From Brian Mackie

                                                              Brian Mackie

Hi, I wish I could still do your rides? At ninety it'the electric scooter now? I enjoy reading your reports! Brings back many memories of 1950s. All a little more spartan in those days! Then we used to assemble at Ridge road school for meetings. Sunday runs started from the Grenada Nth Cheam, then later Worcester Park was start to the day! Best wishes to you all! Brian Mackie. Now live in Swaffham Norfolk.

 

This was posted on Facebook.

Sunday 25th February 2024

This February has been pretty dismal (to say the least) with rainy and/or windy weather putting many off cycling, so with another unfavourable forecast it was nice to see 16 cyclists at The Vineries.

Ed, Dave V, Maureen & Graham went their separate ways leaving Bernard, Sabine, Keith, Diane, Christina, Carolyn, Lillian, Dave W, Terry, Dawn & Simon led by myself to a new lunch venue - Ruby's café just south of Beare Green.

A number of years ago C & M rides were graded to give new members an indication to the difficulty of the ride.

80% were "2" - flat or undulating, up to 50 miles, suitable for most.

20% were "1" - either hilly and/or 70 miles (or more).

Today would of been a "1" ........no question. 👀

Dappeled sunshine made the gradual climb to the top of Chapel Lane quite enjoyable even though some may of been thinking about the stinking great climb in a few miles time (I'd posted part of the route in a blog post.......to encourage or put people off ....I'm not sure which).

The effects of recent rain caused a split in the bunch with some wanting to avoid (the possibilty) of muddy conditions on NCN Route 22 between Dorking & Westcott...so Dave W kindly took the majority via tarmac whilst Keith, Sabine, Bernard, Dawn & Simon joined my "not too bad" route.

Some confusion where the routes meet but we were soon onto the "highlight" of the day, Logmore Lane.

Just a personal view but this is why I love cycling the hills of Surrey......it starts quite steeply past the church then levels out.....even goes downhill. 

Then boom.....back on the lowest gear.....but we all made it. 👏

A sense of an achievement.........whatever the age you are.

After a photo op at the top of a chilly Anstie Lane, downhill to Ruby.

Great refreshment place this (I would say that!) with orders served efficiently......one I'm bound to use again.

I hope it doesn't go the same way as Henfold lake (closed - seeking new tenants).

We left well nourished but by now light rain had started falling.

I suffered a collapse of the rear mudguard caused by a fallen branch on the run in to Leatherhead.

Tea (& biscuits) at Spoons.........yummy!

Steady rain was to end a great day in the saddle.

Only around 40 miles for me but thanks to Logmore....it felt like more.😀

Thanks as always to my supporters, my back markers & my photographers.

Please refer to March/April rides list for next week - 3rd March (11's Waitrose Dorking NOT W'Spoons L'head).

                                        

A right royal jaunt to Maidenhead - 18 Feb

It was almost like spring today for our ride to the deep west.   We missed the overnight downpours, waking to grey skies and wet roads, but this soon improved to a warm day with patches of sunshine and a few short showers.   A few of us met at Shepperton for a pre-ride to 11s at the Royal Farm Coffee Shop in Windsor.   In total there were nine of us, not bad for such a faraway start.   We split into two groups:  Tony, Pam and Liz took a more direct route while David, Andy, Diane, Christina, Steph and myself headed in a northerly loop towards Maidenhead.   We enjoyed some of the lovelier parts of Slough, namely Herschel Park, Salt Hill Park and the Godolphin recreation grounds, before a quick visit to Burnham Beeches, freshly washed and gleaming in the sunshine.   Then it was off to Maidenhead via Taplow and Boulter's Island, home of Richard Dimbleby for many years.  

Blossoming in Bray

Viewing the castle at Windsor

We arrived at almost exactly the same time as the other group and enjoyed lunch at sunny upstairs tables.  Then it was back by a fairly direct route, through Bray, Dorney (a special treat to ride across Dorney Common with a tail wind), Windsor and Runnymede, where I managed to find a rather muddy track for a hundred yards or so (sorry everyone!) before joining the newly-surfaced riverside path.   Just as we were contemplating whether to have tea at Egham or Shepperton, standing near the Runnymede Cafe, it started to rain, so the decision was made to stop there for tea instead.  Of course the rain stopped before we had sat down with our tea.   Pam was nearly home by then but she volunteered (sort of) to lead us to Chertsey via Thorpe.

