Sou'westers Avenue Verte to Paris

 Ten fully refreshed and enthusiastic Sou'westers (Tim and Pat, Paul and Maggie, Helen, Christina, Steph, Madelaine, Pinky and Lillian) rolled off the ferry on Monday afternoon into glorious sunshine with the French countryside waiting to embrace them.  The closure of the blue metal bridge into Dieppe town meant a crowd of passengers off the ferry were waiting to file through the footbridge.  Our destination that evening was Forges les Eaux so we bypassed the town and cut through the side streets to the beginning of the route as it was running alongside the railway out of town.   Very soon we were passing lakes, cows, allotments, fields of flax not yet in flower and views across pleasant countryside scenes.  We made good progress on the wonderful surface, stopping for regular drinks.  Just before Neufchatel (our hoped for tea stop) we stopped for photos and to admire the chateau at Mesenieres, a welcome rest off the saddle with jellybabies on offer.  At Neufchatel we knew we d be too late for the creperie on the route so we diverted into town and found a bar one side of the road and a bakery the other.  Christina managed to take advantage of both facilities buying beautiful quiches and then joining us for tea/Ruby leffe at the bar.  The back room was cool and the adjoining toilet provided amusement as the lock didn't quite catch.  Only a few miles to Forges les Eaux the route becoming more interesting as it wound round and through woodland as it approached this pretty little spa town.  It was 8 pm and we d cycled 34 miles. 

Quick showers and out to eat massive plates of food at the local kebab cafe where we sat outside nattering and watching swallows/swifts (Maddie knew and now I ve forgotten which ones).  Helen and I accompanied Lillian back to her accomodation where she showed us round a beautiful period town house with high railings and curved stone steps each side of the impressive front door.  We watched a few bats fluttering at speed then returned to our less impressive but equally welcoming hotel du Colvert for a good night's sleep.

Sunday 23rd June - Bagshot

When the draft Rides List came around, I opted for the Ripley elevenses as I know a few routes through the Surrey lanes to the East. And yet....for some unknown reason Bagshot was calling to me. And so I devised a route to take us out West, but avoiding busy roads, travelling along (actually slightly up) the Basingstoke Canal to Deepcut, then North to be the other side of the M3 and A30 London Road and coming into Bagshot from the West. The ride was deemed to be "very scenic and exciting" - hopefully in a good way! 

Ripley is a hike for most people, and with a few packing or leaving for the Dieppe to Paris tour it was lovely to see twelve out for elevenses - Daves V and W, Simon, Geoff, Terry, Liz, Carolyn, Ann, Andy, Graham, Niall and myself. Quite a queue had formed at Pinnock's to order, but the food and drinks came out quickly enough if they had got your name down right and by 11 o'clock we were ready to go. 

Behind the smiles some are already plotting their escape

Carolyn, Geoff and Dave V were unable to join the ride, so we were down to 9, heading through Send and Mayford to join the Basingstoke Canal at Lock 14, except for Dave W who peeled off (but it was great to have him back with us) and Graham who had a different route to lunch in mind. We continued along the quiet canal paths (apart from the occasional group of mountain bikers gleefully hurtling in the opposite direction) until we got to Lock 28, where we crossed back over and carried on through some new housing in Mindenhurst. That was the first off road stretch done with no mishap and no real complaints, so all was going well. Terry departed - but I noticed later he had nevertheless completed a round trip of some 54 miles! 

Primarily a tree photo with coincidental cyclists

 

Heading up The Maultway would have been a bit dull so we took on the second stretch of off-road - a wide dirt track beside the barbed wire fence of the Bisley and Pirbright Ranges - where we had an excellent view of London in the far distance. All survived despite my diving onto the exit path too early - some followed, some looked surprised, but still none complained.

In my attempt to avoid the A30 and reassured by how game the group were, I had everyone cycle through a lovely wooded area on the edge of Swinley Forest and down a steep track behind Pennyhill Park Hotel - lunch was almost in sight and the following slight descent into Bagshot on tarmac got us there exactly on time.

The Kings Arms is a Hungry Horse pub and was ok, it has a large menu, a large garden and large chips, but did seem a bit tired and sticky in places. 

  

Atten-tion!

After lunch the 7 of us followed a much more obvious and undulating route through Windlesham, Longcross and Lyne, discovering a new café on the way (but closed on Sundays) and coming into Chertsey after the final bit of apparently-not-so-easy-to-find off-road by The Bourne. A short hop from there and we were at The Ferry Café in Shepperton, where Tony had come out to have tea with us. 

