Bike shops in Epsom

Geoff, Sorry to learn of your tussle with the puncture fairy and the Wednesday closing of Pound Lane Cycle Service. Of no use to you now, but for future reference, alternative cycling emporia in Epsom are:

Fudges in Upper High Street
Halfords in Kiln Lane
Even Wilkinsons in the High Street, opposite the clock tower, sells bike bits including inner tubes.

A port in any storm is always welcome.

Jeff

from Geoff...

a note of thanks from Geoff:

Hello, just a quick note regarding the puncture repair I had to make, could not get any tubes to hold, the bike shop I was directed to does not open on a Wednesday, caught the train home, fitted a new tube in Evans in Wimbledon and all is well, if you are in contact directly or through the blog please thank all those that stopped to assist, a Happy Christmas and New Year to one and all.

Geoff Gregory

Advice regarding proposed works in Newark Lane

Pam has forwarded this message from the Veteran-CC:

Hi all,

Most of you will have seen the large notices which have gone up in Newark Lane, Ripley, drawing attention to the fact that there will be a 6 months road closure with effect from 6th January. This is for 'Bridge Improvement Works' to Newark Mill-stream Bridge (by the traffic lights), Newark Mill Bridge and the nearby Newark (relatively)New Bridge.

The closure isn't quite as disastrous to cyclists as it sounds as the road will only be closed for 'vehicular' traffic. For pedestrians, equestrians and cyclists, access will be provided at all times via temporary footbridges, but cyclists and equestrians will have to dismount to use the access routes. If you ask whether tricycles will be able to get through, all I can say is that is a very good question, but if you have any questions you are invited to call 0300 200 1003 (8am to 6pm weekdays) or consult www.surreycc.gov.uk 

Saddles

My search for the perfect perch has left me with a number of good saddles, little used, that I now know that I do not need.  In the spirit of Christmas, I propose to give them away - or at least throw them away!

I'll bring some to Cobham tomorrow and place them on the table.  If you fancy one, please take it.  I'll ask the ladies to put what's left in the bin, so don't be shy.

If you should feel that a small donation to the British Legion is a fair exchange for Italy's finest, then that's fine.  If not, that's fine too.

Merry Christmas!

Mark

CTC CHEAM AND MORDEN POST-CHRISTMAS LUNCH 26 Jan 2014

Some of you will have received an email. But you didn't, I've summarized its content removing Steve and Ann's contact details so email me if you need them!

Same arrangement as last year

The Angel Pub, Angel Rd, Thames Ditton KT7 0AU

Cost £10 for two courses:
MAIN          : Beef, Chicken or Veg Risotto
DESSERT : Fruit Crumble or Treacle Sponge
Start            : 12.30 in pub. Food served from 1pm in function room.

This year preferred payment method is by bank transfer. After doing the transfer, email your choices to us and we will confirm within a few days that we have received it.

Alternatively post choices with payment before 17th January.

NOTE: THERE WILL BE A RIDE STARTING FROM NORTH CHEAM WHICH WILL COME TO OUR HOUSE FOR ELEVENSES (from 11 till 12.15) BEFORE THE LUNCH. ALL ARE WELCOME WHETHER ON THE RIDE OR NOT.

Wayfarers Contact List

I'll shortly be producing an updated contact list of all paid-up Wayfarers members, to be distributed to all Wayfarers by email in December.  If your details (address, phone numbers, email) have changed this year, or if you don't want your info to be included, please could you email me?

'A' lternative Group Ride

A blood-sub ride of mud, rain, thunder and missing persons ended in a rueful huddle near the fire at the Dolphin, Betchworth.The sun came out for a somewhat soggy eightsome to discard any thought of tea and head as fast as possible for home.
Jeff

Feast or Famine

Before I saw Paul's midnight posting and  generous offer to follow Tony's planned route by Garmin, Dave Vine  had sent me a route to follow, which would take us south to Betchworth, which I had in mind to adopt. We are therefore in the unexpected position of  a choice: south to Betchworth or west to Ascot. I'm sure that a cup of tea and a sausage roll will resolve the choice tomorrow.

