Ride report: A group to Fernhurst.

Sixteen of us made it to Guildford on a rather damp morning for our ride to Fernhurst. We were all very impressed with the welcome and service at the Open Grounds cafe.

This ride is almost a rerun of one I did in 2018 with a few minor changes at both ends, partly driven by the closure of the original tea stop and also to minimise duplication of Neil W's recent ride to Blackdown which we circumnavigated visiting the equally high but easily graded Gibbet Hill.

Fiona left first:

Peter, Neil, Hans, Janice, Dave and I set off from Open Grounds cafe at Millmead, just ahead of Geds group, who caught up with us, before we even started the official route -as we were busy putting on rain jackets. Despite the rain we were ready to divest ourselves of our jackets once we’d completed the first climb. Luckily, from then on it remained dry.

The climb up Gibbets Hill provided us with beautiful views of the Devils Punchbowl.

Lunch was good and served quickly at The Red Lion at Fernhurst. Unfortunately Janice discovered she’d got a puncture but with tubeless tyres felt it would be ok to continue on. After the first climb after lunch, she decided to put a dart in, hoping this would seal it and get her home. It obviously did the trick as we had a 4 km descent on newly gravelled road.
We all needed rest and cake at the Snooty Fox before we cycled home (except for Neil who took the train, in order to reserve his energy for his table tennis match ).
Thank you Brian for a great route, Peter for back marking and everyone for their company.

Ged was next:

Last week's ride to the Red Lion was uneventful. This week's ride to another Red Lion was rather different - for me at least! My group removed rain jackets at the top of Unstead Lane when I discovered a flat - barely 3 miles into the ride. Steve's tyre levers removed a tight tyre, and a spare tube was duly fitted. Yet having just missed the turn into Home Farm Road at Busbridge - another 2 miles later, the same tyre had deflated. No obvious cause was found, a second tube fitted, and much delayed progress was made to the Red Lion.

Brian's route up to Hindhead replicated earlier rides going back to 2013. (Of the 12 Wayfarers on Mark's ride in 2015 pictured at the Sailors Stone, only 3 (Brian, Dave Vine, and myself) were out on Wednesday - old legs turning more slowly!

Setting-off from lunch I could hardly believe yet another flat! This time, after checking the tube in the gent's wash-hand-basin, confirmed Steve's find - a tiny shard of glass, the culprit of 3 punctures! A borrowed tube eventually saw us arrive at the Snooty Fox just before 4pm. From now on I'm moving to tubeless - like the two sets of wheels on my gravel bike.

Many thanks to Steve for backmarking, and help - gained from his vast experience as 'puncture king'! Richard, Dave, and Clive are also very patient cyclists!

I was the last to leave with Christina, Sue F, Daves F & V. Like the other groups it wasn't long before we shed the rain jackets. Once across the A286 at Brook we were in almost traffic free territory past Boundless Farm to the path over Gibbet Hill. All the time we were expecting Ged's group to overtake unaware of the second puncture.

The descent from Hindhead to Hammer Vale seems endless though the sharp climb back up to Linchmere gets the legs working again before yet another mile and more plunge down into the woods. 

Lunch was good, served very promptly and we were off by 2pm. Three miles of recently gravelled Jobson's Lane was hard work (Sussex CC don't get the thanks that the B group gave them!) but after that we pushed on at a good pace to make the Snooty Fox by 3.45.

My thanks to all for their company and to Dave F for back marking. Also to all who took photos of which I have only included a few.