B Group reports - 21st July

The Acker Bilks

The six Acker Bilks riders set off from Claygate at 10.15 with a few problems with the e map. Fortunately a little input from Tim C sorted these out by Hersham. This was to prove important on an intricate route that involved quite a few new off road sections.
 
On a very hot day it was helpful that the route was so amazingly flat and we made good progress to our lunch stop. Later our sextet gradually dispersed to become a quintet (West Byfleet) and then a duet (Stoke d'Abernon) and a trio (Epsom).

At Stoke d'Ab, minus Stephen

~ John

The Buddy Hollys

Dave's fish

My group of Steph, Brenda, Terry, Inder and back marker Dave set off to enjoy an entirely new route to Weybridge and then a new quiet way to the Ottershaw roundabout, both highlights for me, and nice roads to the pub, The Hare and Hounds at West End where food and service was very good (Dave's fish was twice the size of last week's!). 

Then the Basingstoke Canal was mostly shady from the intense sun, and everyone enjoyed the route to Wisley past the Anchor at Pyrford Lock. Four of us stopped for Tea at Squires Stoke D'Abernon at 3.30. Many thanks Paul for designing such an interesting route with new roads and bits of off road for us to experience!

The Buddys and the Hollyhocks

 

 

 ~ Ann

 

The Chuck Berrys

"Mad dogs and englishmen go out in the midday sun."

Together with 20 other cyclists determined to brave the hot southern weather we promptly met at Claygate to enjoy the local cafe facilities. It was good to see the area coming back to life after the lifting of recent covid restrictions.

I, together with Pam, Liz, Gill and Tony Hopkins set out on time towards Esher and on through Hersham, Weybridge, Addlestone, Ottershaw, Chobham to our lunchtime destination at West End. Gill peeled off early to fulfill an afternoon engagement.

Having successfully covered our two off-road sections four of us arrived at the 'Hare and Hounds' to enjoy a well earned lunch break in the beer garden. Service was good and food served promptly.

All four groups for a short period were together to share the pub's facilities and hospitality.

Our afternoon ride continued towards Woking where we picked up the Basingstoke canal towpath and cycled towards Sheerwater. My remaining group decided to continue to Addlestone for tea so we exchanged our good-bye's at West Byfleet and I continued on, in blissful isolation, to complete the planned route to Stoke D'Abernon.

Despite the high temperatures it was good to cycle along country lanes that were tree lined and provided us with some welcome shade.

Many thanks to Paul J for planning the route and to my group members for their company and encouragement in my attempts to lead the ride successfully. Everything went very smoothly.

A good day was had by all.

~ Tim G

 

The Del Shannons

Runaway, run-run-run-runaway

Restrictions are lifted, the plague is over (isn't it?) and gone are the days when club members met in the early half-light to leave in furtive silence.  The mini-heatwave stretched into Wednesday and beyond and, though I am not one hundred percent sure how safe it is, it was undeniably a pleasure to turn into The Parade at Claygate and see the place alive with Wayfarers, dotted across the coffee bars.  So welcoming was it that I got drawn in and missed the Acker Bilks' departure, though I was there in good time!

The Buddy Hollys assembled at the station and rode off, and then the Chuck Berrys did the same from further down the road.  That left Arwyn, Tony Hooker, Christina, Martin G, Paula B, Annette and me (aka The Del Shannons) at the station coffee shop, chatting to Grant.  Of course, Grant!  I had taken on the one extra to make ours a group of seven, failing to remember that Grant does not book but usually turns up looking for a ride.  So we set out as a group of eight.

The trouble with plotting a route west from Claygate is that Surrey is criss-crossed by rivers, motorways, railway lines and trunk roads and there are limited ways to cross these barriers, so up to the outskirts of Weybridge it was busy roads.  After that, we used the less well ridden paths to work our way between pinch points such as Addlestone level crossing and Ottershaw roundabout.  The park at Weybridge, the canal up to Addlestone, and the Hare Hill Woods gave us less pollution and more greenery and only Tim Court knew that I had spared us all the marshes, the brambles and the forty foot railway embankment near Brooklands!

From then on it felt like a country ride to us townies, a loo stop at Ottershaw Memorial Fields (the cricket ground there one of the most pleasant places to sit and eat your recce sandwiches) and a long loop through Chobham Common and to within smelling distance of the M3 before turning south and entering West End along a bridle path and through Donkey Town.  Lunch worked out well, though none had brought the sun loungers I advised and Annette was obliged to lie on the hard wooden bench.

The Del Shannons and the Chuck Berrys

Back through Carthouse Lane, pretending not to see the road closure signs and sneaking past the tree fellers (there were in fact five of them) and over Horsell Common.  The Basingstoke Canal at Woking was pleasant, though by the time we were there the trees offered little shade; ditto through Pyrford and Wisley, so when we got to the cycle lane on the A3 I thought we deserved a cold drink at Okham Bites.  Christina peeled off at Cobham; Arwyn, Grant and the remaining women went at Stoke d'Abernon and I parted company with Tony and Martin after Epsom Common.  65 miles door to door at over 10mph may not sound much on the flat but at 30 Celsius I knew I'd had a ride when I got home!

Good fun, great company.

~ Paul