A Group - Spring Equinox

Weybridge - Peaslake - Bike Beans Cycle Café, Ashtead

The Weybridge welcome was a scrumptious half kilo of bread pudding. This was woefully neglected as I spent the next 25 minutes seeking to press-gang any susceptible looking mamils into a jaunt into the Surrey countryside and acting as Maître d'Hôtel to establish their lunchtime dining preferences. By the time I had finished, and related the details to our destination, they were restlessly accumulating goose pimples outside, and my bread pudding had been confiscated.

Muddy Lane

Once on the move, the goose pimples melted as we swooped on Byfleet. The temptation had been to breach Muddy Lane, but propriety and SCC bylaws inhibited a mass trespass along a designated footpath.  Instead, we took an unexpected and perhaps no less muddy route beside the Wey to the Anchor Hotel and approached Muddy Lane from the South along Wisley Lane. Here, the farmer was waiting to educate us as we surveyed the Forbidden Way. Then  we took off for Wisley Airfield, Ockham Lane and the infamous Hautboy, about to be converted into who knows what. At this point, dare I say, barely a metre of altitude climbed. Long Reach led to W. Horsley and the welcome prospect of the first bit of climbing of the day along Shere Road and the descent of Coombe Bottom. This proved to be the calvary for Vic's brake cable, which forced his retirement from active duty on mechanical and fortunately not medical grounds. Shere soon led to Burrows X and a lumpy arrival at the Hurtwood Inn at Peaslake.

Hurtwood Inn

A group of ramblers was already at table but we were expected and a pleasant dining room awaited us to chat and sup our beer as our orders were served. Good food and beer in pleasant surroundings with good company. What more could we ask? We lingered long before the call to arms and the short, sharp rise at the foot of Radnor Road to burn off some calories. The steady climb went to the head of some who anticipated the leader's intentions and ignored the turn. We waited at Holmbury St Mary for the lost sheep to reappear - bar one, to share the pleasure of last week's Pasture Wood in reverse. Soon we were swooping down Coldharbour Lane like Toad of Toad Hall, 46+mph for Mark on his new machine from the New World, with disc brakes front and rear, though he didn't bother to apply them, while some of us had to overtake a tardy van.

Bike Beans Café

Together through Dorking as far as Burford Bridge, where the shepherd lost his giddy sheep again, before they returned for the charm of Little Switzerland. An anxious call to Bike Beans Cycle Café in Ashtead found it closed; but the owner Jamie gallantly agreed to open up just for us. We got there as fast as we could and the café was duly opened to revive us with tea and chocolate cake. Our heartfelt thanks to Jamie for services above and beyond the call of duty. Then, with light already beginning to fade, the question for some was: 'How do we get home from here?' I hope all made it safely home and without too much domestic tongue lashing on slipping the key into the lock.

Distance run for me was 61 miles. In terms of altitude, it was rather like Geo Osborne's budget. With distance climbed exactly matched by descent, the overall effect was entirely neutral - pancake flat.

Jeff