodelling himself – he was early! Yup, I will repeat that just in case you missed it. Clive was early. Even Bob’s wife commented on it and she just came for the croissants (wise woman). Then Clive was telling our new friends that the Alderbrook Road climb was the easiest on the route. Not in my books it isn’t, it’s one of the worst. And when we got back he suggested that the two who hadn’t cycled with us had arrived back way before us. No chance – we went at a reasonable lick and only one solo cyclist overtook us and he didn’t like it when I caught up with him and overtook him on Leith Hill Road.

Who says lightening doesn’t strike twice? When we reached Rooks Hill, Steve of Fleet Cycles reported that his freehub was seriously playing up and he was very concerned. The pawls weren’t engaging properly. So he bailed out and headed for his car and home. Ann had the same problem the week before and had to bail out and get the train home from Farnham. Surrey roads taking their toll on our wheels? My front wheel bearings are beginning to make ominous noises. Anyone know if Mavic sealed hubs can be serviced easily?

The rest of the outbound journey was uneventful though bad memories at the top of Leith Hill – took it very carefully. At the control point the thought did occur to me that I should take a photograph of the notice board – actually that’s what a pair of walkers was doing – and then I would not need to go there again. But that would defeat the whole thing. The return leg was going very well too and Clive’s puncture on Thorncombe Street was amenable to a few pumpings up to get us back rather than an inner tube change. Mare Lane is a tough one – need serious gears for that one. The Sturmey Archer was not quite up that challenge but you must have amazing knees Paul to cope as well as you did.

4 hours and 5 mins after setting out we rang the doorbell only to be told we were early! Tea please and more biscuits. Only this year we did not demolish the whole tin. In fact we were almost in danger of sitting down and watching the whole of the England-Italy match in Rome in the 6 Nations. (Personally I find watching England too painful but I hear that they did very well this time).

For those of you who decided not to come because of the weather – you missed a really good ride and the weather was very kind to us. It was sunny and almost warm. It did cool down in the last hour and threaten rain but it held off and I was able to get home and wash the bike down and it still hadn’t rained.

The ride is through some of the loveliest parts of the Surrey Hills and along some roads with wonderful views which we don’t do at any other time but some of those roads do have some of the worst surfaces. But it could be glorious in summer. Mark says he is looking to extend the route to 100km. Yes please, let’s do in the summer and you will also have to find a new name for it. (Bicycle popsicle? No? Well that’s the other part of the challenge – a new name for a summer version.)

Now, if only the ride came with a complementary bike wash at the end as I still have the chain and cassette to do but my hands were so cold.

Snowdrops in Mud

And so it came to pass that he who hates the cold – your scribe no less – found on waking that it was not cold; plus he needed to ride because he hadn’t since those heady, warm pre-Xmas days (how memories of rain soaked rides fade!); plus, the ride began at Godalming Station – oh joy!

Present at Godalming were Clive, Nick, Martin and Heidi, and Chris B.

It wasn’t much of a day for photographs, but it turned out to be a great day for chatting – well I thought so anyway – so there was plenty of that. It must have been a good day for hills too, although Clive was somewhat co-erced into climbing the dreaded Bexley Hill, because there was no one present who wasn’t up for it – there definitely must have been something in the air today. By gum, what a grovel, but, oh, what sweet satisfaction on reaching the top! Coffee at Café Verdi never tasted better. To say Paul and Don looked better too would not be true, but it was good to meet up with them in Midhurst anyway!

We headed east to round Petworth by the south, then headed northwards via Little Bognor to climb Bedham Common (well done, Paul, on your fixie!) and so reach Wisborough Green for lunch at Luigi’s Old Mill Café.

The ride home took the usual lanes, with nothing of note to report about the ride generally other than the fact that Clive succeeded in getting a few suckers to muddy their feet in search of snowdrops. Yes, they were there in force and looked… well, just as snowdrops usually look: very nice, but perhaps not quite compensation enough for getting our shoes all covered in *&%$. A lovely day however – great route, great company and n’eer a shiver in sight.

For full details of the route: https://www.strava.com/activities/477501131

IMG_2364 (Medium)IMG_2366 (Medium)IMG_2361 (Medium)IMG_2358 (Medium)IMG_2359 (Medium)IMG_2363 (Medium)Map

 

WMW G3 Ride ~ Wednesday 23 December 2015

Following some very mixed conditions over previous days, the weather today was nothing short of spectacular for two days before Christmas: blue sky and as mild as Majorca. Your scribe joined everyone at the under new management Seale Coffee Shop, where some of us took our refreshments at a table outside, there being no room in the inn-side. (Note festive connotations!)

Our group, ably led by Pat, was taken to Shamley Green via Elstead, Thursday, Bowlhead Green, Witley, Hambledon, Vann Lane, Loxhill, Dunsfold and Cranleigh – a stupendous loop along familiar and much loved roads & lanes, with the bonus of a shortcut along a mostly tarmacked track between Vann Lane and Loxhill – sort of.

The Bricklayers Arms provided a decent sandwich for lunch after which the group dispersed homewards in various directions.

My ride was 63kms long with a height gain of 533 metres. Full details of the route here: https://www.strava.com/activities/455117853