Riding across Wisley Airfield

  Stephanie's ride to Pyrford least Saturday encountered problems crossing the derelict Wisley airfield.

Fences and barriers of earth and old car tyres now cross the runway, though this possible to circumvent these on foot round the edges. Bikes then have to be lifted over the gates at the former entrance.

 Apparently, the planning application to "develop" part of the site with 2,000 homes and a school with access to the A3 at Ockham roundabout was rejected in April. Another plan to build a waste transfer site near the end at the Ockham Roundabout has not progressed, so this monument to a bygone age of aircraft manufacture at Byfleet remains. Bridle paths cross the site which allow transit, though these are not always rideable on bikes.

  Nevertheless, the group out last Saturday posed for this picture, taken by Stephanie.

Stephanie's ride to Pyrford on Saturday the 20th August.

The ride was uneventful and all seemed to enjoy the route.  The 'Bermuda triangle' around Coxes Mill claimed a couple of stragglers but luckily they joined us at lunch.  They  got stuck behind at a traffic light and missed the wiggle through the fruit farm.  A cyclist called John (sorry, there are so many of them I should have asked for a second name, distinguishing feature was a grey beard )  joined us at lunch, he had seen the blog and decided to join us on his way back from a ride to Guildford.  

  Crossing Wisley airfield was interesting  as attempts are being made to restrict access. Piles of tyres have been placed at either end of the airfield and new railings affixed at the farm gate where we usually squeeze out. All obstacles were easily surmounted as we followed the tyre tracks of the many cyclists who obviously continue to use it.  I don't know if planning permission has been granted or not but the farmer is certainly making the most of his land in the meantime with bumper crops of sweetcorn surrounding the airfield on all sides.

  We were very lucky with the weather after the torrential downpour at precisely 10 o clock that meant many arrived soaked to the skin.  Not a drop more all day, though the wind was beginning to get up as we all departed for home after tea at Garsons Farm.

Steph

Ride to Pyrford this Saturday 20th August

Led by Stephanie.

Leaving Kingston Bridge (outside TKMax) at 10.00.  The route will follow the River Thames and Wey Navigation to Pyrford Lock for lunch.  Returning via Wisley and Stoke d'Abingnon for tea at Garson's Farm at Esher.  Circa. 40 mls.

The future of this blog

  If you are reading this post, you are probably looking for information about what the Beginners Group does, including details about planned rides in more depth than you can get from the basic information on the website.  This is why I started the blog originally.

 In recent months I have found my cycling life to be taking a different path, mainly due to family commitments, and I have not been attending on the Saturday afternoon rides which are the core of the Beginners Group activities. I have continued to use the blog to advertise Intermediate rides, but now find I will be giving these up after a final ride in September.

  It therefore seems appropriate that either the blog should be handed over to someone who is a regular attender on Saturdays, and who also likes writing about cycling, or cease from the end of September.

  If you think you might be that person, contact me on fredallcard@gmail .com. You will probably need a Google account as well, though not being wise to these things I might be wrong.

 

Harry Cole

All day Intermediate ride to the coast on Saturday July 18th

  Tony Hooker will lead this popular annual ride. The ride starts at 9am in Nonsuch Park and after cresting the North Downs a halt will be called in Horsham for elevenses.

  Thereafter the ride will continue to the coast at Shoreham and onwards to Brighton. Return will be by rail on the infamous Southern Rail Service, or the strong can ride back.

  Nonsuch to the coast is around 48 miles and there are some rolling hills on the way, so this is one of the more challenging rides.

Ride to Windsor Great Park on Saturday the 18th June

  After a week of thundery downpours, more than in recent years in June, 15 riders assembled under leaden skies on Kingston Bridge. Luckily the weather stayed dry all day apart from one drizzly shower near Lyne, but it could not be described as "flaming "June.

  We set off along the Portsmouth road, admiring the new cycle track on the opposite side of the road.

Unfortunately, to get on and off this when going south involves dismounting and walking over a pedestrian crossing. The lane also ends at the Kingston Borough boundary just beyond the turning to Surbiton, so we stayed on the road. This sort of problem seems to defeat traffic engineers, who are reluctant to put in a proper cyclist crossing for fear of slowing down motor traffic.

  We carried on through Molesey and along by the reservoirs to the turning down to the Thames Path by Walton Leisure Centre. This path has been resurfaced recently, and makes for a good ride into Walton by the river, which was full of the usual rowers and around 50 paddle boarders heading downstream.

  After a short stop in Walton by the bridge, we carried on through Weybridge and Addlestone to Lyne and the aforementioned drizzle, before arriving at the visitor centre at Virginia Water Lake for an early lunch stop and entertainment from a Youth Group having a sing song. Away from motor traffic of any sort, bar the occasional estate vehicle, we rode past the cascade and Leptis Magna ruins to the top of the lake and turned to skirt the Guards Polo ground to the Village, where a red kite was spotted. We

were then able to catch a distant glimpse of the Queen as she passed by in a small convoy of cars on her way to the races at Ascot, where I believe her horse won a race.

  We then descended back into the traffic at Egham and Staines before joining the Thames Path and rode to Chertsey Bridge. The plan was to ride to the cafe by Shepperton Lock down Dockett Eddy Lane, but on arrival found it closed. After a near collision on the left turn in Manygate Lane with an impatient motorist, we arrived at Squires Garden Centre cafe in Upper Halliford for the tea stop. After that we went along the River to Hampton where we cut across to the Hampton Hill entrance to Bushey Park and traversed the Park to Hampton Wick and over the Bridge to Kingston.

  Many thanks to Tony for back marking throughout. With no mechanicals or flats we did 45 miles in total at a mostly good pace.

All day Intermediate ride to Windsor Great Park on Saturday 18th June.

  Harry will lead a ride to Windsor Great Park, starting from outside TKMax by Kingston Bridge at 10am. We will ride to Weybridge and then onto Virginia Water, where we can halt for a lunch stop at the Visitor Centre. 

  Afterwards we will ride around the Park, hoping to spot some Red Kites, to the famous view of the castle and then descend to Staines and the Thames Path to Shepperton Lock, where a further break can be taken. Thereafter to Kingston via Sunbury and Bushey Park, arriving by 5pm.

  There will be some riding off road and a few hilly bits and the overall distance is about 45 miles.