Jeff

Phantom 'A' Group Leader, Wed 20 November, from Weybridge

Democrat or Republican (or Tea Party)

I promised Brian on Wednesday that I would thump the table at lunch time at the Watchman, New Malden , but fell asleep on my watch. Like that paradigm of failed democracy, the USA, we are approaching a cliff edge and everybody is playing chicken. Our riders are falling off their bikes and breaking bones, first Tony and now Pam.  The question is:

Who will replace the injured Tony and lead the A Group ride from Weybridge this coming Wednesday, 20 November?

 Who is going to show that the values of the Western world live on? Or are we going to wait for a shameful shambles after 11s at Weybridge, fall to our knees and pray for a miracle, a cycling messiah to emerge from our midst and lead us to the promised land of beer and beef baguette?

The world is watching and waiting ......Who is it to be?

Brian, as in 'The Life of Brian', is waiting for your call.

Deuteronomy

Wayfarers Finances for 2013

Apologies that these weren't available for distribution at our AGM yesterday.  Here is our financial summary for the year to September 2013.   Please get in touch if you have any questions.

Wayfarers Treasurer's Report – Year to 30 September 2013

We had an increase of 13 members bringing our total paid membership to 110 in 2013. I should like to thank Colin Quemby for producing the membership cards once again. Our financial position is healthy with total funds standing at £567.80, after a small surplus for the year of £41.76.

Income and Expenditure
Income	£		Expenditure	£
Subscriptions (110 x £3)	330.00		Subs due to SWLDA (110 x £2)	220.00
Unrefunded Prezzo deposits 4x £2	8.00
Bank Interest	0.00
			Hire of AGM hall for 2012	17.63
			Prizes (Freewheel Competition – 2012 & 2013)	22.00
			Engraving	14.00
			Christmas presents (Cobham staff)	14.00
			Postage, cards etc	8.61
TOTAL income	338.00		TOTAL expenditure	296.24
Surplus income over expenditure	41.76

Balance Sheet	£
Opening Balance – 1 October 2012	526.04
Surplus of income over expenditure	41.76
Closing balance – 30 September 2013	567.80
Made up of:
Cash	32.00
Bank Balance (22 Sept)	537.80
Less Liabilities:
Membership fees owing to SWLDA	-2.00
Total	567.80

Simon Lambourn

Wayfarers Treasurer. 12 October 2013

Puncture Fairy - 6th November

The Puncture Fairy had her wicked wand out today, but the Equalities Commission cannot complain: one apiece for the As, Bs and Easy Riders. I refuse to call our stalwart Veterans Cs. They have well and truly earned their spurs!

Jeff

Slipping back in time

Sunday, 27th October, 1am

You may be asleep at the witching hour of 1am on Sunday night. However, something magical will happen. Time will stand still or you will go back in time. Make the most of that hour; do not waste it, put it to good use, even if it is only an extra hour of sleep. When you wake up, make sure that you do not arrive one hour early at the meeting point for your ride.

Jeff

P.S. Remember your lights

Annual Attendance Record - Oct 2012 - Sept 2013

 Dear All,

As most, but not all may know, members are encouraged to keep a record of their attendance at 11's and lunch venues throughout the year. This provides information on how active the DA is, and also provides the opportunity for members to compete for a putty medal for the person with the most fruitful attendance with: MWW, C&M,  and both combined. Attendance is based on one point for making it to 11's and one point for making it to lunch,  that is a max of 2. After that, you are on your own. 

Brian circulated a programme of all the rides from 3 October 2012 to 25 September 2013, with  columns for you to keep a running record of your activity. Please let Terry have your attendance record for that period. If you do it on your PC, it does all the adding up for you; otherwise, use your abacus. If you have lost the programme, let me know and I will let you have one. If you haven't got an annual programme, no problem. Just let Terry have the total of your attendances; it doesn't matter how many or how few. Who knows, you might win a gong.

