Change of plan for ride on this Sunday 3 Nov

Three things to note:

1. 11s is still at Osterley Park, the Stables Cafe.
2. If you're not sure how to get to Osterley Park, I am happy to lead a bonus pre-ride from the Teddington gate of Bushy Park (at the end of the main road through the park), leaving at 09.45 sharp.
3. It's come to my attention that the nights are drawing in, something which I had not foreseen when I planned my ride.  So I've shortened the ride, giving you a better chance of getting home in the light.   We will go to a different Lido instead, before lunching at a local Bistro, The Good Yarn in Uxbridge.  Tea will now be at Walton on Thames, which I think will be more convenient for people to get home from.

I do hope you will be able to join us!

Not this one.

Sunday 27th October 2024

I arrived at The Coronation Hall (Surbiton) to find Dave, Niall, Diane, Sabina & Bernard at the lookout point with bikes in full view.

Over the next 25 minutes we were joined by Simon, Graham, Tony, Martina, Keith & Madeleine.

Ten set off leaving Niall (front brake issue) & Madeleine to do a recce (for a future ride B group?)

The recce........an almost essential part of leading these days, although back in the day we never bothered.

Taking a wrong turn or getting lost was all part of the fun...but some navigators were better than others.

Step forward Graham & Dave.

Most of the route knowledge pre-Garmin was from doing the same routes countless times until even the front wheel knows which way to turn.

Over the years my knowledge has dwindled & I too rely on a route planner & Garmin.

But as Graham quite rightly pointed out at lunch "it's not a route I would of chosen".

Indeed, even with my route plotted on a device, I still managed to overshoot a turning & required Dave to bail me out as I didn't have a clue of how to correct my mistake.

We passed Brooklands museum & the Concorde in the grounds.

Concorde Delta Golf never entered service & was used for training & spare parts but it was 50 years ago this year, when it took its maiden flight from Filton to Fairford & 20 years ago when it arrived at the museum in pieces to be restored.

Brooklands did bid for one of the seven BA Concordes after they were retired in 2003 but were unsuccessful.

Also on show, a Wellington Bomber that was recovered from Loch Ness in 1985, one of only two that remain from the 11,461 that were built.

Incident Report - Diane's rear derailleur cable breaks.

Three choices.

1. Carry on the ride with two gears - one high & one very high.

2. Ride to a bike shop.

3. Ride to a train station.

Or find a random stone & wedge it in the gear mech so that the chain is forced to a bigger rear cog.....hence easier to ride.

Thanks to Simon & his ingenuity, Diane was able to continue without further incident.

At lunch, Astelet café in Send, Dave left us but we were joined by Terry.

Keith was aware of a rear slow puncture in Ripley but after a quick pump we made our way to the new Wisley Bridge.

Due to open on 11th November 2024.

"A view through the lens" is a youtube channel that gives drone footage of the bridge & is updated frequently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e0zJgchGVk

Seven stopped for tea at Squires, Stoke D' Abernon.

Thank you to Simon for backmarking & everyone else for their company.

Happy Halloween!

Thanks also to Simon & Sabine for the photos.

Info re: Sunday 27th October

There is no secure parking outside W'spoons, Surbiton so we use the cycle racks/street furniture on the other side of the road.

18 miles to lunch.

In the afternoon, we check on progress at the new Wisley Bridge before its provisional opening date of Monday 11th November.

The new cycle sign is already in place:

9 miles to tea.

REMINDER: Sunset is at 16.42.

Hope you can join me.

Sunday 20th October - C&M vs Storm Ashley

The first named storm of the year coincided with our ride from Dorking to Leigh.   The weather forecast was dire: heavy rain and strong winds.   It was hard enough just getting to Dorking against the wind and in lashing rain, but six hardy adventurers either forgot to look at the forecast or else decided to brave the odds anyway.   We dripped and shivered in the air-conditioned cafe at Waitrose, drinking lashings of coffee and watching lashings of rain through the picture windows.   Repeated checking of the weather forecast didn't seem to improve things, but they did seem to predict a slight lessening of the torrent around 11.30.   David W left us to do his own thing while more coffees were called for, as we delayed our start time.  There were debates about whether Ranmore Common was becoming slightly visible through the rain.  Eventually we just had to go out and brave it.   After all, we were already wet - how much worse could it get?

Look cheerful!

Brian on the phone to the Met Office;
Ranmore Common in the background? 

In fact, it wasn't quite as bad as it looked - more steady rain than monsoon.   We had voted to shorten the route from my gorgeous 19 mile route via Partridge Lane and The Mount by as much as possible.   After about six miles we were a bit surprised to arrive in Leigh, and the rain had nearly stopped.   The Plough was warm and welcoming, and we spent an enjoyable hour discussing all and sundry, including many happy memories of our good friend Ian Appleton.  But alas, the rain had returned with a vengeance.   Weather apps were consulted and once again we decided to delay our departure with another coffee.   More chat, and eventually we left.   Hurray - the rain had stopped again, more or less, and we enjoyed a wind-assisted ride back to Leatherhead for tea.

Long lunch at The Plough

Thanks to all the hardy heroes who turned out today, for your company and stoicism in facing the elements, and thanks to Diane for back marking.   The ride was only about 17 miles from 11s to tea, but each mile was hard-earned.  Brian informed me that his average speed for the whole ride, including stops, was 4 mph, which may be a record of sorts.  Ten bonus house points (but no extra attendance points) for all!

