Report for B Group - 10th April

In order of departure ...

Bernard writes:

We started from Saint Martin’s church, Dorking.  The entrance is graced with a relief of Vaughan Williams.  Inside the light is splintered by the stained-glass windows into all the colours of the rainbow.

Outside were gathered the cyclists.

The sun was out, and it felt good to feel its warmth.  Paying no heed to the grey clouds hovering in the distance, waiting, we took off.  Cutting across the High Street, leaving the everyday business of town behind us, we hit the first incline which came almost without warning. On that exposed lump of green we felt the tethering of the wind:  Larks ascending.

Soon we were in full hearty flow, cycling along quiet country lanes.  Dandelions on parade on either side.  All about nature was in good cheer.  Up Trumpet’s Hill and on we pedalled.

At Peter’s calling we stopped time and went back to the 1400’s…to a manor built by the Tudors.  And then on we pedalled and neared our lunch stop.  There amid the commerce of our century, where plants in pots sell for good money, stands a 500-year-old tree.  It now kept watch over us as we settled.

It was then that we all noticed, felt, a change in the weather.  Winter’s comeback:  Those hovering clouds we had hoped to leave behind had caught up with us.  The sun was gone.  That grey shard of wet now splintered upon us.  On our bikes we got; the damp on our backs made them heavy.  On we pedalled, ever determined, up the long, long incline to our destination, Banstead, avoiding potholes, sunken drains and side ditches.  And arrive we did…all of us…our band of cyclists.

My cycling companions were Sabina, Peter, John, Stephen and Chris.  Thank you for a great ride.  Thanks to Andy for creating this route.  Thanks to Steph for your encouragement and thanks to Christina for your leadership.

~ Bernard

Steph writes:

I was sub leading the second group out from Dorking which gave lots of time to chat and admire the very delicious array of home baking .  The scones with jam and cream were particularly tempting but as I d sampled them on the reccy I settled for a cheese scone wrapped up to have for lunch.  Mick joined our group making a magnificent seven setting off over the Cotmandene green.  The lanes were beautiful and very quiet, but stopping on Wonham Lane I could hear Christina and her group catching us up.  They passed but later at the comfort stop near the lake we caught them up again.

 

The old dears by a gate at Wonham Manor

Lots of young deer but no sign of the Sultan

We were soon at lunch, everyone chose sensibly to avoid the 45 minute wait for food (Robert made up for it at teatime with a huge plate of sandwiches and salad at Banstead).  The afternoon of 3 hills was challenging but the downhills were great, and Brenda on her first ride out for a while got up them all !   Thanks to all for a great day out and Tim for backmarking.

Steph's merry crew in Merstham

~ Steph

Christina writes:

I set my sights on the route the first time I rode it, on Sunday 3 March with C&M, led by Andy Coxhill. On that sunny Sunday, our lunch place Prior Farm Cafe was too busy to accommodate us cyclists. This gave me another reason to clone the route and try the Prior Farm for lunch on a weekday for our Wayfarers ride.

Standing by before departure

A pit stop at the Earlswood Lakes

Prior to lunch, we went through many quiet country lanes in Surrey, some familiar, others unfamiliar, or probably not in the "right" order to our "usual" routes.

Our lunch venue, Prior Farm Garden Center Cafe, is adjacent to a Children's outdoor adventure Discovery Land with Hill trails and a sizable lake. They serve decent food with hot and cold drinks, a little bit chilly and busy for alfresco dining, nevertheless, my group of riders shared a few jokes and some food and chocolates.

After lunch, we headed up and down hills towards Merstham, Chipstead and Banstead, again not necessarily in our "usual" order (towards Redhill or Caterham).

Thanks to Andy Coxhill for the original route and Tim C for superb IT skills to draw the route for us.

Thanks for Bernard, Stephanie and Sabina for your enthusiasm and skills for leading the ride especially for Bernard the 1st time for leading. Well done all.👍👏

Initially we had 17 signed up riders. On the day, we had Ian Williamson, Bob Pannell and Pete Beyer joining us for most of, or some of the ride.

I would like to thank my group of riders Francis, Fixie Dave, Tony Hooker, Ian W, Ken Day, Bob P for your jovial company. To Bob P and Francis for back marking. Thanks to Mick Arber for fixing my Garmin Edge which lost a screw on the way to 11s, so that I could use it for leading the ride.

I hope everyone enjoyed the undulating ride in the pleasant land without getting too wet or muddy😀

~ Christina