Report for the Beginners All Day Ride to Worthing, Saturday13 June

From Alan

It was a beautifully bright day with a clear blue sky, as a total of 9 riders left Nonsuch Mansion on the Beginners All-Day Ride to Worthing, to follow a scenic and undulating 60-mile route to the coast.

The riders followed a beautiful route riding through quiet lanes and villages with good views and around 2,000 ft. of elevation.

Eight riders were riding to the coast with one rider going to Tanhouse Farm.

The route followed some familiar roads around East Ewell, over Epsom Downs and through Tadworth to Walton on the Hill. We then descended Pebble Hill and rode through the quiet roads of Betchworth, Brockham, Strood Green and Newdigate before stopping at Tanhouse Farm shop for tea.

Tanhouse Farm is popular with club cyclists and there were around 30 cyclists getting coffee when we arrived. It was difficult getting a seat!

leaving Tanhouse farm

After coffee, Stuart left us to ride back home and the remainder of the group enjoyed an undulating ride with a mixture of open views of the countryside and quiet tree-lined roads through Littlehaven, Copsale, and Maplehurst to Partridge Green.

John punctured twice around Copsale and Maplehurst but was soon riding again after replacement innertubes got him going.

Lunch was at the Partridge Pub where both groups met briefly for lunch.

After lunch we rode through Ashurst, Steyning and Botolphs, passing the “Cadence Clubhouse” Café on the way. The café offers a choice of cycling-themed toasties including: “The Manx Missile”, “Wiggo”, “The Vos” and “Lizzie D”. A potential lunch-stop for next year perhaps.

We stayed on the road at St. Botolphs’ Church, rather than following the South Downs Way through Old Shoreham on the gravel track beside the River Adur. This gave us a different view of the river and some good views across the countryside before we crossed the river over the Shoreham Tollbridge. We stopped to take a photo at the Air Show Memorial of eleven steel arches honouring those who lost their lives when a Hawker Hunter jet crashed during an Air Show in 2015.

the Air Show memorial

nearly at Shoreham

We then rode to Shoreham beside the remainder of the River Adur.

John visited the bike shop in Shoreham to get his back wheel checked. As we waited, Paul found the bargain of the day – a Cycling Top reduced to £10 in the sale!

We then rode over the Adur Ferry Bridge in Shoreham Town – a modern glass-sided pedestrian/cyclist bridge which is part of the National Cycling Route 2 and connects the High Street to Shoreham Beach with good views of the river.

We then followed the Beach Road, on a separated cycle path beside the sea, towards Worthing; stopping for a welcome cup of tea at a café on the beach. A chance to watch the waves and have a chat. After tea, we rode into the wind, along the coast to Worthing Pier and then through the Town Centre to the station for the train home to East Croydon.

at the seaside

A short ride through Croydon Town centre and along the Wandle Trail to Beddington Park completed the ride. We had a short chat to reflect on the day before we split to go our separate ways home.

Thanks to Paul, Justine, Kasumi, John, Brenda, Caroline and Stuart for their company and making it a very enjoyable day. Thanks also to Steph for sub-leading and for checking the route. Thanks also to each of the riders who acted as back-markers during the ride.

A total of around 60 miles covered (almost 100 kilometres) on some beautifully quiet roads with some challenging gradients and over 2,096 ft. of elevation! A memorable ride.

Invitation to the Beginners All-Day Ride to Worthing on Saturday 13th June

 

From Alan

You are invited to join the All-Day Beginners Ride to Worthing on Saturday 13^th June.

The ride will go from Nonsuch Park to Worthing via Epsom Downs, Newdigate, Partridge Green and Shoreham. The return journey will be by train from Worthing to East Croydon and we will ride from East Croydon to Nonsuch Park to finish the day.

The route is around 100 kilometres (62 miles) in length, which includes the ride from East Croydon to Nonsuch Park. The ride will start at 9.00 and return around 6.00pm.

The route is an undulating route with two hills plus a short gravel section with loose stones between Steyning and Shoreham-by-Sea. We will take the cycle path along the coast from Shoreham to Worthing to complete the ride.

The morning break will be at the Tanhurst Farm Café, Newdigate (17 miles); and lunch will be at the Partridge Pub in Partridge Green (35 miles). We will stop for tea/ice cream beside the sea at Worthing at the end of the ride, before getting the train back to East Croydon.

