A Group - Challenging Ride

Today's ride was billed as challenging, and so it turned out to be. A nucleus of the A group rode - several stalwarts were unable to be there - so eight of us took up the challenge. Fast from the off, we shot down White Hill using the well-tried 'falling stone' descending technique before turning into Bletchingley and over Tilburstow Hill. Down again, and on to Crowhurst where we spent a few minutes looking at the yew. I promised to Google the age of the tree for the blog, and, as might be expected, precision is hard to come by. The consensus is that it is very old, certainly 1000 years, probably 1500 years and maybe more. Perhaps much more. (I think I could probably do tree dating if that is the accepted standard of accuracy). It's a fine thing, anyway.

Back on the road over Marlpit Hill - too small to worry about - and through Edenbridge and Four Elms to the first of the challenges - Yorks Hill, setting for the Catford Hill Climb. This is said to be the oldest bicycle race in the world. The hill is certainly a toughy - two ramps of 19% and, just when you think it has finished, you realise it hasn't. The record is about 1 minute 45 seconds; I took about five minutes, which wasn't the quickest, but it wasn't the slowest either. Hmm...

But, challenge met, things looked a lot better as the pub, the Cock Inn at Ide Hill, was only a couple of minutes away. It's a pleasant old-fashioned sort of place; they were ready for us and served us quickly. With Jeff absent on his sick-bed the traditional pub snap was taken by a nice lady called Sarah, who kindly offered to take the picture with my phone.

Revictualled, we used the 'falling stone' technique again down Ide Hill, but, sadly, what goes down must go up and our next challenge, Toys Hill, was quickly upon us. This is a long and hard hill, and poor Ken suffered when his gears translated from low ratio to no ratio on a tricky bit. All sorted out quickly enough, and up we went. And up a bit more.

A long, easy cruise down to Brasted, then up to the Pilgrims Way and along, by stages, until we got to Titsey Hill. Here was our third challenge - White Hill, the scene of the Bec Hill climb, normally the partner of the Catford. Another tough climb, but we were pretty blasé by now, and the opinion at the top was that this one wasn't so bad, not really.

Tea was now a topic of conversation, and we made short work of the Ridge and down through Woldingham to the A22 roundabout. Here Burntwoood Lane provided a bonus hill - it wouldn't have seemed much earlier in the day - and, during a breather at the top, we returned to the topic of tea. The options were the Italian Cafe in Coulsdon (better cakes) or the cafe in the lavender field at Woodmansterne (novelty value). Being more-or-less on the way home for more-or-less everyone, the lavender field won, which was how we ended up eating lavender flavoured cakes, lavender flavoured scones and buying bunches of lavender to take home to our loved ones.

So, challenge met, we set off smartly home. 47.14 miles coffee to tea; a brisk moving average of 13.2 mph; maximum speed 43.2 mph; 3,374 feet of ascent and 2,112 calories. A pretty good day out.

Mark