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!
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.
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.
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.
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