B Group - 10th July

B Group ventured into off-road territory four times in the morning and once in the afternoon.  They were warned!  Eighteeen people set off from Claygate Day Centre, with the first off-road bit almost immediately after the start as we cut across to Fairoak Lane and headed towards Oxshott.  Soon we turned off to the right on a supposedly dead-end road but, luckily for those on bikes, was negotiable past a gate to reach Copsem Lane.  Sandy Lane took us through Oxshott Woods to Knipp Hill (steep descent), to Water Lane and so to Stoke D'Abernon.  From Tilt Road we crossed on the second off-road section to Downside Cobham.  Bookham Common came next and by taking a sharp right turn at a major junction, this eventually brought us to Effingham Junction.  With dry conditions such as today, this was negotiated with no problems, even if it was a bit bumpy at times.  Back on solid road surfaces, we continued eastwards, along The Drift, where we were stuck at a traffic light with nothing happening!  A passer-by in a car coming the other way, told us it was not working and indeed it was not!  There were no roadworks and the light at the other end had been moved off the road!  We could have been there an even longer time!  At West Horsley we joined the major Epsom Road.  A small off-road detour, cut out some of this busy road which eventually brought us to the Clandon turn-off and our lunch destination, the Bull's Head.

We were given a warm welcome here.  It is a very small pub of some age but has a nice garden which suited our numbers well, as did the menu.  We set off again at about 2.00 p.m. heading towards Ripley but in fact turning off at Tythebarn Lane and so to the concrete lane which runs between two farms, from which we saw two men of the land discussing hay-making.  After joining Ripley Lane, we were soon turning off on to Guileshill Lane and the familiar Ockham and Plough Lane route back to Cobham.  It was 3 p.m. as 14 of us sat down to tea and cakes at The Medicine Garden.  Thank you all for coming and special thanks go to back-markers, Tim & Liz, and to the many willing corner-markers who really kept the ride going!  It makes such a difference!

~ Gill Finlay