A Group Christmas lunch

The date for the A Group Christmas Lunch is 13th December at The Angel Inn, Thames Ditton, Angel Road KT7 0AU.

The Lunch Menu is shown below. As stated for the B’s the price of the lunch depends on the number of courses you want.

We are also ready to collect your annual subscription (£2 per person) for 2024. Please add this to your Christmas Lunch payment if you are transferring money on-line or if paying by any other means.

Once you have made your choices, please if you can, pay for your Lunch and Subscription online to our club Bank Account, details of which will be advised via Wayfarers A group WhatsApp forum. For anyone who doesn't trust online banking please contact me by email, djacksonvictoria@aol.com, to arrange an alternative mode of payment such as cheque or cash.

Your food choices and payment needs to be sent before the 1st December together with your Cycling UK membership number, if you know what it is. Confirm also how you have paid, or intend to make the payment.

Please also advise me of any allergies you may have.

All emails should be sent to me at djacksonvictoria@aol.com, my phone number is 07788 430132

Looking forward to seeing you on the 13th.

Many Thanks

Jennie



 

 

 

Invitation to Easy Riders Christmas lunch

Our Christmas lunch will be on Wednesday 13 December, 12.30 at the Jolly Coopers pub in Hampton.

We have booked the same place as last year because the food and service was so good!

Two courses £23, three £30.

All welcome, book as soon as possible please.

Contact Helen by email

(helentovey258@gmail.com)

Report for Easy Riders - 25th October

Easy autumn ride along the Thames towpath at high tide

Heavens, nearly everybody must have been out this morning! Our two Franks, Sandra, Gillian, Anne and Maureen, Ed and Ken headed out from North Cheam for coffee at Teddington this week, trailed (at some distance) by belated me along the 75 route to Kingston.

Across beautiful Bushy Park it was lovely to greet two of the early bird B groups of riders, already on their cheery way, and to spot a pale roe stag with splendid antlers among the autumnal brown ferns. I then encountered a third group between the Park and our coffee venue, by this time I was feeling very late indeed! So very grateful to find there was still some coconut cake when I finally got to coffee, and the volunteers still cheerful and welcoming behind the counter, despite their busy mornings serving all our club.

At Elleray Hall it was good to see the Norwesters and hear their plans for the day. Brian B, Don, Ray, Bill, Bernard, and Peter T also arrived from different directions.

The Norwesters were readying themselves for departure, while our group was still deciding where we'd like to go for lunch.

We settled on the Green Man at Putney Heath, always a favourite, and I called  ahead to book for 14 while we all readied ourselves for departure.

Bill and Bernard took a direct route via Teddington Lock and Ham.  The rest of us, a dozen cyclists, were lead out by Frank C. 

We headed through Strawberry Hill to Twickenham, where we joined the Thames towpath. Here we realised that it was high tide!  There was a very narrow gap between river and wall by Eel Pie Island, we were lucky to get through without getting wet.

On past Richmond Bridge, we continued  through Isleworth and Syon Park, then along Brentford High Street to cross the river at Kew Bridge. The Thames was very beautiful in the gentle autumn sunlight and we followed it through to Chiswick Bridge. Then via Mortlake and Sheen, up Park Road into Sheen Gate and through Richmond Park and Roehampton up to Putney Heath and lunch.

We occupied a cosy corner of the Green Man, and were warmly welcomed and served by the staff, who were otherwise having a rather quiet lunchtime. Food was excellent as was our most enjoyable company.

After lunch we headed home in different directions. Sandra went down to Wimbledon Station with Ed and Bill, who wanted to catch the train home. Ray, Don, Bernard and Peter headed back to Richmond Park. Frank lead the rest of us over Wimbledon Common and to Raynes Park, where we thought we might stop for tea; but in the end opted not to do so, making our ways home for tea instead.

Thanks all for a great day out cycling, especially Frank C for leading us. It was wonderful to make the most of the lovely autumn weather and enjoy the quiet and beautiful places away from the noisy traffic.

~ Helen

A Group ride on 1st November - Cobham to Wonersh.

On Wednesday the ride will be from Cobham to The Grantley Arms in Wonersh.

18 miles with 1200ft of ascent before lunch. 16 miles with 700ft of ascent getting back to Cobham.