If you would like to join the ride please register by Friday 12^th June at 12 noon. The pub can then be informed how many people will be coming.

Let them eat cake; Nonsuch short ride 30 May

By Roger

We were pleased to have Adolfo and Marisol join us at the Mansion for the short ride to the Wandle. We followed the usual route through Sutton and successfully negotiated our way through the roadworks at the back of the bus garage in Bushy Road. The climb up to Greenshaw school and Rosehill Park made the five of us on electric bikes glad of the assistance and a stop for a drink was necessary for all in the heat.

The Wandle trail was lovely with dappled shadows on the path, the river looking clean and rippling along and best of all – no flies!

At Carshalton we entered the park and made our way to “Spilt Milk” only to see that Colin had beat us to it and was enjoying coffee and cake in the sun.

The cakes were up to their usual standard as was the warm welcome from the staff and it took some persuading to get back on the bike again. Paul and Frank were seduced by the cakes and decided to continue soaking up the sun, over a coffee and Colin elected to make his own way home.

Mick, Adolfo, Marisol, Anna, and Roger set off to tackle the foothills of the Surrey alps – otherwise known as Hill Street and Harrow Road, heading ultimately for Mulgrave Road and Cheam. Adolfo and Marisol realised we would ride past their door, so we ended the ride there and Mick made his own way home. We covered 14 miles door to door using just 12% battery.

It was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

A Muttley crew along the moat to the Old Moat; Nonsuch short ride 23 May

 

After weeks of unseasonal cold we all found ourselves in the middle of a mini-heatwave. Sixteen of us gathered at the Mansion on Saturday and though we were missing one or two regulars, we were blessed with some welcome friends who don't come every week.  It was seventeen if you include Tim, who was there to pick up an engraved trophy and who took the photos.

Because some of us were going out we were keeping to the short ride plan for Horton while the longer ride went to Garsons Farm.  I expected most would want to go further on such a day but I guess people thought it was a bit too hot, so nine of us joined in Tony's magical mystery tour to Horton by a different route.

So off we set in the wrong direction through Stoneleigh, and he took us along the Hogsmill River through Bonesgate Open Space and through the tree tunnel to Horton Country Park along lesser known gravelly routes with skiddy inclines and narrow gates.  I think he was celebrating leaving his heavy electric bike at home and riding on his pushbike.  I might have caught the odd Muttley impersonation from those who were on their electric machines, but as we were struggling at one gate/step/steep slope we let through a young man pedalling a combination with a basket containing two children, so the route was clearly going to be passable.  And when we got to sit (indoors, the only outdoor tables remaining were unshaded) there seemed to be general agreement that it was a lovely green route for such a scorching early summer's day.

Tea at the Old Moat (the targetting software had missed the Chapel, where we thought we were going).

I led us back to Nonsuch by the usual return route and that was it. 

Thanks, Tony, for making a short ride so interesting.  And to everyone else for the company.

 

Old Friends; Beddington Saturday riders to Merton Abbey Mills

A beautiful sunny morning suddenly turned to threatening grey in the minutes before our meeting.  Was it an omen?  

Far from it.  For various reasons I had not ridden with Saturday riders for a while, and Maggie was back, testing her shoulder for the first time in what seems ages on a full ride.  And she had the idea that we could meet up with the Nonsuch Saturday riders, who were scheduled to go to Merton Abbey Mills.  Needing a short ride, darkening skies and meeting everybody; a treble whammy of the best sort.

It was just the old faithfuls today, me and Maggie, Ken, Anna and Roger, and apart from Roger doing his level best to end up under a tram, it was a really enjoyable ride.  Nobody wanted to dawdle because of the cold, brisk wind, so we got on with it.  There was a fair on Figges Marsh, typically English, roundabouts and sidestalls garish in the cheap lighting, fairground music blaring out, hardly anybody there on a freezing cold day.  But soon enough we were rounding the curve to the William Morris factory and homing in on M.E.D, where it was full inside and sheltered just enough outside that we could sit there.

And, aligning perfectly with Maggie's cunning plan, along came Carolyn and the short ride riders fron Nonsuch.  Lots of old friends now.

....sat on the MED bench like bookends.

Home south on the Wandle Trail and the rain, which had held off all day, came about half an hour after we had got indoors (via another tea stop, at the Pavilion Cafe in Beddington Park).

