21 riders set off from Cobham in decent weather...dry and warm if a little cloudy. We made our way to Effingham and then along The Drift towards East Horsley and our first climb of the day, Sheepleas (or Shere Road...I'm never quite sure what it is actually called). At the top, we found the road to the right was closed, but that was fine as this was not our route !!....down Green Dene and then a sharp right turn straight up the rarely-ridden-by-the-A's Crocknorth, followed by an up-and-over Whitedown, a brief turn along the A25 before turning up Hollow Lane for the long steady climb up Leith Hill's easier side.....the way we usually come down. The way in fact thousand's of riders did a few days before in the Prudential Ride London 100.
At the top of Leith Hill, we turned off the main road for a descent via Tanhurst Lane.....again rarely used by our group, and when it is, usually to ascend. From the bottom of Tanhurst it was a straight-forward run through Forest Green and Ewhurst to the Three Horseshoes in Cranleigh, arriving just after 1pm.
The pub had gone to some lengths to accommodate us, moving tables in the garden so we had room for the bikes and putting on extra staff to take orders quickly. They started off well with the first food orders coming very quickly, but in the end I think the numbers took their toll, and the last few lunches were very slow in coming. By the time they did, we had the first rain of the day, which started as a light shower but became heavier and more persistent, so most of us moved inside. Still, overall a satisfactory first visit.
After lunch we set off via the very bottom end of Barhatch Lane, then turned into Amlets Lane, and then Smithwood Common Road towards Shamley Green. The rain had started again with a vengeance and by the time we made the turn into Northcote Lane we were in full-on monsoon conditions, with water ankle-deep on the main roads and as we headed uphill, we were riding through torrents coming down the lanes. We headed along Littleford Lane and up over Blackheath, and then through Albury back to meet the A25 again for the climb over Newlands Corner. By now the roads were dry and the sky clear, so the rain jackets all came off and everybody wondered at what a difference half an hour and a few miles makes !!
A fast ride along familiar roads through Clandon and Ockham quickly brought us to our tea stop and the end of the ride at the Medicine Garden in Cobham, where we were confronted by the rather unusual sight of a harp player preparing to greet the arrival of a wedding party, whilst a dozen or so lycra-clad riders looked on.....another shower and another dash inside seemed a fitting end to the day!!
Many thanks to all who came along for the ride, especially to all those who marked corners and to Mike for his back-marking skills, and to Official Wayfarers Photographer Geoff for the photo.