Thanks to Dave Vine, Janice and David Jackson who have volunteered to lead groups.

If you wish to join them please email me ( supercrocks@tiscali.co.uk ) by 6pm on Monday.

I will send out the groupings, times and gpx file on Tuesday.

B group ride to Pirbright on Wednesday 1st Nov

You are invited to join the ride to Pirbright next  Wednesday. The route will take us from elevenses at the Royal British Legion in  Cobham, out to Pirbright for lunch and return via Chobham to Walton for tea. We will be having lunch at The Royal Oak on Aldershot Rd and they do not require pre-orders. The ride is all on road; a mixture of some busier main routes and some quiet lanes. It is 15 miles to lunch and 17 miles back to tea in Walton  if there are any takers. This is the route:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44841722

The Riverside Theatre café closes at 4pm but there is another café in the High St or Walton marina café with limited inside space. Venue can be arranged with group sub leaders.

If you would like to join the group please email me by Monday evening on

Sue.foster39@gmail.com

Hope you can make it and fingers crossed for some dry weather so we can fully enjoy the lovely autumn colours.

Ride report for B Group - 25th October

Jennie and David wrote:

Two groups of riders, amounting to 23 including leaders, had early starts from Elleray Hall, Teddington in order to travel the twenty three miles to Leigh with a large section of off road in order to arrive at approximately 13.00 hours for lunch.

Traffic was pleasantly light on the road sections and in spite of all the rain we had experienced over the last few days the off road paths were all rideable. The overall route was familiar to most, Bushy Park, Kingston, Leatherhead, Brockham and into Leigh but with a few twists. We managed to take Keith down a road he had never cycled before, in itself an achievement, used a tunnel under the railway that Mark hadn’t used for some time and generally got our cycles dirty enough that they would need a clean before their next outing, a service that Anne Walker enquired as to whether the leaders would provide. Sorry Anne, no!

Just outside Leatherhead the first group were met by Terry Lowe as arranged and in Brockham by Mike Barratt who was not expected but a very pleasant surprise.

The first group arrived for lunch at 12.45 to be followed by the second just fifteen minutes later, so pretty much right on schedule.

Even though we had all arrived at the pub at the same time, the staff took control of the situation and we were all seated and receiving our food orders in a reasonable time.

At The Plough

After lunch the groups mixed up somewhat but everyone left by just after 14.00 hours, more mud along the track, Pixham Lane, Leatherhead and into Ashtead. Some decided not to go to Tea, whilst others were a little confused and didn’t realise until too late that they had missed the café stop, so headed home in good light.

The overall impression was that the riders enjoyed the day out, we certainly did!

Many thanks to those in the groups that marked corners and back marked. Surprisingly no rain, even though it got really quite dark. No punctures, just the cycles to clean later.

Maria

Well done Maria Kirkbride whose first ride with the Wayfarers it was, hopefully many more.

Thank you everyone for all your great company. 

Jennie and David

 

Tubeless Repair Kit

 Here's my tubeless repair kit.  The whole lot fits in to a small plastic bag.  Mostly, you need do nothing to seal a tyre.  Rarely, you may need a Dynaplug.  A big cut may need more than one Dynaplug, but, realistically, properly repairing a big cut isn't possible, whether you have a tubed or tubeless tyre.  In such a case you're really talking about making shift to get you home, or to the next bike shop, for a new tyre.

Mark

A Group Ride Report - 25th Ocober

17 ‘A’ Group riders met up for elevenses at Elleray Hall in Teddington. 

Brian’s Group was first off and here is his report:

Having swapped Dave's, my group consisted of Sue F, Paula, Gill, Andy and Dave F. The traffic out to Isleworth seemed easier than on the recce but I'm not used to London traffic and was pleased to reach the relative calm of St John's Road. Osterley provided a welcome green corridor before we plunged into the southern outskirts of Southall to reach the Grand Union Canal at Bull's Bridge. After the recce experience we left it at Hayes for a stretch of urban regeneration through Blyth Road. 

Stockley Park provided another almost car free section and then (following some post recce virtual exploration) went off plan down Iron Bridge Road to rejoin the canal and find a perfect tarmacked stretch of towpath as far as West Drayton. After that the towpath quality was a bit mixed but we traversed it unscathed to rejoin the original route at Packet Boat Lane.

