I had planned a not too strenuous route 20 miles south from Redhill to Rusper, but as you all know the weather can change things quickly. I had ridden a bridlepath in the summer past Thunderfield Castle and wanted to include it as part of the ride. Big mistake. Brian Greenwood kindly emailed to warn against it and on doing a recce on Saturday found the path to be a quagmire. So a change of route to tarmac and we are good to go again. I didn't reckon on constant rain however.
So on the day seven met up at the Methodist Hall in Redhill ready to ride. Just getting there was an achievement with two major hills and a 26 MPH headwind. So hats off to Patrick, Dave Vine, Dave Ward, Andy Coxhill, Ged, Sue Chasty and Clive for braving the elements. To be honest it was simply wet and very windy, but the temperature was a mild 9 degrees. Although Dave Ward was not joining us on the ride he dutifully appeared for coffee and outlined his plans to cycle up to Decathlon in London for some shopping!
When it was time to leave I noticed the weatherproof clothing choices everyone was wearing. Always good to test clothing. I was trying out my new Goretex Shake Dry jacket as recommended by Janice. It proved a very reliable and breathable piece of clothing.
Our first challenge was the climb up Hooley Lane followed quickly by Philanthropic Road which wasn't helped by a gusty headwind at the top. The wind blowing from the SSW was a constant energy sapper. It also didn't help riding through wet roads which slowed the wheels down as they sucked up water. The route took us down then through South Nutfield and Outwood to Smallfield. Then west to Horley. The roads were so flooded we were in the middle of the highway a lot to avoid the puddles and whatever lay beneath! I misread the rain soaked sat nav and tried crossing Horley station by the footbridge until Ged and Dave Vine pointed out there was a subway crossing underneath the railway line. From there the roads seemed to get worse through Norwood Hill with potholes everywhere. Even Collendean Lane which had been resurfaced some 5 years ago had cracks in the tarmac where the shoulders had sunk under the weight of heavy traffic. It seemed like an age, but we eventually reached The Star at Rusper where we were promptly served and seated next to the fire, which unfortunately had not been lit. It was warm and cosy nevertheless and we had our lunch. Suitably refreshed we didn't want to leave.
However, as it was still raining, albeit not so heavily I abandoned my planned route for a straight forward dash north to Leatherhead helped along by the notorious SSW wind which became our friend on the way home.. Patrick, Andy and I stopped at Charlie and Ginger for tea and the rest of the magnificent seven made their way home. As the rain wasn't heavy I remained curiously dry under all the clobber, but I was mightily impressed by my new jacket. Inside we met four B group riders including Bob and Diane and we were able to have a chat before making our way home.
So we had a good ride all things considered. Exhausting, but sociable and no punctures or mechanical problems to make the ride harder than it was. Heartfelt thanks to the seven wayfarers who braved the weather and particularly to Dave Vine who backed marked for us and struggled after being off his bike for four weeks. We all know how that goes, it's tough! Thanks also to Tim Court and Andy Coxhill for the photos.
Steve D.
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