A Group to Shoreham - 12th June

Seventeen A Group riders gathered at Tanhouse Farm for a ride down to the coast at Shoreham.

We were the first group off and were comprised of Clive (that’s me), Sue C, Keith R, Brian, Dave F and Mike B, who gallantly volunteered to back mark us. It was the first time I had met Mike, and I hope he will be able to join us more often. 

We were pipped to the start line by Fixie Dave’s B Group, so we were all one big group for a short while. We worked hard to establish a gap, but in the process lost our back marker who was stuck, or maybe chatting?, with the Bs. Anyway, it wasn’t too long before he was back with us.

Somewhere after Colgate, it might have been Hammerpond Road, Janice’s group overtook us, but we soon came across them again at the pond in Warninglid where they had stopped to take some photos.

As you can see from the photo it was fairly sunny, and fairly warm, for the first part of the ride. But, as we approached Shoreham, the clouds thickened and without the Sun the temperature dropped.

In a break with tradition, lunch in Shoreham was not at The Bridge Inn this year but at the Swiss Cottage. 

The Swiss Cottage has a large outside area, good for storing bikes, but unfortunately underutilised for dining on this occasion, due to the chilly weather. On ordering our food at the bar we were given the bad news that there would be a 35-40 minute wait!! This proved to be incorrect information though and the food came out quickly, in no more than 10 minutes. Good value too if you ordered from the Seniors menu.

After lunch we made our way to the beach to pose and shiver for a photo with Frances’ group.

We were pretty much in touch with Frances’ group all the way to Horsham where we had a break for tea at the leisure centre. Coffee wasn’t on offer, due to a broken coffee machine, but we had tea and hot chocolate instead. A few decided to leave the ride in favour of the train after the beach at Shoreham and also at Horsham. So, my group and Frances’ were both depleted at the tea stop and we decided to combine into one for the final leg to Leatherhead. 

After Horsham we climbed and bumped our way up Old Holmbrook. Thereafter we made good progress to Leatherhead and a well earned wine/cider/beer at the Tylney.

Thanks to Fixie Dave for doing most of the organising work for this ride including dealing with the pub and doing the recce, and also to Mark for the route. Thanks also to Janice and to Frances for volunteering to be sub-leaders.

Janice and her group were next off.

Steve D, Hans, Peter, Patrick and myself set off from Tanhouse for Shoreham on a chilly day, partly explained by a northerly wind which at least pushed us along.

In our minds was the fact that we were doing the flat route to Shoreham but the hills seemed to keep coming! To Rusper, then Colgate and then Warninglid. By then the sun had come out, I was briefly happy that I hadn’t worn longs and was able to take my gilet off. We paused for a traditional photo by the pretty bridge and mingled with Clive’s group for a short while.

But then it was onward and upward (or so it felt) and for the final 10 miles or so into Shoreham the wind had swung round to face us. 

We arrived at the pub first but immediately there was a slow moving queue. The staff worked hard but by the time our orders had been placed they were predicting a 40 minute wait for food. In fact it came out after only 10 minutes or so. 

We’d cooled down further so didn’t stop for a pub photo and Steve led a nifty route cutting out the loop into Shoreham. 

There were no significant hills on the return journey but the rolling hills kept on coming and we were glad to reach Horsham. Although it was well before 3 when we stopped at the Conservatory Cafe in the park they weren’t the slightest bit interested in taking our business so we moved onto the leisure centre. No coffee was to be had there either but it was friendly service and the hot chocolate machine was working. 

Fuelled by sugar we gritted our teeth for the final climbs out of Horsham and then into Rusper finally arriving in Leatherhead for what we deemed to be a well deserved drink at ‘Spoons.