An easy section through Iver to Langley followed where we encountered chaos and frustrated drivers as a result of an over height lorry attempting to reverse away from the railway bridge. 

An "N61 flood replacement" route across Upton Court Park brought us to the Michael's bridge near Eton where we admired the autumn colours and sunshine on the Jubilee River.

Along the Jubilee River to Dorney we realised that Clive's group were on our tail and both groups arrived at the Pineapple just before 1pm.

The return journey was going well until Laleham Road where Sue punctured. A variety of methods failed to seal the tubeless tyre and eventually a tube was fitted. By Walton Bridge the 4pm deadline for tea at the Riverhouse Barn had just passed so we enjoyed a sunny tea stop at the Marina.

My thanks to my group for their adventurous spirit, Dave F for back marking and Mike Reynell for his help and advice on tubeless tyre repair.

Clive's group was off next:

My group was comprised of Dave W, Dave B, Hans, Richard and Mike. We headed north from Teddington along Waldegrave Road towards Isleworth and then to Osterley Park. This was quite an urban section, but the traffic wasn’t too bad and there is a reasonable provision of cycle lanes. Osterley Park with its pond and open spaces provided a sudden change in scenery.  

After the park we turned West and joined the Grand Union Canal at Bulls Bridge Road. 

[A canal side residence]

On the recce last week, we continued further down the canal, but this next section was narrow in places and quite muddy and was cut out of the route for Wednesday, so we temporarily left the canal at Hayes.

[Richard, Dave B, Mike, Dave W, Hans coming off the canal at Hayes]

After leaving the canal path we went down Blythe Road, which was previously the site of the old EMI vinyl record factory and which is now being turned in to apartments and offices. 
After Stockley Park and Horton Road we got back on to the canal path at West Drayton. As we got there we saw Brian’s group go past. They had re-joined the canal earlier on, just after Stockley Park. So we stopped for a photo.

[Back to the canal at West Drayton]

We were on the canal path, for about a mile before coming off it again at Packet Boat Lane and Old Mill Lane. Another option might have been to take the Slough Arm and come off at Ford Lane which would bring you out just before Iver Village (maybe next time).

We encountered the same traffic chaos as Brian’s group at Langley Station but got through it ok and made our way to the Jubilee River via Upton Court Park where there was a good view of Windsor Castle in the distance.

We caught up with Brian’s group along the Jubilee River and all arrived at the Pineapple together where we were able to have lunch outside under some unexpected blue skies and warm sunshine. Frances’s group including Janice, Andy H, Steve D and Peter S were already there even though they were the final group to leave Teddington.

The return to the Riverhouse Barn at Walton was uneventful for our group although quite busy with traffic I thought. We came across Brian’s group who were busy grappling with Sue’s tubeless puncture which later sparked a stream of WhatsApp chat and some good advice on how to go about fixing a tubeless puncture.

From the Riverhouse Barn we headed our separate ways home, me and Richard going together to Leatherhead and Ashtead.

Thanks to my group for the company and Dave W for back marking. To Frances and Brian for sub leading and for their wisdom and suggested improvements to the route. Thanks also for their patience during the recce which I hadn’t had time to pre-recce. 

During the recce it was thought that the route may not be to everyone’s taste, or they may not have suitable tyres due to the canal and other offroad sections. Frances kindly produced an on-road route to Dorney via Virginia Water that I could offer as an alternative. All-in-all a good team effort.

Tired of talking about tubeless tyres......don't read this post!

 

Wednesday evening’s A group  Whatsapp chat was abuzz with the subject of tubeless tyre repairs. I had had my first puncture with a tubeless system and I discovered there was much I didn’t know! In order not to bore those who have no interest whatsoever in tubeless tyres and for interested members of other Whatsapp groups, I thought it might be good to share knowledge and thoughts in a blog post.

