A Group ride to Holyport.

 

My first ride as group leader - a fair few gremlins did their best to make it a challenging one.

Another beautiful day. 18 signed up for the ride to Ascot ( which following our recce we realised wasn’t a good idea on the first day of Royal Ascot ).

With a new route sorted that circumnavigated Ascot. We set off in 3 groups. With 2 new riders - Paul and Justine, welcome.

Our pub stop at The White Hart, Money Row Green, provided a very efficient and good lunch along with pleasant, welcoming staff.

I led the first group  - Andy H, Neil W, Steve D and Janice. We had a good paced ride out with very little traffic until Windsor Road. After that our pace picked up again. Arriving at lunch - the staff had our names and food choices listed, which they served quickly. 

Post lunch, we set off at a brisk pace to arrive at The Ferry, Shepperton for tea and cake. 

Thank you very much to my sub leaders - Ged and Clive who coped admirably with my many wrong terms on the recce and the altered route around Ascot which hadn’t been recce’d.

Thank you to my group - enjoyable company, as always.

Ged’s report

The many revisions and updates to the route made by Fiona paid off handsomely - it was an ideal longest-day ride in gorgeous sunshine. We missed a turn at the prominent Holy Trinity Church,Sunningdale, but resisted the temptation for coffee and cakes in the Church Hall. (Notable Victorian Gothic Revival architects, George Street and John Scott - son of George Gilbert Scott, were responsible for the design). The White Hart made us very welcome, and we reached the Ferry Cafe just the first - and fast group, were leaving. Thanks to Neil C, ably assisted by Dave V. for backmarking , and to Richard, Dave and Jennie, for making-up the sextet. Well done Fiona for a very well executed first assignment!

Clive’s report

My group was the last of the three A Groups to leave the Weybridge Community Centre and was comprised of: Sue Chasty, Dave Ellis, Simon Lambourn, Peter Suchy and two riders that were new to the As, Justine H and Paul Guiste.

From Weybridge we headed off towards Addlestone and thento Ottershaw before we were cycling through the shady lanes and countryside around Chobham Common. We were able to avoid the worst of the Ascot Races traffic by skirting round it through Sunningdale and Cranbourne, although there were quite a few helicopters buzzing around which made it feel like we were in the Tour de France.

After cycling through some beautiful open countryside under the mid-summer Sun, we arrived at our lunch stop; the White Heart in Holyport. The other two groups were already there, but we managed to find a table in the garden, under the shade of a tree, where we enjoyed our lunch which was efficiently served up.

The afternoon ride to tea was a bit shorter than the morning and took us through Bray where this picture was taken on the bridge over the Thames near Bray Marina.

[Simon, Peter, Dave, Justine, Sue, Paul]

By the time we arrived at Nauticalia for tea the first group led by Fiona had already gone (well they did average 16mphapparently) but the second group led by Ged were still there and we joined them for well earned tea and cake before dispersing home.

Thanks to Fiona for organising a really fun, fast route and also for stepping up to join the ranks of ride leaders. Thanks to Simon for back marking and welcome to Justine and Paul; hope you will be able to join us for a ride again soon.