Jeff

Have your say - before 1st November

The sands are running out

Surrey County Council Draft Cycling Strategy  Consultation and Questionnaire

Dear All,

Surrey County Council has published a Draft Cycling Strategy for the period 2014 - 2026:

http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roads-and-transport-policies-plans-and-consultations/roads-and-transport-consultations/roads-and-transport-consultations-in-surrey/surrey-cycling-strategy-consultation

 

The consultation period ends on 1st November. This document contains a wealth of worthy and laudable objectives and how they might be achieved. It is well worth a read:

 http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/685264/Surrey-Cycling-Strategy-Consultationv3.pdf

There is also a survey/questionnaire which we are invited to complete online before 1st November. www.surveymonkey.com/s/Individual-Consulation.  This does give you the chance to say what you would like to be done to improve cycling in Surrey. Please look at it and take the time to complete it. Do not rush it as it gives you the chance to state your own views on cycling  and what might be done to encourage and develop cycling and cycle safety in Surrey. It is worth giving each question some thought  before clicking on 'continue'. Do give your views, whether it be on cycle lanes, particular road hazards, potholes or whatever.

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Jeff

Christmas lunches

Dates for the group lunches are as follows:

11 December:  B Group at Kingston Weatherspoons. Irene will organise and Bernard is the leader from Claygate.

18 December: A Group at Hook Weatherspoons. Pam will organise and Jeff is the leader from Leatherhead.

Thanks to Pam and Irene for taking on the arrangements again.

Brittany Coast to Coast + a week in Pornichet

On Thursday 19th September 2013, a group of 15 Francophiles crossed the Channel to Saint-Malo where they were met on Friday morning by F & F to start a trip across Brittany from the Channel coast to the Atlantic Coast, north of the Loire.

Frank lead the group 29 miles west of Saint-Malo to Pleherel-Plage where we have been spending summers since 2008. After a French-style lunch of local food at our home, some enthusiastic cyclists enjoyed a short 20 miles ride along coastal and country roads before returning to Manoir Saint-Michel for a well earned night's rest. On the following two days, Frank lead the way for more harduous stages:
1) Sables d'or-les-Pins to Josselin (58.5 miles), then
2) Josselin to Pornichet (63 miles).

In Pornichet we joined a week's long tour organized for the 5th year running by the Cycle-touring Club of La Baule, designed to combine two activities: cycle-touring in the morning and thalassotherapy in the afternoon (for those who wished to enjoy water treatments and pampering!) We joined 50 cyclists coming from all over France. Rides were lead by various welcoming members of La Baule and Pornichet Cycling Clubs. Accommodation was in a holiday-village barely half a mile from the beach.

We participated in daily rides of between 60 to 120 kms, depending on ability, all starting at 8 am and completed by lunchtime. Several Wayfarers joined the faster groups. The "Promenade Group" rode more leisurely although it was faster than our "B" group - and a speed of 16 mph was recorded on the way back for lunch. The highlights included: a flat boat ride in the marshes, riding in St-Nazaire shipyards, across the salt marshes, in the area south of River Loire after crossing St-Nazaire bridge by car with our bikes in tow, in the valley of River Vilaine to la Roche-Bernard and Pont d'Arzal, along the pretty coastline, etc.... and of course the Thalassotherapy!

On Sunday 29 September, the group left Pornichet and the Atlantic Coast to follow Frank for the journey back to Saint-Malo in three stages:
1) Pornichet-Guerande-La Gacilly (52 miles),
2) followed by La Gacilly-Dinan (54 miles).
3) Finally after a relaxing morning visit of the medieval town of Dinan, a short afternoon ride (19 miles) took us back to Saint-Malo harbour in good time for the night ferry and before pouring rain fell over the northern Brittany coast.