With thanks to Andy for back-marking, to Andy and Simon for the photos and to everyone for bringing their adventurous selves.

 

This Sunday - 23rd June to Bagshot

This Sunday's ride will take us from Pinnock's in Ripley along quiet leafy lanes, towpaths, cycle paths and dirt tracks to lunch at The Kings Arms in Bagshot after some 18 miles. I promise you scenic canals, panoramic views and at least one picturesque church as we travel. There is approx.2 miles of canal path which becomes stony in the second half, and three 1 mile sections of off road, all passed by me as being cyclable (parallel roads do exist as an alternative if anyone has a strong aversion - but you'll miss the promised views)!    

After lunch we'll use the quieter roads through Windlesham, Longcross and Lyne to sneak up on Chertsey and thereafter to tea (or ice cream) at The Ferry Café in Shepperton - approx. 13.5 miles. 

The pub has asked for a booking so please PM me by Friday evening if you will be lunching. They are a Hungry Horse pub - no need to pre-order but you can check the menu here. There is also the option of a Co-op just opposite.

Approx. 31.5 miles in total - route is here (opens in Komoot).

Hope you can join me! 

Diane         

Sunday 16th June 2024

With Summer Solstice a few days away

A chill in the air, I was on my way

Old Clunker full inside

Outside I sat, looking forward to the ride

Simon appeared, then Brian & Terry

Eric was the last, our small group set off

Logmore beckoned, up it we rode

We split at the top, au revoir mes amis

Down Tanhurst, cautious we were

On through Surrey, scenery a blur

Into Sussex & the Apple Tree café

Sunny & warm, we'd reached halfway

My watch said two, it was time to go

Northwards we went, our trio in flow

Brockham was busy, Cubs pouring tea

A fine job they did, I think you'd agree

Spotted today in Weare Street

 

This Sunday the 9th of June

11's at Windsor farm shop, lunch at Hurley lock cafe or the Rising Sun Hurley. Tea, TBD

Sunday 2 June - all the hills and more

Ahhh!   Summer riding, at last.   The magic ingredient that our rides have been mostly missing for so long.  It was warm, it was sunny, it was dry, there were light winds.  It was wonderful.

Summer.  The view from Peaslake Road

I had planned a ride with quite a few hills, attempting to visit a lot of hills using gentle slopes to get to them.  The advance publicity may have put off some people but a decent number turned out for elevenses at a surprisingly empty Queen Stage in Effingham.   We were pleased to be joined by new (to us) rider Eric - welcome Eric!  Terry and Niall were just riding to elevenses, and Graham rode with us to the summit of Combe Lane before departing to do his own thing.   David W was unable to join us due to a cold - get well soon David.

The Queen Stage

I very kindly, and accidentally, took a short cut after Shere so we missed out a mile or two through Farley Green and Winterfold, but still did all the climbing up Houndhouse Lane to Pitch Hill as our second summit after Green Dene & Combe Lane.   Down Pitch Hill and across on the very beautiful Peaslake Road to a picnic lunch at Peaslake.   It was crammed with cyclists!   Mostly mountain bikers - they were overflowing the bus stop, they were on the verges, they were in the pub.   It was great to see.   We eventually found a shady and sunny place for lunch in the churchyard, satisfying everyone's requirements.   Peaslake stores was doing a brisk trade in pasties, cheese straws, sandwiches, drinks, everything a hungry cyclist could want for.

Peaslake

Picnic spot at Peaslake Church

After lunch there were only two hills before Dorking: Holmbury Hill and Leith Hill, so we conquered those along gentle and not-so-gentle climbs, but with beautiful dappled sunlight through the woods to distract us, before zooming down to Dorking.   Terry had imparted a vital piece of information at elevenses:  Ranmore Church is doing Sunday teas starting today, every week until the end of August.   But Ranmore Church is up a hill, as was my planned bonus hill - Box Hill.   We all had tired legs by this stage, so by a process which was part democracy and part pot luck, we ended up at Ranmore, for some lovely cake, and tea with free refills.   On a sunny day, there was no better place to be.

Bonus hill

Tea at Ranmore church

The cake menu

A very enjoyable day out in great company.  Thank you to all who came along, to Andy for back marking,  to Terry for vital cake-related intelligence, and to Keith and Andy for photos.