Report for B Group - 29th March

Jennie and David write:

A staggering 34 riders registered for the ride last Wednesday from Layla’s Café in Effingham which we split into three groups. On the morning we had a couple of DNS and one additional participant, Ken Day, who is always a welcome addition to any ride.

Spaced fifteen minutes apart, the groups set off in some indifferent weather to undertake the main climbs of the day, Calvert Road followed by Green Dene. After these two were out of the way the ride became ‘undulating’ rather than ‘hilly’.

The route meandered through Chilworth, Bramley, Peasmarsh and into Godalming. Even with such large numbers lunch was taken at ease in the Jack Phillips, the advantage of using a Wetherspoons.

Fed and watered it was a short way into Guildford, where some stopped off for an easier return home. Those continuing were able to follow an ingenious route past Stoke Park and the outskirts of Guildford where we made our way to the cycle path down along the A3 and to Ripley and thence the usual roads into Cobham and afternoon tea in a crowded Gail’s.

We give special thanks to Dave Ward who’s route we recycled, Tim Court for leading the middle group, Tim Gibbons, Fixie Dave and Colin Garrod for back marking in their various groups and lastly to everyone who came on the ride and helped to make it such an enjoyable day out.

Jennie and David J

Tim C. writes:

Our second B Group team, a leader with ten passengers, left Layla’s a little later than scheduled. Layla herself probably needed the rest of the day to recover after Hurricane Wayfarers had swept through downtown Effingham and demolished the entire contents of her little café.

We headed up Green Dene with the leader taking his turn as back marker. At the top we found ourselves engulfed in high altitude fog from which Carolyn materialised to join us for the rest of the ride to lunch. We managed to descend Combe Bottom rather than Staple Lane and were soon progressing through Albury and Chilworth. Chinthurst Lane, and the rest of the route into Godalming was scenic, yet pleasantly unfamiliar, with the added bonus of being flat.

We ate well at The Jack Phillips, one of Tim Wetherspoon’s nicer pubs in my opinion, and as it was still not raining we lined up outside after lunch for a team photo.

We threaded through the backstreets of the town and made our way to Guildford, using cycle paths wherever we found them. We dropped Carolyn and Anne off at the station and proceeded by a quiet route through to Stoke Park and Burpham. We took the cycle path alongside the A3 to Ripley then turned down Grove Heath Road for our customary route into Cobham.

All three groups appeared to be at Gail’s Bakery at the same time but the staff coped well. Many of us were lucky to be treated to our afternoon tea by Chris who had recently celebrated a very significant birthday. Thank you Chris and happy birthday.

Thanks to Tim G for being a most effective back marker and thanks to everyone for your company and good cheer throughout the day. Thanks to David J. for planning a good ride. 

~ Tim C