Firstly, my experience yesterday. The potholed surface of Laleham Rd ‘cycleway’ was to blame. I looked down and noticed white liquid was spurting from my front tyre and realised I had experienced my first puncture with a tubeless tyre. Now’s the time to try out my Layzene tubeless dart kit I thought. Well not so easy as presumed and we couldn’t get the tool, with the mending material through the hole. Gill came to the rescue with her Dynaplug - a device I had tried before in a teaching session and in it went with no difficulty. But by now the tyre was pretty flat. Andy had a foot pump but it made no impression on the deflated tyre coupled with the fact that there was still white liquid leaking from the tyre. At this opportune moment, the other group cycled by and Mike kindly stopped to offer assistance with his CO2 cylinder. The Dynaplug was in place but still leaking very liquid sealant and air. So, there was nothing for it but to insert an inner tube to get me home.

YouTube seemed a good place to start to learn more on the vexed subject of tubeless tyres and found a good video from the lovely Ollie at GCN:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ8HqKPrRXY

What did I learn?

If the tyre has become unseated it will be very difficult to inflate it with a hand pump and a CO2 cylinder will most often be needed to blast it back onto the rim.

CO2 can freeze some sealants rendering them ineffective and also reduce their lifespan. Muc Off sealant is compatible with CO2 however they seem a bit coy about the biodegradable credentials of their product.

If you have to resort to an inner tube to get you home, it is vital to check the inside of the tyre for things which may have punctured the tyre in the past but not caused a problem because the hole has successfully sealed.

If the hole is particularly large you will need to put something inside the tyre over the hole. Ollie suggests carrying a bit of cut up old tyre with you or even a gel wrapper should do the trick.

Janice also adds that not all sealants are compatible with each other so it is important to know what brand is in your tyres – I have no idea.

So, I currently have a beautifully inflated front tyre, complete with large gash in it, but not a working tubeless system. A trip to the bike shop I think….

Hope you find this post useful and it furthers the conversation and our knowledge around the subject. Please do add your thoughts in the comments section. 

 

The Big One-Cycle Jumble

 

No Website

Located at the Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, 

Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross SL9 0RJ

Link for sharing

Invitation to ride with B Group - 25th October

You are invited to join the B Group ride on Wednesday, starting from the Elleray Hall in Teddington and travelling south for lunch to the The Plough in Leigh. The ride to Leigh is 23 miles with a section along tree lined tracks of 4.5 miles and later a much shorter section. After lunch a short ride to Ashtead where the proposed tea stop will be at Handley’s Café, 11 miles, again with a short section of track.

There is no requirement to pre-order your lunch at The Plough but you may wish to look at the menu.

Please email me on d.jackson49@aol.co.uk by 18.00 hrs on Monday 23rd October to join the ride. Group lists and GPS info will be sent out on Tuesday.

Looking forward to seeing you then.

Jennie

A Group Ride 25th October

 

I know how much everyone loves their sandwiches, so we will be having lunch at the Pineapple in Dorney, where I am sure you are aware, they specialise in sandwiches, and which are prize winning sandwiches to boot! (according to their website)

Here is their menu.

Elevenses is at the Elleray Hall in Teddington.

Unusually, we have two routes on offer for next Wednesday:

Route 1 is a roadies route that will take you swiftly and entirely on tarmac, from Teddington to lunch at Dorney via Virginia Water and Cranbourne (route provided by Frances).

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/235059044

Route 2 is a tour of suburban Middlesex and post-industrial West London with one or two parks, and a bit of riverside nature reserve and canal tow path thrown in. There is a touch of Rough Stuff so put your winter tyres on.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/235227971

Hopefully, if the timings work out, we will all meet up for lunch in Dorney at more or less the same time.

Both routes are about 25 miles to lunch and they share the same 17 mile return journey to Walton-on-Thames for tea at the Riverside Barn. The only hill is Crimp Hill after lunch, but that’s only a yellow one on Garmin.

If you want to come on this ride then please let me know (clive.janes@gmail.com, or WhatsApp), before 6pm on Monday:

1.      Which ride you want to go on: route 1, or route 2.

2.      What sandwich you want for lunch.

Fingers crossed for the weather

Wednesday the 18th B Group Ride Report

 The route was changed the day before, to take into account the weather forecast. I therefore named the 2 groups, the Water Rats & the Water Voles. Instead of 20 miles out and 18 back I bought it done to 10 miles each way, and 2 groups leaving at 10.30 and 10.40. Very direct really, crossing Runnymdes and straight onto the towpath, which is now a good gravel path nearly all the way to the Preist Hill roundabout., then the back road to Old Windsor, Datchet, Windsor and across the bridge to Eton. We then took the riverside path to Boveney, then the last short stretch to Dorney and the Palmers Arms for lunch. We were lucky in that we had a tailwind most of the way there. But it did mean an expected headwind coming back.

