A Return from the North; Nonsuch Beginners 22 October

 A Return From The North

By Ian Prince

Saturday 22nd October 2022

After a longish stint up north, riding both road and recumbent cycles at generally half decent mileages of around fifty miles a day,  I finally got the chance to turn up at Nonsuch Park Mansion Café for 2 pm, and join the group being organised by Colin into long rides and short ride groups, myself deciding to ride with the longer Leatherhead Bocketts Farm  ride. 

I was pleased to hear Shirley’s recovery is progressing well and had other conversations before we set off a little time after 2pm , myself on my two gear Brompton and a usual selection of bikes from others in the group plus a tandem and an electro assist bike just as it threatened to rain. 

However, this was soon left behind as we headed through Epsom and onwards via some familiar routes to pass Woodcote Park and on through Ashtead to Leatherhead and ultimately down to Bocketts Farm for a well earned bite to eat, and drink. 

It was said that road traffic seemed light; in my view, not light enough! 

In total there were around a dozen or more of us on this ride, including the tandem and Thomas in his trailer with his own machine strapped securely to the top of the Burley trailer. 

Suitably replenished we all set forward once again, this time reaching the main road on the track up from the Farm tea rooms (which was remarkably busy, waiting for streams of cars to pass to be able to cross the road) 

Once underway again we found ourselves back in Leatherhead before crossing the M25 to Ashtead, and some familiar routes through the forest and minor roads working on our way back to Epsom,  Ewell and ultimately Nonsuch Park before it got dark. 

(Clocks change soon, so good to enjoy these last autumnal rides before darker colder winter days are with us)

Back at Sutton, my mileage for the day was just under twenty five miles. 

A good day was had by all and thanks to Steve for leading and everyone else for good company, conversation and a steady paced ride in remarkably warm weather for the end of October. 

See you all again soon

Ian Prince