'A' Group Ride Report - Weds 26 Jan 2022 (Weybridge & Camberley)

 

Our ride today began at Morrison's, Weybridge, the first time we have used this cafe where pyjamas and dressing gown seem normal attire!   As the photo shows, some of our members clearly didn't want to be recognised there!   I take a learning point from this experience - if you begin a sat-nav led ride from a basement car park, expect trouble!   Despite this, my group (Brian, Steve W, Frances, Dave F, Sue C and I) set off promptly and had an uneventful ride to lunch.    I was slightly anxious for Dave J and his group - Dave had very generously agreed to sub-lead from .gpx at short notice, so we tried to keep his group in sight, the route having one or two tricky bits!   However, try as we might, we couldn't shake Dave and crew off and they arrived hard on our heels at The Claude Duvall.

Lunches were quickly ordered and promptly served (a member of staff told us Wetherspoons expect customers to receive their meals within 15 mins).   My group set off for the ride home and all went well for the first couple of miles until Brian's rear derailleur suddenly got stuck on the largest rear cog.  Steve W provisionally diagnosed an STI lever jam, and suggested loosening the gear wire and resetting the chain manually on a suitable medium cog, then re-tightening the wire.  This temporary fix worked brilliantly and Brian was able to limp bravely on for the rest of the ride!

We were bathed in pleasant sunshine as we stopped to admire the English Heritage grade 2 listed 'tin tabernacle' at Deepcut, but the gloom was back as we crossed Brooklands banking by the mysterious steps.   Two Concordes and  and a skid pan later we managed to get refreshments at Walton Bridge by the skin of our teeth (now beginning to close for the day at 3.30 pm, apparently)!

Thanks to all in my group, but special thanks to Janice and Dave Jackson.

Report from Janice's group:

Dave B, Mark, Steve, Hans, Patrick and myself were first off after a rapid refuelling stop at Morrisons. I’d actually arrived in plenty of time but my (very good) toasted tea cake only arrived minutes before we were due to leave.

The rather devious route to avoid main roads started as it meant to go on by exiting the car park via the path at the back taking most by surprise.

We felt we were making rapid progress hampered by only one wrong turn (off the A30) and a couple of hesitant last minute turns. My Garmin had decided to give slightly different information in the turn instructions compared to the route shown on the map. By the end of the ride I had worked out that the route on the map was more accurate than the turn directions. I was very glad to have recce’d the ride first and wondered how Dave had managed leading without a recce.

We arrived at the Claude Duvall in Camberley in good time. Being near Burns night several ordered haggis which I understand was very good but with peas or beans instead of the hoped for neeps. Hans was delighted to find that a pint of Leffe with his meal gave such excellent value for money that it couldn’t be missed.

The second and third groups arrived in quick succession leaving me thinking that we must’ve been hanging around on the way out.

Suitably refreshed by fairly enormous meals all round (the fish and chips must’ve been as Patrick was still too full to order a cake later on) we set off, Mark making for the station for a train to Reigate.

I was hoping for a nice tail wind home but if it was there I didn’t notice it, only the inclines on this flat ride. It was a longer route back to Walton and the remaining 5 of us stopped for refreshments, which I was certainly glad of, before the final leg home.

Thanks to Dave for this inventive route which managed to avoid most main roads, we were all kept guessing and enjoyed it. Thanks also for the good company of my group.

David Jackson wrote of his group's experiences:

To use the adage, it’s OK to make mistakes but do not repeat them more than

once, the ride began quite happily with literally a tour around the car park of

Morrison’s in Weybridge so I decided to follow Dave Ward’s group out and

along to more familiar roads. Eventually the route on Garmin locked on and we

went over the railway and on towards Addlestone. Crossing over the M25 I

decided to let DW’s group go in front of us and give us a ‘route pointer’ which

they did to a greater and lesser degree to lunch.

After lunch Dave said to follow him and his group again as the start was ‘quite

complicated’, this we did until thinking we were on the route we undertook

the climb and decent of an additional hill, however we were soon reunited

with them as they had stopped to carry out adjustments to Brian’s bike.

Due to traffic conditions, we were soon just following Garmin again and

including pushing the bikes up and over some of the original banking at

Brooklands we found ourselves back in Weybridge after which the trip to

Walton Bridge can be described as uneventful.

Dave had devised a really interesting and wonderful route which I think all in

my group enjoyed. (Too kind, I'm sure - Ed)

I would like to thank everyone in my group for their understanding and

patience for the numerous times I stopped to either adjust our route or check

it, and for their input in going the right way eventually. A real team effort!

Thanks to everyone in making it such a great day out!