When I sent the invitation for this week's ride, the forward weather forecast for ride day was a nice bright and mild day. However, events in the following days overtook us and it was a very different picture in the lead up.
17 riders eventually signed up by Monday evening, plus myself and Steve D, making 19 in total. The torrential rain on Tuesday night and early on Wednesday morning led to 3 cancellations (I was expecting more!!..), so eventually 16 of us set off from Weybridge.
First away was Steve Duffin.......
Having completed a recce with Dave B the Friday before the ride I was struck by the number of quiet lanes we rode. It was a sunny day and the autumn colours promised a spectacle. On the Wednesday I started off in rain and couldn't help wondering what the weather had done to the route. So it was with some trepidation that I led Dave Vine, Sue Foster, Paula, Neil C, Neil W, Keith and Ged as our back marker from Weybridge. However the sun shone and it was dry. Another wardrobe faux pas!
The first section north to Laleham was off road and easy to negotiate. Then came Staines, which had low traffic volume and very soon came the off road path next to the King George VI reservoir. This was a rough concrete path with muddy sections, broken and slippery. It was a boneshaker path. At the end Sue found she had a puncture in the rear tyre. Dave and Neil C rolled up their sleeves and soon changed the inner tube and pumped up the tyre again. The second group arrived and passed us. However we followed not far behind and soon we were cycling through Black Park off road, then Fulmer and Hedgerley. The White Horse did a good job, getting the excellent food to us quickly. I thought it strange that we had to pay separately for food and drink, however the variety was very good. We found out Simon had taken a tumble and hurt his ribs. He also sported a bloody left knee, but he appeared to be in good spirits so hopefully will heal up quickly.
We set off again for the River House Barn cafe in Walton at 1.35 pm. Once again the route had some off road, but with the advantage of bypassing Slough and Egham. Just before our entry into Herschel Park north of Eton, Paula had a tumble and locked the rear brake caliper onto the wheel rim. Neil C managed to free the caliper and we went on. The route proved fast from here. Just as well, because my phone sat nav was down to 12 % battery. Finally we reached the cafe for a welcome cuppa. I even managed to get home before it rained.
Dave B chose the route from a ride we did in 2018. What a good idea! Another excellent route, thanks to Dave. I appreciated the company of my fellow riders and many thanks for the solid back marking of Ged. Always nice to have someone reliable behind you.
My group were set to go but we were one missing...Steve W was nowhere to be seen, and just as were leaving he called to say he was running late....no problem, we picked him up as the route came over Chertsey Bridge, so all good. So I led Hans, Simon, Sue C, Janice, Patrick, Dave W and Steve W
After the extremely heavy rain early in the morning, the weather gods now seemed to be smiling on us, and we rode the morning section with blue skies and sunshine for the most part. The little-used path from Staines up to Stanwell Moor, along side the River Colne, between the reservoir and Staines Moor, was for the most part navigated by all but was long, bumpy and strewn with fallen leaves and muddy in patches....now we know why it's little used !!
After passing Steve's group at the end of the path fixing a puncture, we carried on via Colnbrook and Iver, and the through Langley Country Park and on to Fulmer and Hedgerley.
Here we were well looked after as always by the staff, and lunch was served quickly.
Somebody had definitely turned the thermostat down after lunch, and the clouds had appeared and the return of the rain seemed imminent. We made it through Stoke Poges, Slough and the Ditton Park and over the M4 back into Datchet for the run back to Walton, via Sunnymeads and Wraysbury, but instead of the usual route via Laleham, we went over the bridge in Staines and down through Thorpe into Chertsey, and then on to Walton, all without any rain to dampen the way.
Nobody had spotted that this was direct repeat of a route that I had led in May 2018, even those that I knew had been on that ride...I shall spare the names !!....or maybe it was that bad that they wanted to forget it !!
Thanks to all who braved the chance of rain and were rewarded with a dry day (although not necessarily dry roads), to Dave W for back-marking my group, and to Steve D for leading the second group.
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