Trip statistics:

- 6 moving-on days with F & F
- 6 days of rides and touring in Loire Atlantique
 - A very warm welcome from the benevolent French organizers and their team was extended to our group whilst we appreciated their most efficient organization

- Good cycling weather except for a few showers towards the end of the week and some very misty mornings
- 2 punctures (Terry and Cliff)

Top mileages:

 - Terry: 704 miles <1114 kms> (including some miles to Portsmouth and the whole of Portsmouth to Dorking on the way back)

- Pam: 692.44 miles <1108 kms> (including 108.44 miles <173 kms> on the English side)

- Brian: 650 miles <1040 kms> (almost all in France)

- 6 participants enjoyed a range of thalassotherapy treatments such as sea-weed wraps, massaging water-bed, aquagym, bubling baths, brumisation, hamman, back massages, ionization, sea-water swimming pool at 32 degrees, etc... and should now be fit, in theory, to face a rigorous British winter! 
- 33 paniers were efficiently transported along the way by 3 taxis companies
- Lunch packs were in good hands and carried by "La Tortue" - The Tortoice as Marcel & Brigitte call their camping-car.
Maps of Rides across Brittany:

St-Malo-Pleherel-Plage - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3345168
Sables d'Or-Josselin - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3261864
Josselin-Pornichet - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3344010

Le Croisic - La Gacilly - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3339454 starting from Guerande
La Gacilly-Dinan http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3343639
Dinan-Saint-Malo - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3343858 

Photo albums: 
from F&F - Leader's and backmarker's snaps
from Tim - Tim's photos
from Gill- Gill's photos
from Jean-Louis - Les photos de Jean-Louis

Programme in Pornichet:  A week in Pornichet 

Chicken recipe - actually from an English website (Oops!) but adjusted by Francoise.
Link: Poulet a la Bretonne
(I used pieces from whole chickens rather than breasts only as indicated in the attached recipe. I added "lardons" = ie. small pieces of unsmoked streaky bacon. The vegetables can be replaced by a vegetable cube (diluted in the cider) and by mushrooms for a change. It is best to use very dry cider and to increase the recommended amount of cider and Calvados for enhanced taste.) Bon appetit!

Maps and Route Tracks for the Pornichet rides

These routes are shown here on IGN 1:250,000 for the longer rides across Brittany and on IGN 1:100,000 for the rides from our base in Pornichet.

20th Sept: Saint Malo to Fréhel

20th Sept: Afternoon ride to Erquy and Pléneuf with Frank

21st Sept: Sables d'Or to Josselin

22nd Sept: Josselin to Pornichet

23rd Sept: Pornichet - Le Croisic - Kerhinet (picnic) [Promenade Group]

24th Sept: Pornichet -  Ile de Fédrun and Brière boat ride

2013-09-25 St Brevin (Mindin) - St Michel Chef Chef - St Père en Retz [Promenade Group]

2013-09-26 Pornichet - St Nazaire - Trignac - St André des Eaux

2013-09-27 Pornichet - Barrage d'Arzal (Vilaine) [Promenade Group]

2013-09-28 Pornichet - Piriac sur Mer - Pointe de Merquel - Guérande [Promenade Group]

2013-09-29 Pornichet to La Gacilly

2013-09-30 La Gacilly - Plélan le Grand - Dinan

 

 

2013-10-01 Dinan - St Malo

The London Ride

A carefully planned route from Dave today, taking us from North Cheam to the Olympic Park. An interesting and enjoyable ride, through the heart of the City and back to the Gooseberry Cafe, Wimbledon.

42.48 miles and home before the forecast rain.

An excellent day out.

Mark

Lost in translation

Cycling London to Paris

Some of you may know that I'm cycling from London to Paris in September, in aid of British Heart Foundation, and in memory of a close friend who sadly died aged just 51 of a heart attack.   I 'inherited' his bike, my Dawes Super Galaxy, which I will be riding to Paris, with his daughter Sarah who suggested the idea, and a few other relatives and friends.   The route is London - Calais - Amiens - Paris:  244 miles in 3 days of either glorious sunshine, heavy rain, or something else.

If you would like to sponsor me, I and BHF would be most grateful: just visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Simonlambourn.  Thanks.