All in all, a nice day out with a taste of warm days to come, in good company and rather lucky with the weather.   Thank you to all who came along, to Tony and Pam for leading parts of the ride, and to David W and Diane for back-marking.

Sunday 11th February 2024

The day dawned damp & murky, a typical February day but with the temperature the right side of 10°.

Seven riders met at Starbucks, Hooley, a satisfactory number I thought considering the impending "hilly" ride.

Pre-ride chat dwelt on amongst other things, the merits (or otherwise) of narrowboats & Steph & Caroline's forthcoming Majorca trip.

On leaving, we immediately began climbing Dean Lane, the obvious way going East to be followed by the fast decent of Hilltop Lane.

NCN route 21 took us past Mercers farm & lake, tricky in places after all the recent rain but it's a NATIONAL CYCLE ROUTE so must be okay?....right?

This stretch is graded as "reasonable to cycle at any time of year" with "the odd pot-hole or bumpy bit" (SCC cycle map 2014).

Although Sustrans come up with the concept, it's down to indivdual landowners to maintain the paths which are left to the elements.

A surface would be nice.

Coopers Hill Road took us south from Nutfield to the track going east through the Henshaw Farm estate....a new experience for some.

Outwood has a windmill, in fact a very old windmill. 

It was constructed during the Great Fire of London & the builders it is said, watched the fire glowing in the distance 25 miles away.

It was last used commercially in 1996 & is the oldest working windmill in the UK.

Grade 1 listed building & only £800,000 (June 2018).

The Castle at Wasps Green...or Outwood as Google would have us believe was better than I'd thought ticking many boxes.

Attentive waiter, good food (not a roast in sight), comfortable surroundings & special thanks to Caroline for picking up the drinks tab.

We were away by 1.30 & 3 more climbs, Outwood Lane, Markedge Lane & Holly Lane brought us to tea at Banstead.

A pleasant day's ride with some hills to exercise the legs in the expectation of longer rides as the days lengthen.

Thanks to all for your company & Dave & Simon for backmarking.

Ride Report - Sun 4 Feb 2024 (Addlestone & Woking)

 

Several members were out of the country today and unable to join us on the ride - rumours I was leading must have got about!   Who grassed?   Anyway, Simon, Diane, Tony, Martina, Niall, Pam, Liz, Christina, Steph, Graham, Carolyn & Vic (very nice to see him out and about) joined me for elevenses at the ever-popular Golden Cafe, and more than made up for absent friends.   All except Carolyn and Vic then joined the ride towards lunch at Woking.

It had not escaped my attention that a certain mid week cycling group had also lunched at Woking very recently so I tried to come up with a different route.   This was proved to be slightly over-ambitious of me given a slightly later departure from elevenses than planned, and a stiff headwind, and so at Knaphill we diverted to a more direct route to lunch.

We had a very convivial meal at Wetherspoons and the service, as ever there, was friendly and efficient.

After lunch I decided to lure the group into a false sense of security by setting off on our traditional route back through Sheerwater, then veering off to Weybridge via Brooklands.  I managed to get away with it this time but I doubt if the trick will work again!   Anyway we made it to tea at Walton Bridge long before the somewhat fickle serving-hatch shutters had closed and neatly avoided a return through Addlestone!

Thanks all for your company and thanks to Graham for back-marking and Simon for relieving him.

Competition Deadlines

For the photo competition please submit your photos by midnight this Sunday, 4th February. This will give the judges time to deliberate and reach their verdicts in time for the engraver to do his work before our prize-giving on 6th March.

See this link to the invitation for the rules and instructions on how to upload photos.

For the mileages league table please send me your 2023 mileage score by midnight on Sunday, 4th February. I will happily update the table with any scores sent to me after Sunday but you won't be considered as a contender for any of the shiny trophies.

For anyone who won a trophy or two last year please let me know if you will be bringing it/them to Cobham for me on Wednesday. Thank you to several people who have delivered theirs already.

Thank you

~ Tim C