New Malden to Raynes Park C31 - more photos

A real triumph and it will be even better when the landscaping is completed and all the displaced birds and bugs and other creatures return to rebuild their habitats on the margins of the path.

The route was opened by Dr. Will Norman, London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, with speeches by Lib. Dem. Councillor and environmental activist Hilary Gander, and (sorry ?).

The Mayor, Cllr Margaret Thompson with her consort and husband Richard, both keen cyclists, were present and very much into the spirit of the occasion.

The project has been a collaboration of Royal Burough of Kingston's 'Go Cycle' programme with Sustrans and I would say, keen participation from the Kingston Cycling Campaign.

~ Tim

During construction - photo courtesy of Kingston Council web site

One of the first - John Bellamy

Willilam Ward, occasional B Group rider, talking to John

"No, if you want Raynes Park you should go that way!"

Kingston Cycling Campaign luminaries, Roger and Rob

Easy Riders - 10th July

I eventually caught up with the riders at Claygate after realising that I was the only person meeting at Chessington (!) . As we left, Bernard Power and I got into conversation and I lost all the others - I think that I was having a 'senior' day as I cycled round and round Claygate and Oxshott. I then decided to go on my own ride as I knew that the others were having their lunch at the Rubbing House by Epsom Grandstand. Apparently the others went a more direct route through Prince's Coverts, where a kind lady unlocked the gate, and emerged by the Star on Leatherhead Road. Then it was across Ashtead Common and ending up by climbing Chalk Lane to the Downs. I eventually arrived just as their lunch was served. After, Liz led us through a lot of small roads and back alleys to Cheam for tea and coffee.

It may not affect very many riders but I understood from a couple of the workmen that the cycle and pedestrian route parallel to New Malden train station to Raynes Park is scheduled to be opened this Saturday, 13th. July.

Best wishes

John

Here is a link to the flyer for the grand opening:

https://1drv.ms/b/s!AhHYmW6bOZg5gqAdOugGyXEFfB3N8g 

~ Tim

Sunday rides

Just a reminder that Cheam and Morden are part of Southwest London CTC and as such we have a Sunday ride.

This coming Sunday we will meet for 11's at the Golden cafe, Addlestone and will poodle to lunch, at B pace, to Dinton Country Park for lunch and back to Windsor farm shop for afternoon tea.

All are welcome, hope to see some of you there. 

Tony.. 

Meeting East Sussex CTC - Ride Report

The ride to East Sussex is a long standing tradition of the Wayfarers, and a very pleasant one it is.  Starting at Hookwood, where we have always started in my time, positions us well to the South of our normal area, so there is always the chance for a bit of novelty in the route.

A dozen of us set off, getting out of the busy Airport area as quickly as we could, and picking up the Worth way, a Sustrans route that we have used before.  We've got a lot quicker on these gravel tracks over the last few years, and our pace here was pretty much the same as on the road - just that there are no cars, and very few people.

One of the few pedestrians was a blind lady, taking her guide dog for a walk in the country.  We said 'hello' and passed carefully, and she (and the dog) seemed very pleased to meet us.

Photo:  Janice

On to East Grinstead, where many were amazed at the unusual (though not unique) Sustrans feature to welcome cyclists to town, a flight of steps ...  On through the attractive town, then off the road again on the Forest Way, taking us to Forest Row and the Ashdown Forest.

A big change here, a long and big hill, taking us steadily up a quiet road to the top of the Forest.  We stopped for a moment at the crest, and several people gave warnings based on their unhappy experiences with deer in the past - they run out without looking.  It's a very real risk, but we saw none this time.

We got to the pub just after one, and spent a very convivial time chatting to our East Sussex friends, some of whom we also meet at Dieppe.  Service was better this year, but, despite this, with all the conversation, it was fully two thirty before we set off home.

