HQ Kudos

Those familiar with Sou'westers on Facebook (see link on Wayfarers blog) may have noticed that our CE, Cycling UK, Paul Tuohy, commented on the post of last week's A group ride to Walliswood. If you didn't spot this, you may be pleased to know that Paul send his regards to all. (And he also liked Geoff's photo!)

A Group 8th August

Summer's back - normal summer, that is, not the furnace heat of the last couple of weeks.  I think it's fair to say that most Wayfarers are glad of it.  

Which made Brian's ride to the South of Guildford a real pleasure.  Rolling hills to lunch at Fernhurst, a good lunch, and easier terrain to tea at the Boathouse, Farncombe, where it's good to see that the established standards of service are being maintained.  ;-)

A great day out in the sunshine.

Mark

Easy riders 8 August

Easy riders will set out from Walton DC tomorrow.  We're following a route I planned for the spring ride that was cancelled due to snow.  Clement weather, we hope, is more likely this time!


We will head along river towpaths to Staines, then follow a quiet cycle routes via Ashford station  to the Kings Head, Feltham Rd for lunch.  This pub was recently refurbished, has a  pleasant garden and food and ale were good early this year.


After lunch we'll head back to find the river at Sunbury and follow through to Hampton, perhaps Bushy Park or Hampton Court for tea.  Pistachio's excellent ice creams near Kingston Bridge is another option!

B Group - 8th August

Wednesday’s ride will take us from Guildford to lunch at the Richard Onslow pub in Cranleigh.  After lunch, we go along well known lanes for afternoon tea at the Reading Room in Brockham.

There is quite a bit of climbing, particularly in the morning, and three sections of tracks.

About 17 miles to do before lunch, 19 miles to get to tea, so please be ready to leave promptly at 11.00.

The pub would like us to pre-order the food; if you could make sure you see me at ‘elevenses’ then we can organize that. Details of their menu can be found on the website:

www.therichardonslow.co.uk

Look forward to seeing you all.

Jennie

A ride 8th August

We are off to the Red Lion at Fernhurst. A prompt departure please!

Outward is quite lumpy with the usual ups and downs over Munstead to bypass Godalming then to Wormley, Brook and a long steady climb to Hindhead. From there we loop west of Haslemere before lunch. The return has no big hills and tea is planned for the Boat House at Farncombe. About 21 miles each way and another 4 back to Guildford after tea.

Ray Dare

Ged just to let you know I spoke to Beryl this afternoon and told her that you had organised 1st Aug ride based on one of Ray's previously. She was very pleased to hear that his memory lives on.
Beryl also told me that the family through e-bay are gradually getting rid of the bikes but for very little money. She will be pleased when the bike shed has been cleared out!
On Tuesday she will go down to Southampton for a week to stay with family. We wish her well!

B Group - map and photos for 1st August

~ Tim

B Ride 1st Aug: Cobham - Wood Street Village - Addlestone

Eighteen of us started out from Cobham and enjoyed a very varied take on what cycling in Surrey has to offer. We ranged over quiet country lanes, bridleways, canal towpaths towards Guildford. Then it was busy streets, urban cycle paths, through Surrey University, past the Royal Surrey County Hospital and through the Surrey Research Park and eventually over Broadstreet Common to reach Wood Street Village and The Royal Oak. It was a brilliant team effort with loads of corner marking. Tim did an excellent job of bringing up the rear. My special thanks to Pam and Graham who at coffee showed me how to get to an all important footbridge across the A3 – I have seen it many times as a car driver but never knew how to cycle to it (and why would I as it was approached via a cul-de-sac). We did 18 miles.

After lunch was simple in comparison – a straight 13 miles via Pirbright, Brookwood, Woking, West Byfleet and New Haw to the garden centre at Addlestone with few changes of direction where the remaining 10 of us sheltered from the sun under the umbrellas and took tea or iced coffee according to taste.

A great day out!

Peter T

A Group Ride 1st August. Cobham to Walliswood & Ashstead

It's challenging to find an original or different ride from Cobham, being that we meet there so often. Then I thought about a ride that dear Ray Dare led some time ago. (Ray was the consummate road cyclist, and time-trialist, but also liked off-road routes). I searched the blog whilst writing this up and discovered that on 31st July 2013 Ray led a ride over Ranmore Common, (the same as our ride today) and I think it's apt to quote his blog as I could have written the very same.

"The less comfortable climb over the rough Yewtree Lane up to Ranmore Road reduced our speed whilst for some of us I feel sure allowed to enjoy the scenery........It is believed that this path was an old drovers road some 500years ago and appears to be about 1.5mls long". How appropriate!

