Ride Report 13 July - the Hedgerley bootleg rides

The problem with New Haw is its a long way out but not far enough out to get further into the North Hampshire Downs which at the moment is the area I most want to explore and ride. I led a ride out to North Hants a few weeks ago (22 June), so with the ride miles 'budget' this needed to be a different direction. And so it was Hedgerley - we haven't visited it for a while, and it is one of the finest venues for a sunny lunch. The uptake for the ride was a bit slow, with feedback that it was too far given the heatwave. Simon offered to lead a bootleg route starting closer and going there more directly. This fitted Frances' comments after our recce, and as news circulated a few more riders who wanted a slower pace signed up to join at Shepperton who would not otherwise have made it. 

At New Haw it was pleasing to see Patrick who had messaged 'unable to join due to a late arising work commitment' for the day, but had been able to rearrange it. We rode the familiar favourite sections of Foxhills, Gracious Pond Lane then a loop around Chobham Common.  Chobhams 'Steep Hill' road is not steep, but as it turns into Sparrow Row that is a 10% section. I was looking for a stop off point for a photo but didn't see one in time that was safe for eight of us, so we stopped as we came into Sunningdale I talked a bit about Chobham Common, that the history about it is scant on the web, eg why is Gracious Pond Road so named? And as promised, here are details of a Chobham Comon website and a guided walk on 31 July that will interest some of us.. . 
2022 Chobham Common History Walk     
Once inside Windsor Great Park we got our group photos and as hoped a kind person stepped up to get us all in .. [ Neil, Jon, Steve, Dave B, Brian, Clive, Ged, Richard ].

I advised the important thing about Crimp Hill down was there's no need for brakes but that seemed to go unheeded.. I had time to get this snap at the bottom of Crimp Hill as the group arrived - a splendid floral local tribute to cyclists . . 

The route thru Datchet and Langley mostly avoided the Slough urban spoil, and soon we were back into proper countryside as we approached Hedgerley. The pub was idyllic, quaint passionate displays of home cooked food and many real ales, with cheery service, we appreciated that the main pergola was reserved for us .. 

Andy H. had an early start for an evening out, Strava showed me he did Andrew Hill on the way back, and that he got fastest time of the people I follow. I was pleased all my group got up Andrew Hill ok, a 15% incline is more challenging straight after lunch. And pleasantly surpised Jonny W. got 2nd faster ascent. On the Monday recce we diverted left off Alderbourne Road to go through a shallow ford .. but the intervening 24 hours of heat had left it completely dry. Back thru urban roads, most of us settled for a finish at the Shepperton lock cafe. The group said the pace was about right, overall it was just below 14mph for ride time. 

Thanks Ged for backmarking, Frances, Dave and Simon for sub-group leads.

Simon's report . .

I became a co-leader of today's lovely ride by accident.  I planned an alternative route to Hedgerley because 28 miles to lunch was a bit too much of an A+ group ride for me.   I let Neil know and offered to lead anyone else who wanted a shorter ride, and the next day, Neil had two groups of six organised for the shorter ride, so a good choice for everyone.

After a fairly direct route from Shepperton to Slough we followed Neil's route through the wooded lanes around Stoke Poges and Farnham Common.  

Excellent service and food in the pub garden - we would have liked to stay longer (and possibly rehydrate a bit more) but reluctantly set off back to Shepperton Lock - just as Steve was just ordering a dessert!  My lovely group all stuck together well, and despite being labelled as the "slow" group I like to think we kept up a good pace for a "regular" A group ride.   

Dave our chairman with Captain's mug..  <caption is brewing> 
 

Thank you all and especially to David F for back marking, and Neil for being so accommodating, and for organising a lovely day out.

  

Dave W. writes..

Janice, Fiona, Andy, Steve D, Patrick and I set off promptly from New Haw Day Centre as the last group away.   We weren't exactly flying along and I began to find it harder and harder to keep up a respectable pace.  Even going downhill seemed to be a struggle!   At first I blamed the headwind, then the heat, then the weight of my steel bike, then a dropped saddle, then a mystery illness, then I decided I must need a full leg transplant!   In the end, a casual inspection of my bike at a level crossing stop revealed the true cause of my malaise - my back brake had got misaligned and one of the pads was rubbing!  No one had told me they could smell burning rubber!  That quickly sorted, we started to make up for lost time and were relieved to arrive at the White Horse, which seemed to us like a desert oasis, just about by 1.00pm.

The White Horse was a very good choice by Neil.   Usually the enjoyment of a stop here is slightly marred by the thought of the stiff climb to come immediately on leaving the pub, but Neil had even thought of that, by taking us round a longer, prettier, and slightly less steep way detour.   

Andy and Patrick had left us at lunch and the rest of the route home was, except for a bit of irritating traffic, plain sailing.  We would have been in plenty of time for tea at Nutty Lane Garden Centre, but all preferred to press on for the shade of their own homes!

Thanks to all for a problem-free ride (apart from my issues, that is), and for sticking to me like glue, thanks to Steve D for back-marking, and thanks to Neil W for his fulsome efforts in devising a brilliantly well organised, lovely and inventive ride.   How pleasant to get out into 'leafy Bucks' again for a nice change, and when will someone next take us to one of our old haunts there (Aston, Hambledon, or Littlewick Green to name but a few)?

and from Frances .. 

We all enjoyed meet up at Shepperton and swiftly made our way to pub. Ride back was busy and slow but end result at Shepperton Lock saved the day. Great team work by all. Many thanks team.