Invitation to the Last of the Summer All Day Rides, Saturday 14 October

Posted on behalf of Alan Clark

Last of the Summer Rides

Invitation to an All-Day Ride to Horley, via Caterham, on Saturday 14^th October.

You are invited to join the last of the All-Day Beginners Rides for 2023. Our route will start at the Pavilion Café in Beddington Park and take us through Woodmansterne to Coulsdon. We will then ride over Farthing Down and through Chaldon to Caterham, where we will stop for coffee.

After coffee, we will continue to Woldingham, and then onto Horley, passing through Godstone, Horne and Smallfield on the way. Lunch will be at the Farmhouse Pub in Horley.

Our return journey will take us through South Earlswood and Betchworth and then onto Brockham and West Humble. Our tea stop will be at Leatherhead - before we head back to Nonsuch Park via Ashtead and Epsom.

The ride is around 40-45 miles on mainly good roads with some tracks - and two notable hills. Please let me know (by email) by 6.00 pm on Wednesday 11^th October if you would like to join the ride. Please email: alanc227@outlook.com to register. Groups and departure times will be sent out by e-mail on Thursday 12^th October.

Please note: Riders can meet at either Nonsuch Park (Nonsuch Pantry Café) at 9.00am or Beddington Park (Pavilion Café) at 9.45 am. Riders who meet at Nonsuch Park will be led to the Pavilion Café where they will join their groups. The ride will start at Beddington Park. The first group will leave the Pavilion Café at 10.00 am.

Please say if you would like to meet at Nonsuch Park or at Beddington Park when registering for the ride.

The Farmhouse Pub have not requested pre-orders for our lunch but have asked that we advise them about possible numbers. I would therefore be grateful if you could register early for the ride.

Speeding to the Rut; Nonsuch Beginners 23 September

The storms were subsided by Saturday, the wind down, the electrical charges in the high atmosphere in stable equilibrium and on a decent day for cycling there was a tidy crowd turned up at Nonsuch Mansion for an afternoon ride including several newcomers; not first timers but, even better, people who had tried us out for the first time recently and chosen to give us another go.

Thus while stalwart Lynda took a "short" ride to Ashtead, I ended up with fourteen followers for the "long" ride scheduled for Hampton Court, which is a big group to lead around the Metropolis on a Saturday afternoon.

Apart from a little more waiting around than is usual, however, it all went smoothly.  I briefed everybody about the need to ride in groups and leave gaps for the traffic, appointed Tony, a late arrival, as back marker so that I only had to look for an orange coat to know we were all together, and Maggie rode half way back in order to maintain a gap in the middle while we were on the road.  Maggie managed that difficult task as well as anybody can.

Just out of Nonsuch Park I got some unsolicited advice from a man doing some building work on a house in St Clair Drive to "mind your speed, you lot, this is a residential area" when I was doing less than Colin Q's recommended 8mph for Beginners and would have fallen off if I'd gone any slower.  Unfortunately the sage advice from just behind me not to deign the cheek with a reply was received too late.  Otherwise we toured the residential areas of South West London with dignity and without further incident.

As we made our way through Long Ditton I worked out that the coffee shops on the green at Thames Ditton were not going to cope quickly with such a large group and we might still be there at nine-o-clock in the evening with some of our party cakeless.  The Thames Path, too, I reckoned would be crowded on such a pleasant day, so our usual stops at Eight on the River or the cricket club might best be avoided, and decided upon the Pheasantry.  They have closed the Eastern side of Hampton Court Bridge to cycles (both sides used to offer shared cycle paths), so there was some unplanned crossing and re-crossing of the road but soon we were enjoying Bushy Park and what someone on television called its rotting deer.

And the Pheasantry was open, and had enough seating capacity for us all, and was unusually efficient, so our only gripe was that the prices had not come down and one of our number was pooed upon by a pigeon.  There Maggie took the photo below before we made our return journey over Kingston Bridge and through the water works to Berrylands.

A pleasant day out.  Thanks to Tony and Maggie for your help and everyone else for your company.

Pleasant peasantry at the Pheasantry 

Wandle Fortnight Four!

 

" Wandle Fortnight is a celebration of the Wandle Valley run by the community for the community. " Every year our Wandle ride from Beddington Park is one of the highlights but so often we have no new takers. But this year waiting at Pavilion cafe were four new faces. We were  very happy to welcome Simon and his wife Sharon and work colleagues Louise and Gary.

Colin  led us down one of the scenic routes out of the park towards the industrial estate of Beddington Lane. The new cycle track is a joy but the few steps up to the Asda car park were not for the heavier bikes! We then made our way through pot holes to cross the tram line at Ampere Way and then cycle along the wide pavement beside Mitcham Common, through Figs Marsh and across the busy junction at Colliers Wood . However, our pedestrianised route was becoming a jungle and dismounting our bikes we fought our way through the foliage to arrive at MED cafe for a well earned break. 

  Morden Hall Park

Our return route took us into Morden Hall Park, Raynesbury Park and then onto the Wandle Trail. A good, flat, route for all. We hope to see the new cyclists again soon.

 

2023 All Day Rides; 9 September, the mountain stage to West Horsley

 Karen writes

 

Ultimately, eleven hardy souls braved the blisteringly hot conditions for the long, hilly ride to West Horsley.  Paul kindly stepped in at short notice to lead the first group, setting off with such promptitude and commitment that he got lost somewhere in East Ewell (but he's not really sure).  Paul’s report follows - if he's still talking to me!

