4 May - A group - Cobham to The Sun Inn, Dunsfold

Lovely sunny weather brought out a bumper crowd for my lead to Dunsfold. Unfortunately before we had reached Ockham Geoff had two flat tyres courtesy of the potholed roads. Gallantly refusing help he sent us on our way saying he would meet us at lunch.(Further problems meant he was last heard of somewhere near Box Hill.)

Passing through West Horsley we climbed up to the top of Combe Bottom before swooping down to the A25. Here we turned right, then headed for Albury before a left turn had us climbing up to Albury Heath. Through Farley Green, around Shamley Green and through Run Common before a short run down the A281 to Palmers Cross.

Here we turned into the narrow but very quiet road that runs past Scotsland Farm to Thorncombe Street. Again the curse of the pothole hit - this time to Mike3. Simon's photo below shows some of us waiting in the sunshine before we all regrouped and moved on to lunch via Hascombe and Loxhill to Dunsfold.

Despite a cool breeze we sat outside The Sun Inn in the sunshine and consumed a wide variety of meals - some served more promptly than others. David Vine joined us having made his own way.

After lunch we looped south to take the bridleway route from Vann to Loxhill - no traffic, open fields and good views.(Thanks to Paul Kelly for introducing me to this route last year.) Despite the misgivings of some about the loose surface we all survived the experience without incident.

Shortly after this I misunderstood my route sheet and took a wrong turning. Firstly I noticed the road didn't look familiar, then the sun appeared to be in the wrong direction, and finally we reached a pub we had seen in the morning. A U-turn in the pub carpark confused those still struggling up the hill but as it was on a road we had used earlier it doesn't show up on the GPS map!

The revised route passed Winkworth Arboretum to Thorncombe Street and on towards Bramley. Just before Bramley there was a brief hiatus while the whereabouts of all the riders were confirmed and a dogged turn-marker retrieved from his post. While this was going on some treated themselves to ice creams from the petrol station in Bramley while others pushed on for home.

With everyone accounted for we rode through Wonersh and via Blackheath to Albury and back over Combe Bottom. As time was running out for the traditional tea stops some of us stopped at The Duke of Wellington in East Horsley for re-hydration. Here I was pilloried by Simon for losing so many riders.

Thanks to Mark for GPS data, Simon for the photos, but especially to Mike B, our first class backmarker.