Ride report 'A's from Yvonne Arnaud to the Star Inn Bentley

Fiona and Clive rode the route with me the previous Friday, we agreed on some revisions, switching the pub venue to the Star and reducing the ride length a little. My thanks to both for leading so well and making it a great day's riding.   

Fiona writes .. 

We had a great day. Once Mike and Dave had fixed my sqealing front wheel, Andy, Janice, Patrick and myself set off last. After a brutal introduction to the ride with a climb up The Mount we settled into a comfy pace, enjoyed the lovely views and quiet country roads.

The Star at Bentley were very welcoming and served us quickly and it was good food at a reasonable price.

On the ride back we all took turns in the front and it wasn’t long before we were back in Guildford enjoying cake and ice cream. The Open Grounds Cafe at Millmead were immediately outside setting up extra tables for us and sunshades. A lovely place to end the day.

Thank you Neil for a good route and for my group for their company and support.

Clive writes. . 

We were the first group off from Guildford and there was a serious climb straight out of the blocks. We left elevenses at the Yvonne Arnaud theatre with some trepidation. But The Mount was surprisingly easy (?)and when we reached the top, the group just wanted to keep pushing on. But it seemed a shame not to take the opportunity to stop and admire the view across to the Cathedral and beyond. While we were taking in the vista (sic. resting), Andy C took this picture of the group with an actual camera, you don’t see many of those these days.

Clive, Steve, Richard, Brian, Andy C, Dave E

After getting our breath back, we continued along the ridge and enjoyed the long sweeping descent down to Compton where we picked up the NCN 22 and went off road for a while through Puttenham Golf Course. The route took us through Seale, The Sands and on to Farnham where I made my first navigational error of the day (or was it the second one?). Fortunately, I had a very experienced group of riders in tow and these errors didn’t go unchallenged for long, so no damage done. Steve even came up with a detour on the fly in Farnham to get us back on track.

At some point after Farnham, Andy remarked that we must be in Hampshire as the traffic had suddenly dropped off and we were cycling along very quiet lanes and beautiful countryside. After Crondall we passed an airfield, we thought it might be Lasham.

We arrived at The Star Inn at Bentley seconds before the third group, led by Fiona. So, we were first to the bar to order drinks and food where we had a very cheerful welcome from the bar staff. The food was very good (scampi, chips and peas for me), reasonably priced and efficiently served. While we were sitting outside in the courtyard having lunch, Andy got out his OS map. It was Odiham airfield, not Lasham.

Compulsory group photo outside the pub (Janice photo-bombing)

On the return journey we were honoured to have our chairman, Dave Vine, join our group. The route took us through Alice Holt Forest, Elstead and Hurtmore. Somewhere along here Fiona’s group passed us while we had stopped for Steve to take a phone call. Would they have gone passed otherwise? I guess that question will have to remain un-answered.

We had the final climb of the day up Sandy Lane before rolling down hill to the tea stop at the Open Grounds Café on Millmead, where we met up again with Fiona’s group.

Neil writes .. 

These are the days we love, a rare treat - a summer ride day in England AND with proper summer weather! We have wonderful hills and trails in Surrey, August is an ideal time to ride the North Downs way out west. 

My group was 2nd out, Jenny led a powered pace up the Mount, then Dave J. passed me, this triggered me to try and keep up, positivity overcame reality and I did! 

It was great to have Dave B. out riding with us again, along with Mike we kept to a good pace, but not rushing, and Dave B. made it all round no problem, except, as he said, having kn**ered legs by the end. Jenny and Dave, such accomplished riders, surprised me when Jenny said she hadn't done the N. Downs Way from Compton before, explaining her delay was getting snagged by some roots in the path. The N22 from Puttenham going west was like a new route because this time we did it the other way to normal. Beyond The Sands, along the quiet road thru the wealthy estates we saw spectacular houses and landscaped gardens. After a while we dropped down to Farnham, where they had considerately added floral displays to make the puncture repair spot pretty for us.

We needed to find a cycle shop, google showed the Electric Bike Cafe was nearby so I went there with Dave. I told the barrista we needed an inner tube for a road bike. Her face revealed her thinking "I know I ought to know what one of them is, but ..", this came out verbally as "We might have one but I'm sorry the owner is out at the moment". !!. So we found there is a 2nd bike shop and went there. 

Past Crondal the 3 miles of Itchel Lane were great, then the best surfaced footpath imaginable, with a view of RAF Odiham. Some of you know KPRC's Barry Toogood. At the YA coffee break Andy H. had told me this is where Barry's son Alex is based, piloting Chinooks. As we rode back towards Bentley one of these marvels flew parallel to us for a while.  

We arrived at the Star Inn as the other groups were preparing to leave. The courtyard looked good in the sun, and the food and service were good. 

The return went steadily, a short stretch of the route thru Alice Holt Forest was not 'official' but its not the kind of place anyone would be officious to us about it. Taking this section openned up some new lanes for us. Then onto familiar roads.

At the bottom of Sandy Lane my group released me to press on and try and get to Open Grounds before 4, happily I got there at 3:58. The staff said sorry, no frappuccino, but could do me an expresso ice cream milk shake. Yes please! I joined Steve and Andy on the balcony, what a fine setting to rest and recover.