A Group 30 October - Weybridge-West Clandon-Cobham

Ironwork fence at East Clandon (Photos: Dave B)

Leaves crunching under tyres, bonfire smoke in the nostrils, warm sun and cold air: a great day for an Autumn ride.   Lots of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed people at Weybridge eager for a ride, including 18 in the A group who set off up the hill and down past the Brooklands Concorde to West Byfleet.

We could have gone through Muddy Lane again, but I thought it might be a bit, well, muddy, so we stuck to the road: Pyrford, Ripley, Hungry Hill and we were quickly up to East Clandon, and also up to temperature.  It seemed a lot warmer than the 11 degrees forecast.   Here we had a detour down the Old Epsom Road to look at the ironwork fence, made out of old tools, horseshoes and so on.


Only a couple of miles to the pub now, but we weren't going that way.   Two gratuitous hills were added, with a detour via Shere and Albury Heath.  A large contingent were off like greyhounds up Staple Lane, enjoying a swift, dry descent down Combe Lane to Shere, where Patrick and David W chanced their luck in riding through the ford.   Over the small undulation of Albury Heath and back down to start the ascent of Newlands Corner, rather less enthusiastically this time, maybe more like - labradors?  Then it really was downhill all the way to West Clandon and the Bull's Head, where good food was enjoyed by all.

Happy doggies

Somebody's eaten all the cake!

Mark and Dave left us after lunch (Mark looking for a more hilly route home), and the sweet sixteen remaining departed in the wrong direction, west towards Merrow, then Burpham (pardon me, it was the food) before a short section of the A3 cycle track to before turning onto Potter's Lane, which led us to Send, Ockham and to the Medicine Garden at Cobham, arriving just after 3pm for tea and cakes.   As we were sitting enjoying our tea a lady with pushchair arrived and announced loudly "Look, there's only one [cake] left!"  Very thoughtful of us, I reckon.   We chatted perhaps a bit too long and with sunset at 16:40 I guess many would have needed lights for the last few miles home from tea.

Thanks to - everyone! for your company, AND for splitting into groups and letting the traffic pass safely.   Thanks also to all the corner markers, and to Mike B for back marking:  he was impressed and commented on our excellent gapping.   Top marks.  Just 33 miles and 1663 ft ascent from elevenses to tea.