A hot sunny day for once saw a good size group gather at Nonsuch with one new rider joining in. Due to Nigel still being off his bike and Lynda being away, there was a temporary leader shortage for the longer ride to Kingston until Alice agreed to lead her first ride.
I led the ride to Telegraph Track with Dawn as a volunteer back marker and eight other riders. David, Colin and Shirley kept back to help the new woman rider who had come with a folding bike. She did not make it to the cafe at Woodcote, but later made it back to Nonsuch. There is no real reason why a folding bike is not suitable for the beginners short ride, providing it is the right size to start with. Most riders however, seem to prefer bikes with larger wheels. They should be easier to ride on tracks.
The cafe at Woodcote was in full swing, particularly at the ice cream counter, and after we all left Colin rejoined the group having wandered around the Garden Centre trying to find us. The skies above the downs at Woodcote were full of Swallows and Housemartins feeding on insect swarms and the air temperature had risen to 26C for the short grind up The Warren road.
Reaching the Brighton road junction with Downsway/Crossway several riders near the back mistakenly took the wrong turn behind Dawn and Christine who were actually going home. No one can get lost in this area where so many live and we were all back together at the end in Nonsuch.
On my return home I met the longer ride riders returning from Richmond Park in Worcester Park and later that evening there was a torrential downpour as the hot weather broke.
Thanks to Alice for leading the longer ride and Dawn for being my back marker.
More experienced riders are needed to volunteer to lead and act as helpers on our rides. David has guidelines to follow and Colin and Shirley provide excellent route guides. It is also a great way of getting to know the area and other people in the group. Just speak to any of us if you think you are willing to give this a try.
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