 

This left me at Nonsuch waiting for my (now much reduced) group: Anna, Roger and Ken.  We had a more leisurely departure, our route taking us towards Epsom Downs via Longdown Lane, thereafter enjoying a cooling breeze as we headed towards Tadworth.  We arrived at Walton on the Hill elevenses to find Paul's group still very much glued to their seats.  After some gentle persuasion (and hovering) they finally gave up their table and departed for Box Hill.

 

We followed soon after, fighting our way through what seemed to be lunchtime rush hour in Walton on the Hill.  We enjoyed the benefit of shade en route to Box Hill and a pleasant sunny zig zag downhill before heading towards Denbies Vineyard for what was anticipated to be the most challenging section, especially in the intense heat.  It was with some relief (and not a little exhaustion) when we reached the flatter section of the North Downs Way, but we still had quite a lengthy undulating section to cover, followed by an extended, steep downhill before we reached East Horsley.

 

I can happily report that our brakes were found to be in good working order and we all reached the bottom of the hill safely, albeit somewhat tested by the some of the drivers following behind (this is usually a fairly traffic-free section!)

 

Unfortunately, we then had to follow a busy main road towards West Horsley for lunch, by which time most of Paul's group had received their orders.  So we were served quite promptly, and happily the venue was able to offer lite bite options (a dying breed!)

 

Thereafter, it was only a short hop to Cafe Barbera at Cobham.  Apart from a minor pannier malfunction on Anna's bike, we enjoyed a pleasant ride via Downside.  Paul's group set off well in advance but again expressed some reluctance to give up their position at the outside tables when we arrived.  Following some hovering (it worked earlier) and some not so gentle persuasion, they departed for Ashtead.

 

After some quality coffee, we enjoyed an uneventful homeward journey to Nonsuch Park, parting company in Cheam Village.  Thanks again to Paul for stepping into the breach to lead the first (and by all accounts faster!) group.

 

Paul’s version of the truth.

 

Well, it was certainly warm, and though the Denbies route up to Ranmore Common might have been the obvious big test for Beginners, the route up to Tattenham Corner from Nonsuch is also a fair old grind and the switchback to and then through Tadworth is only a relatively easy ride if the traffic and your fellow riders leave you the space to gain maximum momentum on the downhills.

 

For the leader, this is no real problem, but the result is that if he gets carried away he begins to stretch out the group.  This leader was invited to face his shortcomings at Walton and made a great effort to ride inside Colin’s recommended average for Beginners (8 mph) thereafter.  His Strava provides evidence that he failed.  We averaged 16.2 Km/h over an 80 Km ride (my door to door) which included 730 metres of climbing, which is pretty good going by Beginners standards.  Well done everybody!  And, there were no complaints within my earshot going up Ranmore.

Paul's group in the dead centre of Ranmore Common

The Zigzag and Crocknorth descents cooled us down but it was not a day for Audax, but for loitering in coffee shops and pubs and every time we got into that groove up turned some impostors to turf us out of our seats.

 

Thanks to Karen for doing all the hard work; it was a lovely ride.  

 

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy. Nonsuch Beginners 2 September

The second of September, as everyone knows, is the first day of meteorological summer and who could deny Beginners the right to enjoy the warmth along with everyone else?

A good crowd turned up at Nonsuch Mansion on Saturday and Nigel kindly swapped rides with me so I took the "short" ride to Epsom Downs and he took the "long" one to Merton Abbey Mills.  The inverted commas denote that nobody could be sure which was the shorter.  We could all be clear, however, which was the flatter and thus only ten souls joined me when, weary of the incessant rabbiting, I announced the ride and wandered slowly off towards the edge of the park.  In Beginners circles it is called "doing a Steve".

I did nothing to lower the average age of my group, a fact cruelly driven home when at the bottom of Chalk Lane I invited those of energetic bent to overtake their leader on the hill if they wanted.  Mine was the ante-penultimate arrival at the top.  

Such was youth's eagerness for hills that I took the roller-coaster Shawley Way route to Nork Park, where we had refreshments at The Lodge, a place I had passed on many a tired Wednesday return home but never sampled.  What an excellent find; cakes and savouries and drinks in the sunshine overlooking Burgh Heath CC's cricket match.  How summery can you get; leather on willow and the shouts of appeal as the wickets fell, by now warm sunshine, a wasp......

So keen were the youths to continue the excitement of climbing that while seven of us went home via Banstead High Street and Sutton Lane, they turned South West to go Boxhilling.  Ah, the joys of summer!

Ìnvitation to All Day Ride to West Horsley - September 9th

 Previously published as Newdigate, we are instead heading to West Horsley.

 It’s not a flat ride, the initial section taking us to Epsom Downs, Walton on the Hill and down Box Hill.

There are several elevenses options either before or when we reach Box Hill.  This will be decided on the day.

The next stage involves a steady climb on a path from Denbies Vineyard that leads towards Ranmore Common. We then join Crocknorth Road, initially undulating before an extended descent towards East Horsley.

 It’s then only a short distance until lunch at the King William IV pub in West Horsley.

The return leg will be via Downside/Cobham. There is a tea stop option at Cafe Barbera, but some may prefer to carry on towards Ashtead or Leatherhead instead (or head home!)

No lunch pre-orders have been requested at this stage.  However, in order to advise the venue of numbers and organise groups please register asap or by close of play Thursday 7 September to karen.cochrane@live.co.uk

 Once registration has been completed, group departure times from Nonsuch Mansion will be emailed on the Friday.