Beginners’ Ride Saturday 27 August 2016

For our weekly gathering in Nonsuch Park on Saturday the short ride on offer was to Thames
Ditton, stopping at Squires’ garden centre for tea and cakes. There was no longer ride
designated, so I offered to lead one. The intention was to offer something slightly faster,
slightly hillier than usual with a shorter tea and cake break.

The weather was a little windy but dry, intermittently sunny. Four of us met at Beddington
Park, Wallington, to cycle the 9km to Nonsuch Park. There nine more members joined us,
including Nigel, who rode at the rear.

We went up the off-road foot/cycle paths to Epsom and up the hill on Wilmerhatch Lane,
through Ashtead Park, up Ottways Lane over the M25 on the footbridge. We completed a
brief circuit of Leatherhead and returned via Ottways Lane to the Cycle Bean Cafe in
Ashtead for refreshments.

Returning through Ashtead Park, we turned up Headley Road and then up the hill on Langley
Vale Road to the B290 along the top of Epsom Downs alongside the finishing straight of the
racecourse. From Tattenham Corner we went through Shawley Way (our last significant
hill), Nork Park, The Drive and Garratt’s Lane to the Pistachio Cafe at Banstead where we
parted company. Those who wanted to return to Nonsuch were led there by Nigel; the rest of
us returned to Wallington through Woodmansterne, The Oaks Park and the smallholdings.
Wallington to Wallington was 43km (28 miles) in all, taking 2 hours 34 minutes of cycling at
an average of 16.5 kmph (11mph). Total ascents added up to 950 ft. Those who started at
Nonsuch would have done about 34km (22 miles). In real time we started at ten past two and
finished at a quarter past five.

~Paul James