Wednesday, March 30, 2011

B group aka the not so hilly 41.6k

A word of warning - be very careful when gardening - it can seriously affect your health. If in doubt - ask Liz. Having heard a not very good forecast I led eleven from Dorking east past the cockerel roundabout and UP Punchbowl Lane into a headwind, thence via Henfold to Newdigate where we stopped to don waterproofs. The landlady at The Royal Oak, Friday Street, Rusper-ish (see blog) had been warned of our visit and we arrived at about 12.45 having ridden via Capel and Clark's Green roundabout. The menu was rather limited but the food was good (including the chips) and was served fairly quickly.

When leaving we noticed a free range hen outside but it didn't feature on the menu, at least not today. We continued south, shortly turning left and left again, heading for Rusper. Then we had the wind behind us, the rain eased and the hosts of golden daffodils looked much more cheerful. It seemed permanently downhill to Newdigate where we turned into Church Road en route to Parkgate. Keeping to the quiet sideroads we passed the still-closed pub at Blackbrook before turning into Inholms Lane, over the A24 into Dorking and a welcome cuppa at The Court Cafe.

Terry

PS Hasketts, the former tea shop in South Street, Dorking, has closed.

1 comment:

Bernard Brindley said...

All went well until I came out from my second breakfast. Flat back tyre. Bugger. I said to the North Cheam lot I'll see you at Dorking. Brand new inner tube soon in place BUT the valve was too short. It took me some minutes to realise that my expensive wheels have a double skin so the rim is about half an inch deep. So, with some difficulty, I found the puncture in the first tube, mended it and set of thinking I would meet the others at lunch; by now it was too late for coffee. Betyween Leatherhead and Dorking I struck up a conversation with another cyclist who, to my amazement, had a proper stirup pump! Liz and Angy then turned up and the rain started so I turned round and had lunch with Liz in Epsom. When I got back another pucture, usual reaon a tiny piece of glass in the tyre, not evident inside and almost invisible outside.