Old friends, Maggie's shoulder tested, kept dry, had a good ride, two tea stops, Roger survived to tell the tale.  Can you envisage a better Saturday?  Thanks everyone for the company, and Anna for taking up the role as back marker.  

All Day Ride to Egham, Saturday 9 May

A Grand Day Out

From Roger

Stiff legs and uncertain knees confirmed the next morning that it had been a good ride.

We had chosen a lovely day to make our way to Egham when eleven of us set off from the Mansion.

We split into two groups a few minutes apart making the usual way Ditton and on through to the rear of Sandown Park where it made commonsense to let Paul G, Ann and Alice ride on ahead lead by Karen as they were so much quicker on their road bikes.

I was on my trusty Anytour electric and Ken, Helen and Anna were on electric bikes too. Sue on her conventional bike had no problem keeping up with us.

It was tempting to sit all day in the courtyard of the Barn theatre café at the Walton coffee break and we savoured the ten or fifteen minutes extra time in the sun while Karen and her crew toiled on ahead of us. Walton to Chertsey bridge was uneventful except for the Bee Line navigation to sometimes decide to switch off or to issue directions just a hint too late.

At Chertsey bridge we began a delightful ride alongside the river, just us, the sun and the Thames – the Thames path was as lumpy as ever but had few walkers and everywhere the gardens were in bloom and even the Swans looked freshly scrubbed and polished.

Staines was the usual conundrum of busy town centre roads and fast traffic and the problem of ascertaining how we could safely get onto the cycle track back over the bridge without threading through pedestrians. We tried crossing the traffic by stopping it (which was surprisingly easy and effective) and once on the correct side of the road, we soon found the cycle track.

All day we had to deal with road works and closed carriageways, but they saved the best until last when they dug up the pavement and carriageway under the bridge leading to Egham town centre and the high street. We did in the end find a way past and though the barriers and blocked off lanes and safely made our way through, to the usual warm welcome at The Crown.

As previously, they were very bike friendly, letting us bring the bikes through the bar so we could keep an eye on them as we sat in the rear garden. The service was good and the burgers overstuffed and of the dimensions you could only eat in the company of friends.

Again, the temptation was to just stay, replete in the sun in the back garden enjoying the company.

We gave Karen a head start and were soon following Bee Line towards Lyne and Shepperton and even negotiating Chertsey town centre avoiding the impromptu tour of housing and industrial estates Bee Line had directed us to in the recce trips.

This time the unrelenting head wind we had experienced as we checked out the route the week before, had relented into a refreshing breeze that allowed us to revel in the countryside as we made our way up the long gently rising gradients and the short sharp pulls where the road crossed and then recrossed the motorway and we could relax and enjoy the downhill.

We easily found the almost hidden turning to the splendidly named Dockett Eddy Lane and on again to the Thames path, lined this time with six figure bungalows with gardens in full bloom and a wonderful view of the river, complete with a handy place to park the motor cruiser.

At the ferry café by Shepperton lock the whole group were reunited and over coffee and cake, Sue announced it was her birthday. This brought forth a ragged rendition of “Happy Birthday to you” – and most of us knew all the words. A large slice of cake with a candle appeared which was ceremonially lit and extinguished and the cake pronounced delicious by Sue.

Happy Birthday, Sue

Back on the bike, the Bee line had fits of staying silent when one needed reassurance, but by the detour round Sunbury, we were navigating by memory and experience and the route was just as lovely as ever. We found the track alongside the reservoirs and up into Hampton and eventually into Bushy Park where Sue showed us some alternative tracks which got us out to the foot of Kingston bridge.

The ride ended at Kingston but the square was still busy with the meandering souls preoccupied with the smells from the food stalls, as we threaded through the square and onwards to home.

Door to door we had covered 53 enjoyable miles enjoying lovely weather and good company and the electric bikes were a joy to ride, returning with an average of 45% battery to spare.

Invitation to join the All Day Ride to Egham on 9 May

From Anna

The all day ride on Saturday 9th of May is to Egham. Approximately 50 miles along highways, byways and cycle paths, down secret alleys and alongside the Thames. Mostly flat with one or two gentle inclines.

We stop at Walton on Thames for coffee, the Crown in Egham for lunch and The Ferry café at Shepperton for tea.

If you would like to join us, please WhatsApp Anna on (07939) 036939 by Thursday evening, 7 May.