Photos:  Janice

Some lovely country,  Patrick saw large bird of prey, but none of us knew what it was, then a couple of tricky hills, a barley field and we were back on the Worth Way.  This led us pleasantly to Three Bridges, on the Southern outskirts of Crawley, and the next few miles were on cycleways to circumnavigate the busy town.  Crawley is one of the 'New Towns' of the 1960s, and they were all designed with quite decent cycle infrastructure, in the expectation that many people would choose to cycle to work and to the shops.  In many places these cycle routes have declined, but in Crawley they are in quite good shape, mainly because I think that many airport workers continue to find it convenient and economical to cycle to work, rather than drive.

For a couple of miles we went from traffic light to traffic light, just like cars, and then we popped out at Ifield, where Dave took us to lunch last week.  Back on familiar roads.

As is normal for this ride, we skittled in to Tanhouse Farm not long before they closed, but were well looked after and enjoyed a carefully balanced recovery meal of ice-cream and cake.

A lovely day out.  My thanks to all of my companions for their company and ride discipline, and special thanks to Dave for back marking.  No-one lost, no delays.

Summer!

Mark

B Group - 10th July

B Group ventured into off-road territory four times in the morning and once in the afternoon.  They were warned!  Eighteeen people set off from Claygate Day Centre, with the first off-road bit almost immediately after the start as we cut across to Fairoak Lane and headed towards Oxshott.  Soon we turned off to the right on a supposedly dead-end road but, luckily for those on bikes, was negotiable past a gate to reach Copsem Lane.  Sandy Lane took us through Oxshott Woods to Knipp Hill (steep descent), to Water Lane and so to Stoke D'Abernon.  From Tilt Road we crossed on the second off-road section to Downside Cobham.  Bookham Common came next and by taking a sharp right turn at a major junction, this eventually brought us to Effingham Junction.  With dry conditions such as today, this was negotiated with no problems, even if it was a bit bumpy at times.  Back on solid road surfaces, we continued eastwards, along The Drift, where we were stuck at a traffic light with nothing happening!  A passer-by in a car coming the other way, told us it was not working and indeed it was not!  There were no roadworks and the light at the other end had been moved off the road!  We could have been there an even longer time!  At West Horsley we joined the major Epsom Road.  A small off-road detour, cut out some of this busy road which eventually brought us to the Clandon turn-off and our lunch destination, the Bull's Head.

We were given a warm welcome here.  It is a very small pub of some age but has a nice garden which suited our numbers well, as did the menu.  We set off again at about 2.00 p.m. heading towards Ripley but in fact turning off at Tythebarn Lane and so to the concrete lane which runs between two farms, from which we saw two men of the land discussing hay-making.  After joining Ripley Lane, we were soon turning off on to Guileshill Lane and the familiar Ockham and Plough Lane route back to Cobham.  It was 3 p.m. as 14 of us sat down to tea and cakes at The Medicine Garden.  Thank you all for coming and special thanks go to back-markers, Tim & Liz, and to the many willing corner-markers who really kept the ride going!  It makes such a difference!

~ Gill Finlay

Shirley Quemby

Shirley Quemby is part of Cycling UK's 100 Women in Cycling 2019 list for actively encouraging and assisting people to cycle for over 50 years.

Shirley’s parents were both club cyclists so, for her, cycling was a natural way to travel.
Shirley said: “Every year I stayed with my aunt in York. Her father, my grandfather, cycled with a club riding his High Ordinary also known as the Penny Farthing.”
Cycling has always been an important part of Shirley’s life so it was only natural that serving on a British Cycle Tourist Competition committee led her to meet her husband in 1967.
Their three children all grew up on the backs of tandems or triplets and their grandchildren (twins aged ten) are now cycling to school on a tandem with tag-along or on solos.

We made a check list and in those early years our volunteers checked many hundreds of bikes.
Shirley Quemby

Shirley remember campaigning during the 1984 Bike Week: “We decided to offer free cycle checks in Sutton High Street. We made a check list and in those early years our volunteers checked many hundreds of bikes.
“Many cycle owners told us they were scared of the traffic so, in 1996, local CTC members set up a weekly Beginners Section from Nonsuch Park (between Sutton and Epsom).
“Fifteen of us shared our knowledge of pleasant quiet routes and of course tea stops.”
Over the years the group has continued to grow and Shirley is still offering support, advice and anything else that helps new riders to be safe and happy.

