TriVets rides 15th June

Firstly let me set some expectations. I will update this as work in progress over the next few days rather than wait for a full set of reports. There are photos on the WhatsApp group and adding some of those may take longer. Dieppe now takes priority.

More importantly are two things:

A huge thank you to all those who helped: Jennie and David in particular, Pam, Maureen, Terry, Liz, Mike and those who baked and/or contributed cakes. Also behind the scenes to the help and support for me from Mark and Simon who did it last time. Not least the group leaders who did a wonderful job.

There was a lot of very positive feedback yesterday from our visitors as well as from SW London riders and I have received several emails today from external participants praising the leaders, Brockham food and organisation and the friendliness of the club. We have a lot to be proud of. 

Ride reports:

100 miles

08.00 Dave Vine

My group of 8, with 5 Sou’Westers and 3 guests, left first in the cool of the morning and finished last in the cool of the evening. We visited the excellent and welcoming new Busbridge Church café, well worth a revisit. There we could enjoy our coffee overlooked by Lutyens’ monumentally ugly grave of Gertrude Jeckyll, noted garden designer, who lived nearby in Munstead Heath.

    

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The afternoon was a contrast, initially for our reluctance to leave in the heat after such an excellent lunch. Traffic was busy, schoolkids everywhere. Yet there were the orchids on Outwood Common to admire, and the 1,000 year old Yew at Crowhurst. Fatigue necessitated a stop at Lingfield petrol station to top-up on essentials, a real contrast to the morning’s coffee calm. Yet despite the fatigue, all were well pleased to be welcomed back to Brockham to applause and cake-based comfort. Thanks all my group for good company and especially to Alan Imeson for back marking and to Fixie Dave for all round fixing anything that needed fixing.

 8.10 Clive Janes

8.20 Neil Crocker

8.30 Ged Lawrenson

With three of our five having recently completed the Ride London-Essex 100 - and, not to mention Frances and myself, the Shoreham Century last week, we had miles in our legs. But it was still challenging! We were joined by the only daughter and dad, Jo and Peter. Unfortunately Jo punctured just after Hyderstile, but being passed by earlier groups, meant we had The Nest to ourselves for elevenses. Before lunch, the ducks at the Weare St. pond weren't interested in yet more photos. We pressed on to Costas at Lingfield, (hillier than expected) and arrived back at Brockham with half-an-hour in the bank for the 100 in 10. I hadn't recced the morning's ride, so thanks to Frances as my back-up navigator, and also for smoothing the potential puncture crisis. The best Tri-Vets to date!

8.40 Janice Dawes

We set off nearly 20 minutes late due to car and traffic issues suffered by some of our group. However, we quickly settled into a good pace helped by having a rotation system whereby we each spent 10 minutes on the front before dropping back to enjoy the next 70 minutes being towed along. I think it worked well and hope everyone else agreed. 

As planned, we didn’t stop on the pre-lunch leg thereby avoiding lost time at a cafe stop and, by keeping time down, the need to find a loo. Most of us carried snacks to keep us fuelled en route. 

After a brief but enjoyable lunch (salty crisps and rolls tasted so good after all the sweet snacks) we were off again. 

Slight differences in pace from the morning became more apparent in the afternoon so I reluctantly took an executive decision to send the fastest 4 ahead and they commendably finished in under 7 hours. The back 4 finished in under 8 and even had the ‘luxury’ of a pit stop at Tesco Express in Lingfield for ice cream and cold water. 

A great day out and with superb weather too! Many thanks to all those who gave up their time in the planning and organising. 

100km

9.00 Tim Court

9.10 Brian Greenwood

 

A briefing at the start suggested that the average speed of my group was a bit faster than the slower Bs but not much and that this was quite a long ride for some. Nevertheless we made very respectable progress to Outwood and when Simon's group overtook us it took a long time before we lost their back marker from sight. Speed picked up on the flat after Horne and having decided against a coffee stop we were the first group back at Brockham having averaged well above earlier expectations.

 

We enjoyed Weare Street but the heat and earlier exertions were beginning to tell. There was not a lot left in some legs for the long pull up Somersbury Lane. The attractions of the Scarlett Arms were too much to resist where the magical properties of Diet Coke plus a sweet ot two revived the tiredest legs and so a happy band returned to Brockham in good spirits.

9.20 Simon Lambourn

As well as organising the ride, Brian had laid on gorgeous weather yesterday.   My lovely group riders followed the 100k route, doing the eastern half in the morning with a coffee stop in Horley.  Laden down by the lunchtime feast, we did the more shady western loop as the temperatures rose in the afternoon.   We were all a bit jaded by the time we reached Walliswood and the temptations of the Scarlett Arms but decided to push on to Capel for ice cream before our triumphant return to Brockham and the assault on the final mountain (of cake) that awaited us.

It was a memorable day, and we are hugely grateful to many people who gave up their day to work long hours at Brockham to make it such a success.   Jennie, Maureen, Pam and Liz helping with catering, David, Terry, Peter B and Mike for tracking riders, herding cats and organising us to get on the road, Mark for designing the beautiful routes, and of course Brian who led the  whole thing.   Plus all those who stayed behind after their ride to help clear up.  The fact that it looked easy on the day conceals the amount of sheer hard work that went into it.   Thank you all.

 

50km

 

1100 Helen Tovey