The Water Rats at Boveney

We did arrive before 12, but I had phoned in the morning to let them know that we would be early, We had just finished locking our bikes when the Water Voles arrived. The Palmer Arms is great for taking big groups to, but it always to rain when we go there? I was table service, but all soon had drinks and it was not long before the food arrived. We didn't dally long as we were expecting the worst.

Both Groups at Lunch

 We all donned our rainjackets, which was a  wise decision as it soon started with a very light rain., a direct route back, to Staines, Ashford, and Charlton, we were soon down to just 3, Pam had left us at Staines and Diane and Mick elected to push on for home. Liz Gill and I decided to stop for tea at the Goat, Upper Haliford. Not a good decision, 3 for 3 turned out to be one very small teapot with 1 tea bag! Liz challenged the poor quantity and we at least got another teapot and tea bag  We made a mental note NOT to go there for tea again. Outside the rain had really set in, and all 3 of us had full waterproofs on for the last leg. Gill having just a mile to go.

All in all, we got a ride in and I still managed 40-plus miles. It was great really, everyone was cheery in spite of the expected deluge. A great crowd on an awful day. Many thanks to Ray for doing a great job of sub-leading and Diane for back-marking the Water Rats.

Tony..(King Rat)

Sub Leader – Ray Youlden

Seven Water Rats assembled at 10.40 to start our route to Doney. We set off with the wind behind us which made the peddling a bit easier, but we were not looking forward to the return journey later in the day. The route took us out along the tow path of the Thames where we turned left and cycled parallel to the Windsor Road along a path I had not used before. 

The Water Voles At Egham

At the end of this path, we returned to the road going through Old Windsor, Windsor, Datchet and Eton. Once we had crossed the Thames at Eton, we then followed the river once more, using paths and tracks to bring us out close to the pub of choice for lunch, the Palmers Arms.

It felt strange arriving so early for lunch but necessary to try and avoid the rain that was predicted to fall later in the day. Lunch was served quickly with a friendly and efficient service. Over lunch, it was agreed that we would not go to Egham on the way back, as no one would be using the train, but to cycle to Shepperton where we would decide if a tea stop was a good idea. 

We left the pub in good time and cycled the direct route home, straight into the wind that made itself immediately apparent with rain squalls hitting us while crossing the common. We then passed through Datchet, Wraysbury and Staines before stopping in Shepperton. By then the rain had become consistent but not heavy. It was decided, with the weather getting progressively worse, that going straight home with the hope of avoiding the worst of the rain was the best policy. 

A big thank you to Tim Court, Sabina, Bernard, Davey, John and Geoff for their company, humour, and their enrolment as honorary water voles for the day. Plus, a big thank you to Tony who successfully reorganised the courses to and from the pub to try and avoid the rain.

Ray (King Vole)

First Aid training day

Every so often someone has a tumble on a ride, mostly with minor scrapes and bruises, but we sometimes worry about how to cope with a more serious incident.   Jennie Jackson organised a first aid training session for a group of nine volunteers, run by a nurse, cyclist and trainer at Wimbledon First Aid Training.   It was an excellent session, tailored for cyclists, and covered most of the things we could think of, and several we hadn’t! 

Recovery position

The topics covered were:

• First aid kit contents
• Priorities at the scene of an incident (keep everyone safe as the top priority)
• Assessing  an injured person
• Recovery position
• CPR
• Head and spinal injuries
• Dealing with bleeding
• Broken bones
• Incident reporting

And then we got to practice some of the techniques, which I think made us all feel more confident that we would know what to do if called upon to help.  It was a very worthwhile and thought-provoking day.   Thank you to Jennie for organising.

Watching a video of real-life CPR (it ended well!)

If there is sufficient interest, Jennie may be able to arrange further courses.   Please contact Jennie if interested.