What is 100 Women in Cycling?

Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling is an annual list celebrating inspirational women who are encouraging others to cycle.

From Cycling UK.

Advice for B Group

The B ride this week will include several stretches off-road as we head to West Clandon for lunch and back to the Medicine Garden in Cobham for tea.

I'm aiming to leave at 11 a.m.

~ Gill

Easy Riders - 3rd July

From Cobham we took a circuitous route to Ripley and then down Newark Lane and Papercourt Lane to the New Inn at Send for lunch. Richard led us through West Horsley to Epsom Road and Frank and I left the group at Horsley Towers. My right foot was in such pain because of a bunion (football injury) that I didn't want to face the hill up to Dirtham Lane. Frank and I found some interesting routes and dead ends by cutting across country and eventually found our way across Ashtead and Epsom Commons to home.

After Frank went his own way back to Wimbledon I met Ingrid Baker along the cycle path to Tolworth Tower. We then spent about 15-20 minutes reminiscing, and her saying that she would like to join us Wayfarers again but as she is such a busy person she didn't think it likely until September. Meanwhile I was nearly in tears from the pain in my right foot and relieved to be on my way again.

I've just watched the Grand Depart from Brussels with Eddie Merckx as the star man - the only thing that I have in common with him is his age!


~ John B

Meeting East Sussex CTC

Summer's here, so next Wednesday it's off to Horsted Keynes to meet our friends from East Sussex CTC.  I've changed the route a bit for this year, with a very pretty run in across the Ashdown Forest.  Something for everyone, really - tracks, hills, a run through Crawley...  I've missed out the Airport, for a change, but if people want we can go that way anyway.  Let me know at Hookwood.

Here's the route, if you want to take a look - https://www.plotaroute.com/route/870061?units=miles

Mark

A Group Ride Report 3 July

Quite a few regular faces missing from the smaller than usual crowd at Cobham. So the mood I sensed suggested a less ambitious distance than in recent weeks. However, hopefully shorter distances do not necessarily mean less interesting routes.

We mustered 14 riders for the grand depart, the destination being Ifield, around 24 miles distant, but taking in some little visited farm tracks to add variety and escape the traffic.

Lunch was at The Plough located in a lane by the church in what was originally the heart of Ifield village, which conceals quite well the fact that Ifield is now part of Crawley. Here we were joined by Geoffrey Shields who had made his own way there.

Food was quickly served and we were on our way by 2.15. Once again we took little visited lanes, by-passing Rusper as far as Capel. The final challenge was the climb up Anstie Lane, rewarded by a view from the top over to the South Downs. From here it was the familiar descent from Coldharbour to Denbies to tea.

Thanks to everyone for their company, and for their care in negotiating some tricky crossings of the A24 and A29.

Many thanks to Mark for diligent back-marking, even on the final descent, and for the maps and stats.

Relaxing after Anstie Lane

B Group - 3rd July

The Fairly Undulating 50Kms

Seventeen headed out from the RBL heading initially for West Horsley on quiet roads via Ockham. We crossed the A246 and climbed up Shere Road in the cool shade of the trees. This was the first major effort of the day. We joined Coombe Lane at the top and descended Coombe Bottom to the A25. At Chilworth after enjoying the lovely smooth surface on the A248, and remembering what a bone shaker it used to be, we headed south over the level crossing up to Black Heath then down to Shamley Green. There was a little bit of confusion near temporary traffic lights on the main road to Shamley Green when two enthusiastic corner markers didn’t realise that the rest of the group including the back marker had already been through. The very lovely Farley Heath Lane followed Woodhill Lane to Farley Green, Brook, and the William IV in Little London, near Albury Heath.

At the pub, which the proprietors invite us to refer to as ‘The Willy’, we sat outside in what would have been a rather peaceful setting in Brook Lane. However there was a lot of serious tree-surgery going on and it was worse than lunching under the flight path out of Heathrow. The pub had another large and, we gather, quite demanding group of diners, plus about 14 of us and numerous walk-in customers. So although the staff worked hard and were somewhat apologetic about delays many of our lunches took quite a while to deliver. However the noise eventually abated, the sun started shining a little more brightly, and our freshly prepared lunches were delivered and eaten. The prices are a bit high there but I would go again; most of us went for the sandwich and soup, or sandwich and chips options.

