A group ride to Warfield 2 June

The recce for the ride a couple of weeks before had been in torrential rain and hail so it was a relief that the forecast for the ride itself was a warm sunny day. Hopefully the start of the summer cycling season. We'd been unable to recce the pub, The Plough & Harrow in Warfield, as it was closed on Mondays but when I spoke on the phone they sounded friendly and welcoming enough. We also had a change of meeting point from Cobham to Walton Bridge and then on finding the latter closed this Wednesday, to the Riverhouse Barn.

Dave F, who kindly sub leads many of our rides, is often in a later departing group and I thought he'd enjoy an early start for a change. I know I appreciate getting home at a reasonable time and with less traffic! Here's his ride report.

Unusually we were the first sub- group away and my merry band of Gina, Pete (pedal Pete not E-Pete), Dave and Jenny set off pretty much on time after enjoying the excellent services of the Riverhouse.

Conscious of the hounds to follow, we set off at a good pace but we decided not to go so fast as to arrive at the pub before noon. The leafy lanes around Gracious Pond provided  some welcome shade on what promised to be a very hot sunny sunny day. We paused for a static water stop a couple of times and I was grateful to Dave for the reassurance of his backup navigation on a couple of occasions when my phone app was sending mixed navigation messages. 

We arrived at the pub at the stroke of noon (good timing Janice)  just as the doors were being unlocked and having parked our bikes and selected a sunny garden table discovered we needed to go inside to order. Despite getting 5 orders for only 3 different sandwich choices, we had all finished before they had finally caught sufficient prawns for Dave.  We left the pub around 12:50, dodging the poor lady trying to reunite various assorted sandwiched with their respective owners,  with the promise of the scenic ride highlights to follow. Well it certainly was on the Recce, but the long straight Drift Road had been transformed into an extremely effective easterly head wind tunnel, as other sub leaders might have noticed.  Fortunately for me, my kindly team mates could sense my suffering and valiantly  took several  turns at sharing the wind back to Windsor and later around Wraysbury. (On reflection Pete s e - bike might have come in handy). We elected to take tea together at Laleham and again enjoyed sitting outside in the by now hazy sun but realised that other groups must have made alternative plans. Dave and Jenny took us off piste back to Walton bridge where we parted company via the more scenic Ferry Lane option to Chertsey bridge. Gina summed it up quite succinctly with her quote "I have come to  realise that cycling is a summer sport". Thanks Janice for organising  the route and weather and to my subgroup for being such considerate company.

Frances, another regular sub leader, left with her group next and hers her report.

We promptly left Walton by 10.30am - it was not difficult to get going as the weather was glorious.Ged kindly offered to back mark. The route was very leafy for the most part which helped as the temperatures increased. We briefly stopped in Sunninghill to see if anyone needed a water refill before the last few miles to the pub. The group arrived just after noon and my garmin advised that we did a brisk pace of 15mph.

The pub staff were friendly but again seemed unable to cope with several groups despite the gaps and pre ordering.  We moved off again into a head wind with some long open stretches of road ahead.  Dave V came to the rescue and gave me his wheel for a time.  Arriving in Windsor is always lovely with a great view to the castle ahead and it was relatively quiet in the area.  By the time we were nearing Laleham, Fiona's group motored by only for us to wave at them as we passed the garden centre en route for tea at Shepperton Lock. Dave W had left us earlier.  This was a lovely way to end the day on the river with boats sailing by and Simon took the lead back to Hampton Court via Sunbury. Thanks to all the group for helping make the ride very pleasant. 

Fiona was leading a group for the first time and she was next to set off with Trevor, Dave B, Neil W and Mike R. Fiona had said she was a bit nervous but I assured her we all are when leading but she was amongst friends! I understand that her Garmin let her down but am very impressed that she managed to remember much of the route with only a small deviation. It does serve to emphasise how important it is to have others in the group also carrying the route. Well done Fiona, great job!

My group of Neil C, Brian, Steve D and Steve W finally left having enjoyed coffee and homemade cakes at the Riverhouse Barn. I'd contacted them in advance to let them know they'd have 21 cyclists descending on them and they were very welcoming and had made a big effort with the cakes for us (the banana and oats bars were specially laid on as they thought we'd like banana something).

My group were warned that it wouldn't be a fast ride as I was saving my legs for a long ride 2 days later but they seemed to view this with a touch of amusement! As it was, we had a lovely tail wind and made good progress through the busier roads of Chertsey and on through the leafier roads of Chobham Common, Windlesham, past Ascot racecourse and then onto Warfield. The serving of lunch seemed chaotic when we arrived. I had no sooner walked in when my sandwich was thrust into my hands but others from earlier groups were still awaiting theirs. The sandwich itself was nice enough but Brian's side order of salad barely qualified as a garnish.

After lunch we turned towards Windsor and the extent of the mornings tailwind soon became apparent in the form of a strong headwind! As noted by Dave, the lovely stretch of Drift Road was less lovely with an easterly wind. Neil C kindly made a brave attempt to take the headwind now and then.

After Windsor it was back to the usual busy roads and at Laleham we saw Fiona's group debating where to stop. We decided that we'd enjoyed the Riverhouse Barn so much that we'd stop there again on our way home.

A lovely day out in great company made all the better for perfect weather. Thanks for your company and in particular the Dave F, Frances and Fiona for sub leading.

PS I did manage my longer ride on Friday. 150 miles to Woburn in pouring rain and cold so quite a contrast. Horribly busy roads even though the route was based on the 'Catholic Education' Audax route. I never want to cycle on the A404 dual carriageway again, nor through so much of West London on main roads. But it was er character forming!