First Aid Kit contents

A simple first aid kit can be very small, easily carried in a cycling jersey pocket, and might help treat a minor injury or prevent something becoming more serious.

Contents can vary but might include:  a dressing for grazes, antiseptic wipes, a foil ‘space blanket’, plasters, paracetamol & aspirin(*NB), safety pins, protective gloves, a bandage.

If you have been trained, a CPR mouth protector is also recommended.

(NB.  giving medication is generally discouraged (get advice from 999 responder) but can be helpful – for a consenting adult.  You must record the time given and dose for the emergency services.)

The trainer, Jen Craven, also recommended that everyone should have the What3Words app on their phone – this identifies your location if you need to call emergency services.   She also stressed the importance of documenting all incidents and any assistance given, for the protection of all involved.  Cycling UK has an incident reporting form – if you need assistance contact any ride leader or Committee member.

Report for the Easy Riders - 18th October

Maureen kindly led the way to Walton on Thames from North Cheam this morning, via Chessington and the Dittons, through Molesey, then past St Mary's Church, taking the back route between reservoirs through to the community centre. We were all quite well wrapped after the weekend's cold snap, but it was somewhat milder this morning, so we'd worked up a thirst and healthy glow by coffee time. There we were joined by Don, Peter and Ray, and by Ann and Tony, who had wisely decided to ride with us in view of the promised heavy rain this afternoon.

All wishing to stay closer to home, we decided on lunch at the Jolly Coopers in Hampton. Booking at about 11.30, they had laid up a table for us in the lovely dining room when we arrived about an hour later. Food and drink was delicious and we enjoyed lots of chat over lunch.

Departing around 2 pm, the rain arrived as we were halfway across Bushy Park, so we didn't all quite manage to get home ahead of a good soaking! No Tea stop today. About 25 miles for North Cheamers.

~ Helen

'A' Group Ride Report - Weds 18 October

 

Apocalyptic-sounding weather forecasts are becoming an all too familiar feature of Wednesday rides.   Today's forecast was certainly bad enough to put me off but as 'A' group ride leader I was unfortunately obliged to put in an at least an appearance at elevenses!   I am humbled by those 'A' and 'B' riders who turned out of their own free will in the face of threatened adversity!

Anyway, there was a very respectable gathering at Manor Farm Day Centre.   We were made very welcome, it was very warm and cosy, and a convivial elevenses resulted, with plenty of inter-group mingling (all perfectly respectable, I assure you)!

All too soon it was time to set off, not without some trepidation.   Hans very gamely led a small but select 'A' sub-group on my route as originally planned, with lunch at Velolife, Warren Row.   They made a pretty good job of it and, fuelled by the legendary toasted sandwiches, and returned home without incident.  As far as I can tell, none of them got swept away by floods, anyway!  Many thanks to Hans for agreeing to lead from .gpx, no mean feat as with one of my routes you can never be quite sure what you are letting yourself in for!

Not without some encouragement from me, my group opted for a much shorter, hastily improvised route with a loop out to Dorney and Fifield and lunch at the Cinnamon Cafe, Windsor.  There was a little rain on and off on the way to the cafe but nothing too serious.   We certainly felt the strength of the wind as we turned westward but it was not too bothersome.

If you are going to find you have got a puncture, the Cinnamon Cafe is a pretty good place to choose!   In my case the proprietor, most solicitous as ever, promptly appeared, unbidden, with a track pump!   All was quickly sorted (or so I thought) and I had time for a cream scone before, following the customary inspection of the steam locomotive and debate (is it real or not?) we set off for home.

Rain gradually set in on the route back to Walton but it was never too bad, and the brisk headwind did not, even once, stop us in our tracks.   At Thorpe my puncture reasserted itself and I told the group to make for the safety of their arks and leave me to it - I would try to find higher ground.   The rest of the puncture saga is deemed too embarrassing for publication but suffice it to say that I did eventually manage to ride home in one piece, in good time for tea, only slightly wet rather than soaked through, but thoroughly annoyed!   I am left musing that had we attempted the original route, the cursed punctures might all have been avoided!

Many thanks to my bold and resilient group for their company and to Simon for very kindly back-marking  throughout the ride.

Report of the A Group Ride on 11th October.