We crossed the bridge over the railway above Shere and took off along Hook Lane to Hoe. We descended Hoe Lane which is quite a mess in places, and beyond The Volunteer and The Abinger Hatch we headed South along Leith Hill Road which surprised some people who were no doubt expecting that we would ride down past Friday Street. We then turned sharp left down Leyland’s Road which eventually becomes Sheephouse Lane for the familiar roller-coaster through to Wotton. I have no record of B Group ever riding along Leylands Road before but it was well worth the mostly pointless excursion. It appears to have been paved fairly recently as there are still patches of loose gravel about. A quick blast along the A25 before turning left into Balchins Lane for the back route into Dorking.
 
Ten of us stopped for Tea at Pilgrim Cycles where Lizzie was running the place single-handed. We were chuffed to get there by about 4:30 after our rather tardy 3:00pm departure from the pub.

I am most grateful to Paul James for back-marking and chasing everyone up the hills, not least because he got up quite early to that most unwelcome of Wednesday surprises, a flat tyre. But he sorted it out and made it to the RBL to be ready for action. Thank you too to our several very diligent corner-markers.
 
Billed as ‘The Fairly Undulating 50Kms’ the ride was actually 52 Kms. According to Strava it involved 2,348 feet of climbing.
See https://www.strava.com/activities/2503461479
or https://ridewithgps.com/trips/36798408

I want to believe that everyone enjoyed the hills. When the weather is as nice as it was how can we not enjoy them? Welcome to Richard Cranfield on his third time out with us and welcome to Sue Bellamy who has rarely ever been out with B Group. Thank you all for coming.

~ Tim

(Cobham is just off the top of the map thanks to a slight shortage of pixels.)

I told you it was lumpy!

Tri-Vets 2019 - scrapbook

If you've been holidaying on Mars, you may not be aware of the Tri-Vets event:  it's a bike ride, three distances, nearly 80 riders in ten groups, plus a tandem.  It was also about cake of course, and how to get to Brockham at a ridiculously early hour (with a train strike).  Some people were also pre-occupied with the weather, for some reason.

Preparations...

Here is a selection of pictures from various people, and a few of their comments.  For the full photo album, see the bottom of this post.

I arrived at Brockham feeling rather apprehensive at the prospect of my first 100 mile ride, so it was lovely to receive a warm welcome and opportunity for a cup of tea before setting off

I felt very welcome from the moment I arrived at Dorking station and met up with one of your members who showed me the way to the pavilion.


From the start of the day with Jeff and Graham doing a great sort out of the signing in to getting us started on time as well as checking our timing back at lunch and finish.






The ride itself was really good – some wonderful areas of Surrey which were totally unfamiliar to me and some pleasantly quiet roads.

...psychological bonus of doing 30% by coffee and more than half by lunch

...thanks to Maggie and Liz for all their efforts on a long day and for the soup and lovely cakes... the prospect of their warm welcome (and mountains of food) helped keep us motivated and focused all the way round.

A Group 3rd July

Perfect cycling weather for Dave's ride today.  Some familiar places, but joined by unfamiliar routes, and a good pub that we've never been to.  Excellent.

Summer's here!

Mark

A Group Ride 3 July

On Wednesday from Cobham we will try to find some lanes which have not been ridden on TriVets or the recent excursions to Shoreham and Newhaven. Weather permitting we may venture off tarmac onto surfaces of variable quality, but nothing technical. Expect some climbing, including Ranmore Common and the rarely visited (by us) Anstie Lane, and some nice descents.

Lunch at The Plough Inn at Ifield (www.theploughifield.co.uk) after 24 miles. Tea at Pilgrim Cycles if the B's don't get there first.

Only 42 miles to Cobham to tea but 2,700ft climbing. If anyone wants a gpx route please let me know (d.vine207@btinternet.com).