As well as me, Mark, Simon, Dave Vine, Brian, and John were on that ride, though there were far fewer than the 22 who left Cobham today. (Welcome Sarah, who was having a change from riding with Kingston Phoenix).

Having survived the rough stuff with our road bikes, we were advised by a National Trust Warden whilst stopped on Ranmore Road, that we really shouldn't have ridden this route, as the cycle path was further over to the West. Hardly: the off-roaders amongst us know this as mountain bike terrain, rougher than the track just traversed!

From here it was familiar roads through Sutton Abinger and Holmbury St. Mary - for some, re-visiting the Prudential Ride London (PRL) route that just 3 days earlier had been awash. Having crossed paths with a large peloton whilst entering Polesden Lacey, it was with great relief than we beat CTC West Surrey to lunch at the Scarlett Arms. Obviously unprepared for such a large influx, it took longer than expected for lunch to arrive, and unfortunately for Pete Betts, just as we were ready to leave.

Those practiced climbing Leith Hill on the PRL made short work of our return here, and we were through Coldharbour and Dorking in no time, ready for the climb up 'little Switzerland' and our tea stop at Coffee Active, Ashstead. Tina had agreed to stay open for us, and we arrived at 4.28pm - two minutes within my estimated time before we left Walliswood! Half the Group made it to tea.

The 40 miles from elevenses to tea, with such a large turnout, was made very manageable by most taking a shift corner-marking, as well as Geoff being the trusty back-maker. A lovely day.

Pru 100 Riders on 1st August 18

Ged a great ride but how can you be so cruel to an almost 77 year old who really needed a rest. That gravel track from Polsdon was for me horrendous, should have been on my Cube but that was clean and I had not got around to cleaning my Van Nic since Sunday!
Congratulations to all the Pru participants, nine members who rode were out today and the photo below is a memento! Well done all of you!

A Group 1st August

After a brief absence, Summer returned for Ged's ride today.  Some gravel, some hills and plenty of sunshine on our way to lunch at Walliswood; then some sunshine, some hills but no gravel on our way to tea in Ashtead.

A good ride at the peak of the season.

Mark

B Group Ride, 1st August, from Cobham

B Group Ride, 1st August, from Cobham

A not very original route to The Royal Oak at Wood Street Village - however we will be doing some of my route through Guildford from a few weeks ago but this time in reverse. Tea will be in Addlestone at the Garden Centre. The will be some off-road.

David’s Ride London

Just to say thanks to all those Wayfarers that I haven’t seen to say thank you for the sponsorship for the Ride 100 on Sunday. The charity, the Spinal Injury Association were overjoyed with the amount we raised, over £1000.00, as am I, it all goes to a very worthy cause.

Jennie and I were very pleased with the ride, terrible weather with the rain and the winds but Jennie and I cycled the whole thing together.

We went up the three climbs which loads of others didn't, so we heard, due to accidents, there were far too many ambulances on that course! Also, I've never seen so many people have punctures, hundreds!

I really enjoyed cycling back into London on traffic free roads through parts I knew from childhood, coming out was OK but East London is not the most scenic of areas

Here is a photo of Jennie and me at the finish.

David Jackson

A Group Ride, 1st August, from Cobham

We'll be following familiar routes to lunch at The Scarlett Arms, Walliswood, and tea at the new Coffee Active in Ashstead.
http://scarlettarms.co.uk
A bit of rough-stuff over Great Bookham and Ranmore Commons - your gravel bike would come in handy - but almost 100% rideable for others.
For those Prudential Ride Londoners left disappointed missing out Leith Hill and/or Box Hill, don't worry, I've included a nice climb, in the sunshine, to make-up for your disappointment.