The main event of the day was the Freewheel Competition and the report of that can be seen in Terry's report. After the prizegiving was over we had three compact groups of four for the ride to lunch.

Here is Dave Vine's report - 

A fair day for the Freewheel, with the prospect of a helpful tailwind down Root Hill. My group of Sue C, Peter and Brian (unfortunately minus Janice – I hope you are fully better soon) set off on time and arrived at Root Hill just in time to start descending. This year none of us achieved the magic distance, congratulations to those who triumphed, and thanks to Terry, Ed and pusher-off Tony for making it a success.

The helpful wind direction became unhelpful on the way to lunch in Horley. But no matter as Neil had arranged a short ride to the Jack Fairman. Even the sun made a brief appearance over lunch.

The ride back to Leatherhead was uneventful, before which two peeled off for home leaving two for tea in Amici. Thanks to my group for their company, and for being the only group to remain intact and pointing in the right direction throughout.

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Frances led Steve, Mark and Andy H and appears to have lunch in a reversed universe.

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I led the last group away from Brockham Green. On the outskirts of the village I looked over my shoulder and my group wasn't there. I had only gone a couple of hundred yards and had lost my whole group! I assumed they had had some kind of bike issue so I returned to the green but there was no sign of them. 

After a few phone calls I managed to locate them and we all set off for Horley where Andy C skilfully used the self-timer on his camera for this photo.

Thanks to Frances and Dave for ensuring we all had a grand day out.

Wisley and Elm Corner update

 Dave Ferrett and I wanted to be back before the rain set in today but also have an interesting ride. Plan A was to go Lightwater but this morning that seemed unlikely to meet the keep dry criteria. We also wanted a more rural ride than the outward trip to Egham. So we headed south to Thorpe via Hurst Lane and then Lyne Lane and the edge of Addlestone to Rowhook and West Byfleet. After an early lunch at the Anchor at Pyrford we set off to go over the footbridge at Wisley following last weekend's work to install the new road bridge beams.

The first challenge was to find the path. The old one from Wisley Lane is now under the embankment leading to the new bridge and new signage is only really aimed at RHS Wisley visitors. So first turn right into the Wisley entrance and then immediately left (across the painted No Entry sign!) into the stub of the old entrance road. Then signs to A3 Bus Stop Guildford take you along the west side of the new embankment.

Looking back from the bridge ramp. The old path went to the right.

The new bridge alongside the old.

At the end of the footbridge it's necessary to carry bikes down (or up) a temporary staircase - fortunately only 9 steps at a time . The old ramp ran only inches under the new bridge so had to be removed.

From here the new link from Elm Corner to Old Lane is now complete so we didn't cycle across the airfield. The old muddy track with deep holes has been transformed into this...

and emerges onto Old Lane a few hundred yards south of Ockham Bites complete with signage. From here it's not far to the Black Swan cross roads but cars tend to the drive quite fast round the bends on Old Lane so best to be visible if using this route.

Eventually the cycle/bridleway route will lead up onto the southern ramp of the new road bridge to join the shared path over the bridge. Until then we have to put up with the stairs.

We arrived home very satisfied with our exploration and almost dry just as the steady rain set in. 

B Ride - 25th October, request for sub-leader

I am looking for a volunteer sub-leader for the ride from Teddington on Wednesday 25th, going to Leigh, around 20miles, and then a shorter ride in the afternoon to tea.

I am looking to do the recce on Monday the 23rd.

Thanks

Jennie

B Group Ride Details Updated

 Due to the weather forecast for heavy rain tomorrow, the ride details have changed, please see the group Whatsapp.

Tony..

Wednesday the 18th, B Group

We will be heading North West to Dorney for lunch at the Palmer Arms. Around 20 miles with a few lumps & bumps. Afternoon tea will be at the Ferry Cafe, Shepperton Lock, around 18 flat miles. There will be a small amount of good off-road  A.M & P.M. Please PM me if you would like to join the ride

Egham Day Centre

Tony..

Join the 'A' Group Ride from Egham on Wednesday 18 October

Wednesday's ride from the Manor Farm Centre in Egham will take us 20 miles west for lunch at the now legendary cyclists' cafe, Velolife, at Warren Row, Berks (tempting toasted sandwiches, sausage rolls and cakes available, as well as hot drinks), then 25 miles back for tea at Walton Bridge or Walton Marina.

