8th June B Ride

It was a day of two halves. Before lunch, hills; after lunch dead flat.

12 of us set out from Dorking. Up Ranworth road to Ranworth Common, 450 feet of ascent. The compensation was increasingly good views to the south. Down and up another 300 feet of ascent. Then almost due west switching from tarmac to track on the North Downs Way. It was lovely through the sunlit woods and we stopped at Newlands Corner to admire the view which was indeed terrific. Hopefully Stephanie will post the photos she took (below). We bumped onwards to Guildford, a round trip of the town to discover the castle, started by William the Conqueror. We admired the remains which, as the estate agents would put it, would benefit from some restoration. Then a nice pub – the Kings Head – and a leisurely lunch. It started to rain three milliseconds after we arrived at the pub and stopped three milliseconds after we left. 

Ray left us here saying that vinyl was more important than cycling. Then north along the Wey Navigation, through charming countryside. As we went we saw enormous black clouds but none rained on us. My plan had been to go along it all the way to the Thames but the pissed-off-ness with the towpath gradually increased until the majority view prevailed and we turned off onto a proper road just south of West Byfleet. At West Byfleet a division occurred. A sugar-depleted couple stopped for some very nice carrot cake, the others fled homewards.

Bernard