B Group - 6th July

What a glorious day for a ride!  A group of twenty set off from Cobham with two new or newish riders, namely John Ede and Miles Gunning.  The Kings Head at Holmbury St Mary was to be our lunch destination but in between were a few hills to be climbed, though our efforts here were repaid with some good downhill runs.  The route was out across Bookham Common, right, past Bookham Station and up to join the Lower Road into Effingham.  From here on, it was due south all the way - past St Teresa's School, across the Ranmore Road for the climb up to the top of White Down and its wonderful descent, across the A25 and another climb up Raikes Lane, descent to Sutton Abinger and the last lap a gentle climb to Holmbury St Mary and the pub where we were joined by Brian who was doing a ride of his own due to other commitments.  We opted to sit out in the garden which in hindsight might have been a mistake as the only way into the garden was out of the front door, round and down some steps - a rather circuitous route for our food to travel to reach us!  Not to worry, time was on our side and it was very pleasant sitting out in the sun.  The food came in waves, with poor Ray waiting ages for his baked potato to emerge!  However, he manfully wolfed it down and we left at 2.15 p.m.

There was more climbing and descending in the afternoon, with a nasty, short hill almost immediately after we started up Pasture Wood Road - sorry about that!  Once it was over, any other ups were more manageable and it was an undulating route skirting Leith Hill on the Abinger Road round to Coldharbour.  Now came the real reward for all our climbing, the long descent down Coldharbour Lane into Dorking, with people taking it at their own pace and finally making their way to the tea stop at Denbies where about fifteen of us finally congregated.  We had cycled through some lovely woodlands and countryside, along tree-lined lanes, some of which are etched deep into the sandstone, and there were views, too.  Thanks everyone for coming, for marking corners and, Terry, for back-marking.

Gill Finlay