The route https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/232458761 is straightforward and will mainly be familiar from previous 'A' rides, but there may be a few stretches of road and path we have not used before.   The route is fairly flat by 'A' group standards.  There is half a mile or so of unsurfaced track where any mud can usually be avoided.

I suspect the Egham start will not appeal to some of you so I have not so far asked for volunteer co-leaders.   In the event that more than 10 ask for places on the ride I will request  volunteer(s) to lead from .gpx.

If you would like to join the ride then please let me know (cycledave23@gmail.com) by 6.00 pm on Monday 16 October.

 

Wednesday 11th Oct - B Group ride report

 

Yesterday’s B ride could best be described as short and sweet with a bit of fun thrown in.

Lovely elevenses with the delightful ladies at St Martin’s Christian Centre fortified us for a short ride and a few hills to the start of the Freewheel Competition. Tony H pushed the riders off in turn and we all seemed to travel much further than last year. Perhaps it was a slight tailwind, secret training or new wheels but we all managed to get nearer to Brockham Green than last year before coming to a halt.

With winners and runners -up decided, beautiful hand – made (by Ed) awards were given to the ladies and men’s champions. Brenda had already done sterling work with a couple of hours of hilly cycling to get to Dorking so decided to head for home from Brockham; a worthwhile day out for the person who doesn’t like descending hills quickly but went home with her prize of an inner tube as ladies runner up!

A loop of Box Hill followed for the B’s and Paula was QOM in our group, closely followed by Mr Pannell.

Colin and his team at The Running Horse  got most people’s meals out swiftly with the exception of those requiring pies! You know who you are….The lovely weather meant we could sit outside with our bikes safely in view.

We amalgamated 3 groups into 2 for tea and headed to Hampton Court. An easy after-lunch ride and an early finish which was nice for a change.

My thanks to Gill H and John A for sub-leading, Tim C for help with route planning  and all group members for their excellent company and patience.

 

Today's Freewheel Competition

This year the event took place at Root Hill. I set off first and planted a bamboo when I stopped, and was soon followed and overtaken by many others. Sue Foster duly noted the ladies’ progress.

The award winners were:   

Lady who went furthest: Frances

Runner-up: Brenda

Gent who went furthest (as last year): Andy Huddart

Runner-up: Steve Duffin.

As usual Ed Sharp produced a pair of unique, beautiful wood turnings with decorative cycling fittings, thanks Ed.

Frances with her trophy, Andy looking on

Fine, dry, cool weather with little wind and little traffic helped.

Hope to see you all next year,

~ Terry

Tips and Tricks for the Freewheel Competition

Way back in 2011 Terry wrote this helpful document. It contains many pearls of wisdom to give you a competitive edge for this Wednesday.

Wayfarers Freewheel Competition

The Wayfarers fwc (free wheel competition) is held annually about this time and this year will be held on Wed 11th October (as publicised in The Sou’Wester).

A few thoughts before the event.

In ideal conditions of no wind (but tail wind would obviously help), the smaller personal frontal area the better, less wind resistance means you travel quicker and consequently further.

So – any forward-facing hemispherical protuberances e.g. caused by consumption of vast quantities of alcoholic beverages could create a disturbance to the airflow around you, thus affecting your distance travelled, so either get rid of them or, probably easier, try and smoothly blend them in.

Owners of a large proboscis should keep ‘eyes front’ – unless there is a side wind, in which case try to turn the head 90° (to reduce area exposed to the wind).

Any helmetless follicly challenged person could take advantage of the situation by a light application of Cherry Blossom (or similar) light tan polish.

Conversely, anyone with excessive facial follicles should seriously consider appearing clean shaven for the event (and hopefully remaining so) – if an award winner, proof of identity will be required.

Polish (or, at least, clean), front forks and head tube.

Ensure the lever of quick release wheels is horizontal.

On the day – head down, tyre pressures up, one eye looking for pot-holes, one eye looking for tractors, one eye analysing the road ahead and selecting the optimum route, think thin (unless it’s a tailwind), cranks horizontal – and – good luck.

See you at the bottom of the hill.

Terry