Dave Ferret's Report on his First Led Ride.

My first ride as a leader/sub-leader, and I was apprehensive that the following groups would be quicker.

We welcomed Lena, who professed she was not a fan of hills, on the hilliest ride for some time.

Completing the group was Steve W, David W and Steve D , who kindly back marked. As we hit the hills we stopped frequently to regroup. At one such  stop at the bottom of Whitedown I tried unsuccessfully to return a missed call from Brian but suspecting it may be road closed related, I spoke to one of the workmen erecting the road closed sign-age who said it was OK for cyclists. So we carried on the official route only to be confronted by other workmen who were less pleased to see us. We blagged our way through and continued the Abinger Lane ascent with Steve W setting the pace. After a wait at the top we learnt Lena was having problems with her lower gears which Steve D tried to assist with. So we plodded on through the Lanes. Another road closed sign on Pitland Street was ignored and hardly seemed necessary for a small roadside excavation.  We paused again to admire the view to the South Downs from the top of Holmbury Hill. As we turned onto Radnor Road, Steve reported that Lena had decided to bail out as she knew where she was and had an escape plan. Lost my first rider on my first ride. 

At that point we were overtaken by Ged's bubble.  We continued past Hurtwood House but retook second place at Peaslake where Ged's group were conducting a village shop pit-stop. We knuckled down for the drag up Walking Bottom and Lawbrook Lane, another hill that keeps on giving. From then on it was largely downhill to lunch, where we arrived just before the other two following groups. Whilst sticking to our group bubble for lunch, it was nice to shout across to neighbouring groups and fortunate that the threatening weather held off.

We were the second group away after lunch and cracked on with the double hill that is Guildford Lane. Granny gear at the bottom, then a false sense of completion  before needing granny gear again for a final sharp ascent to the top. We accessed the track to Newlands via the car park on the right , a slight deviation from the official route. The group then bravely agreed we should go "off-piste" from East Horsey to Effingham avoiding a nasty part of the main road. Fortunately David W was familiar with that scenic (but now reasonably  well signed) route and then also a further alternative and less frequently travelled (and not well signed) route across Bookham Common. We were surprised to find ourselves the first group back at the medicine garden with others then  arriving in quick succession. With the weather once again closing in, some of us got home without getting too wet.

Thanks again to Ged for the route and the hard work organising, Steve D for back marking and Dave W for being our trusty off piste guide.