Heroes  (photo: Andy)

Sunday 20 Oct info - Dorking to Leigh

The Dorking sinkhole

Sunday's ride will be as advertised on the rides list:   Dorking Waitrose to The Plough, Leigh. 

Two things to note about the ride:

1. Major roadworks in Dorking mean that West Street is closed between Station Road and North Street.  (if in doubt, look at Google Maps and choose the traffic view).   It's best to approach Waitrose from the east (through the town).  From Terry: "I suggest not turning right off A24 into Ashcombe Road but to continue further on A24 to next turning right Old London Road (just past ped lights, filling station at junction). This leads to the High Street."  Bike parking is available down the side of Waitrose, outside the cafe.
2. The route to lunch will be between 6-18 scenic miles depending on the weather forecast.    From there, it's about 10 miles back to Leatherhead for tea.

I hope you can join us.

Sunday 13th October 2024

I had my £1.56 ready............"£1.04 please".

One pound four?

Wetherspoons coffee guess the price game & I failed.

I handed over £1.05, & waited for that penny.

Who waits for a penny?

Well me at least......I make my pension work for me which I started contributing to on this very site way back in 1978.

Replacing the counter shop (who remembers that?) in London Road.

My career in food retail came to an abrupt end in the building next door.....but enough about that!

Incidently, Sainsburys opened the current store in the mid-nineties & Wetherspoons redeveloped the site as we see it today.

Brocks, the firework company had a factory close by too.

So to the ride & we said goodbye to Graham, & Diane who had more pressing duties back home...ironing, but also recovering from her (successful) ride to the coast with the Beginners the day before.

Read here: https://swlctcbeginners.blogspot.com/

Colin G & Sue B heeded my advice & also went their separate ways.

Because today we went in search of climbs.

The first, a right turn off the A22 that climbs to Kenley's airfield where we spent a few minutes reflecting on past lives lived but mostly lost.

Motorised aircraft are banned but the airfield is used by Ministry of Defence for glider training which we witnessed today.

Dave left us shortly after & we descended rapidly to cross the A22 & commence the second climb past Woldingham Golf Club.

Slines Oak Road rises to the Limpsfield Road & earns its single chevron on OS 187 (1 in 7 to 1 in 5).

An explainer:

The gear I was using had 28 teeth on the chainring (front) & 28 teeth on the rear sprocket (largest).

A gear ratio in inches of 27.

https://www.bikecalc.com/archives/gear-inches.html

The higher the gear ratio the harder it is to turn the pedals, conversely the lower the number, the easier it is.

Bernard who had to get off was geared much higher but didn't have the muscle strength to turn the pedals.

After lunch at Seasons café in Knights Garden Centre, Chelsham we took a short detour to enjoy the view.

If I had decent photo editing software, I could put these pics side by side to create a panoramic single shot.

Dobbies, Woodcote Green provided afternoon refreshment & free tea to holders of their Club Plus loyalty cards.

Fast forward to Monday morning, thanks to Bernard's help, I successfully had my first perculator coffee!

Thanks to my supporters today on the coldest October 13th for 22 years.

Info re Sunday 13th October

In a change to the published paper copy of the Sou'wester, lunch will be at Knights Garden Centre, Chelsham.

Tea will be at Dobbies Garden Centre or Oaks Park.

From W'spoons North Cheam, we'll ride in a south-easterly direction to Purley then climb up to Kenley airfield, where the runway & some buildings remain from it's use during the Battle of Britain (1940).

A further climb via Halliloo Valley road & Slines Oak road to lunch.

On the return, a short detour to a viewing point over the valley should provide a wonderful photo opp.

A distance of about 25 miles (11's to tea) but with some punchy climbs to warm you up on what's likely to be a cold day.

Hoping to see you.

Ride Report - Sunday 6 October

 

Today there was yet another very welcome large turnout of loyal members at elevenses at Staines!  Despite the dismal weather, no less than Martina, Niall, Simon, Tony, Pam, Madeleine, Andy, Ray, Graham, Diane, Ruth and Gemma (apologies if I have omitted anyone) joined me at Wetherspoons.   Gemma and Ray were both, I think making welcome returns to the fold after several months' away (but we're always pleased to see them) and Pam was on her first ride after being grounded for four weeks through injury!

Anyway, the general plan was to re-enact our rather eventful ride of 7th January.  We all duly set off (in the opposite direction from our destination, Windsor, obviously)!    Disappointingly (or perhaps not), wild horses did not this time block our passage across Shortwood Common, but the difficulties of getting all of us through the two kissing gates there convinced me that this time we wouldn't be attempting to traverse the causeway across the Staines reservoirs, and, in particular, the stile at the far end!

The rest of the ride was pretty tame compared with 7th January - not a single flooded road to negotiate, and no diversions due to closures!   We made it to the Cinnamon Cafe without incident, and the only 'event' on the way back to tea was the onset of drizzle!

Thanks to all for your company, and thanks to Diane for tirelessly back-marking throughout the ride!   Photo credits to Andy for the best picture!

Vermulens

A long time unused tea stop, had a coffee an donut this morning, and only £4

Tony..

Please Note - Plans for Sunday 6 October

We were planning to slip in an unscheduled, train-assisted ride led by Andy on Sunday, to get it in before winter began, but as it already has we're reverting to the ride originally planned, and the train-assisted ride will happen later!

So our ride on Sunday 6 October will actually be largely unchanged from the rides list (elevenses at Staines, lunch at Cinnamon Cafe, Windsor, tea at Shepperton) except that elevenses will be at our usual venue (The George) instead of Greggs as published.