Prudential 100 2018

Well Ged I tried to look at the split times on your link and somehow it would not let me in? Something about clicking on + which I could not find. Any way I would be interested if you could copy and paste to me.
Meanwhile I found it very hard in the wet and what became very cold with all the holdups. Most of all I was appalled as like last year the feed stations had run out of food. I commented to a young helper at 1.30pm Newlands corner and his reply was that he had been there since 7am.
I have never seen so many riders with punctures, Continental Tyres must have been doing a roaring trade, hundreds of inner tubes were left lying in the verges. Thankfully I did not have a puncture.
The best part of the weekend was the signing on on Saturday. I watched the T de F TT on the big screen at EXEL to be led to believe that Froome won only to find out later he lost by 2 ? secs that stage of the TDF.
I listened to pep talks by Martin Johnson and Denise Lewis who both rode on Sunday, Denise doing the 49 mile. See photos below with me in my St. Raphael's top but last years number on my helmet.
Maybe I was fortunate I did Leith Hill, probably one of the last. Perhaps because of my enforced training on Marks Gravel ride I found Leith Hill less of a challenge than normal perhaps because I was on my own at my own pace, 3.2mph. At Box Hill got diverted strait to Leatherhead. That was also appalling, we did not move for over half an hour shivering in the cold and wet. When I eventually got into the HUB again no food left. I was so disappointing not to do Box Hill as I was really up for it.
Will I do it again for a 6th year, not unless I can get an 8am start which should be possible. Apart from Ged I saw no one en-route or cheering but I did chat to lots of lovely lady participants that kept me going, so good to be among young, fit & like minded people.

Prudential Ride London 2018

Congratulations to the Wayfarers who rode the Prudential Ride London (PRL) on Sunday - and thanks to those who came out to cheer us on our way. (I don't know how long you had stood on corner of Wimbledon Hill, Geoff, but it was nice to recognise a familiar face, and a smile of encouragement before facing the last climb of the day!).

After weeks of glorious sunshine, and now in weather conditions reminiscent of the deluge of 2014, Wayfarers made their way out of the Olympic Park, and on towards a very wet Surrey. Early starters Dave, Janice and Mike probably had the least trouble navigating the course and made very good progress. Later starters had to contend with a number of blockages caused by incidents, sometimes waiting for paramedics to attend casualties. As a consequence the route was altered in a number of locations, including at Abinger Hammer, and at Pasture Wood Road, (after Holmbury Saint Mary), cutting-out Leith Hill, and for later riders at Burford Bridge, cutting-out Box Hill. It will be interesting to hear about Wayfarers differing experiences of alternative routes!

Thankfully, looking at the PRL web Rider Favourites, all made it to the finish line safely. To those who raised money for various charities, well done.

For those interested in times and splits, here's a breakdown. Apologies if I've missed anybody.



https://results.prudentialridelondon.co.uk/2018/?pid=favorites

Easy Riders - 25 July

Almost the hottest day so far this year and fifteen hardy souls (including two from the 'B's') joined me for elevenses at Coffee Active, the successor to Bike Beans.  The cafe was very slightly overwhelmed by the influx of so many Easy Riders in quick succession, but quickly recovered!  Service was efficient and friendly and quality and choice good, but it was reckoned by some that prices may have slightly increased.   Overall, a good verdict!   We left Ashtead by Otways Lane then crept round the back of Leatherhead via Copthorne and Cleve Roads to reach the shade of River Lane.  Then it was the back roads of Fetcham to Bookham Common, Little Bookham and lunch at The Plough, Effingham.   For once most deemed the garden of the pub too hot and we sheltered indoors!   The route to tea at Long Ditton featured quite a lot of bone dry (for once), shady tracks - Bookham Common, Downside to Stoke d'Abernon, Oxshott Woods, and New Road, no less!   Thanks to all for your company, to John Bellamy for back-marking, and to various corner markers.

Prudential Ride London

Go Wayfarers!

Have a great day

Mark

Henfold.....

....has just reopened. Unfortunately THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY CAKE, at the moment they only seem to cater for people who want meals. They have had other cyclists visit who pointed out this grave error and are going to rectify it. Opening hours 9am - 9pm 7 day week.

Terry

Wednesday the 25^th July

Another gloriously hot day and a 15 mile cycle for me to get there. Sunny day but too hot for some? I didn't know what to expect in terms of numbers. Well the group slowly started to form as members arrived.

Off through Datchet to Dorney and and the edge of Maidehead then up the short climb to Taplow where Liz and Gill headed South for a shorter ride. Through Burham and skirting the Beeches and the edge of Hedsor to the Hope and Champion in the M40 services (no it's not on the M40). They have a lovely outside area over looking a small lake with loads of outside seating. We decided to eat in the cool inside.

Service was quick but their gas supply to the beer pumps was not working, so no beer! Only bottled.

I had planned the route through some very minor country lanes which meant lots of shade but a few steep climbs. Skirting Hedgerly we headed for Fulmer and down past Pinewood studios, Iver and onto tea at Richings Park Golf club, numbers by now had dwindled as not all wanted to stop for tea. It was hard to leave the comfort of the golf club and head back into the heat.

I lead the remaining group back to Colnbrook where we split and all headed for home. A nice if somewhat hot day on the bike.

Tony..