Competition deadlines

For the photo competition please submit your photos by midnight this Sunday, 4th February. This will give the judges time to deliberate and reach their verdicts in time for the engraver to do his work before our prize-giving on 6th March.

See this link to the invitation for the rules and instructions on how to upload photos.

For the mileages league table please send me your 2023 mileage score by midnight on Sunday, 4th February. I will happily update the table with any scores sent to me after Sunday but you won't be considered as a contender for any of the shiny trophies.

For anyone who won a trophy or two last year please let me know if you will be bringing it/them to Cobham for me on Wednesday. Thank you to several people who have delivered theirs already.

Thank you

~ Tim C

Invitation to a B Group ride on Wednesday 7th February

You are invited to join the B ride from Cobham this Weds, 7 Feb.  We are heading to lunch at The Bear Hotel, Esher.  Not far you might think, but we will be going via Effingham! The ride is 23 miles and a gently undulating mixture of on and off road, route below.  We can park our bikes in the garden/car park at the back of the pub. A new venue for us I believe, but we enjoyed a pleasant lunch there on our recce!  For information their lunch menu is below, no pre-ordering required.

In view of the length of the morning ride and as many will be well on their ways home at Esher, there will be no organised afternoon ride. 

Please let me know by the evening of Monday 5 Feb if you would like to join the ride by email to gillholder9@gmail.com

Here is the route   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45380159

Look forward to seeing you all.

Gill

(Click to enlarge) 

Invitation to A ride from Cobham: 7th February

After last weeks urban adventures Escape to the Country returns on Wednesday as we head to the Surrey Hills. Ultimately we're heading to  the Plough at Leigh for lunch but the long way round. It's almost 24 miles to lunch via Whitedown, Holmbury St Mary, Ockley, Capel and Newdigate. After lunch the ride it's just under 13 miles back to Ashtead Park garden centre via Pixham and Little Switzerland. So there are some hills but also a long stretch of easier, faster riding from Holmbury to lunch. 

No need to pre-order but it might help if you knew in advance what you want for lunch.

Today's menu  on the recce but specials may vary.

To join please email me by 5pm on Monday.

Hilly 50k - Saturday 13 April - Don't Miss It!

This year’s Hilly 50k will be on Saturday 13 April 2024 from Ryka’s, Dorking. Sign on from 9.00am, depart at 10am. Finish at the top of Box Hill.

The route, and all the hills you love are unchanged. For full details see our Hilly 50 web page.

If 13th April is not suitable, you are welcome to do the ride alone or with friends at any time of your choosing.

If you've not yet experienced this memorable ride, this is definitely the year for it! And check out the video by Charlotte Barnes who rode the 2010 Hilly 50 on fixed wheel.

Last year we succeeded in tripling the number of female riders to three. This year we hope to increase that number and also continue to attract a wider group of riders who might not normally attempt such a ride.

If you are not familiar with the route, or nervous of the hills I plan to organise a sensibly paced group ride, including a welcome (for me at least) mid-ride coffee stop at Kings Head Shop on Pitland St, Holmbury St Mary. Please let me know if you are interested (d.vine207@btinternet.com).

As in previous years we ask riders to support St Raphael’s Hospice, a cause close to the heart of our late organiser, Mike Morley. Donations of £10 (or more if you prefer) via our JustGiving page (with Gift Aid) to this most deserving cause.

 

B Groups Wednesday the 31st Jan 2024

really good turnout at Ellery Hall, a few extras on the day plus a few dropouts, 30 had signed up for the ride and we had 2 sub-leaders, many thanks to Tony Hooker and Tim Court for taking on the roles.

It was a tad chilly and we had a headwind for the trip West. The shortish off-road had very little mud and we were soon cycling North of Sandown Park and past Sigma Sports workshops. The recently tarmacked alley took us to the Molesey Road and still heading West, we soon reached the outskirts of Weybridge, then Adlestone and into Green Lane finally into Hardwick Lane.

 

We soon reached the turn off of Almners Road then a left into St Ann's Hill Road and the short climb before a very fast descent.. It's a nice ride through the little parks of Chertsey before reaching the edge of Chertsey Meads and on to lunch at the Bridge Hotel.

Although we were the first group to leave 11's, the second group were already knives and forks ready for lunch? Mmm, a shortened route and missing St Ann's Hill. It did take a little while to cater for around 27 hungry cyclists and one or two lunches were not up to par, but overall a good lunch venue for big groups.

Having eaten, chatted and relaxed, it was soon time to head for tea, it was only 10 miles to the, relatively new cafe at the Lion Gate at Bushey Park. A touch more, good, off-road and a following wind saw us entering Bushey Park by the gate at St Alban's Riverside. Then only a short ride to tea.

It was nice to see a good few stops, the cakes were very good, and the cafe in in the old Lion Gate Hotel, which had been empty for a few years. Cycle parking is not catered for (yet), but we were upstairs and the bikes were in view just across the road.

It was soon time to be on our way as dusk was approaching. Thank you to everyone for another nice day out in good company. Once again, many thanks to Tony and Tim for Subing and to those who backmarked, which was Mick in my group.

Tony..

____________________________________________________________

After a few changes to the original lineup due to people feeling unwell, I headed out from the Elleray Hall with the third team, Christina, Bob, Martin, Anne and Ree, and across Bushy Park. We looped through Thames Ditton to Hinchley Wood then took the scenic path through Littleworth Common. The routes to Weybridge and Addlestone were familiar to some of us as the regular routes to Elevenses. We approached Chertsey by a devious route which included St Ann's Hill then missed the turn off Twynersh Avenue onto the cycle path. Back on track, we rode through Gogmore Farm Park, following The Bourne and carrying on into Free Prae Road Park before the final stretch to approach the pub from Bridge Wharf Road. This allowed a brief photo opportunity but after 20 miles the team were keen to hustle the leader into The Boathouse restaurant at The Bridge Hotel.

 

We enjoyed our leisurely lunches and were a bit tardy getting away. In Upper Halliford we rode the long tracks around past the London Irish Rugby ground and Sunbury and were finally in Bushy Park with a gentle tailwind pushing us to the Lion Gate Café which proved to be an excellent venue for afternoon tea. a first-time visit for most of us.

Thanks to Tony for devising the route and to my cheerful team for hanging in there.

 Tim

River Thames Scheme

Pete Barnard, our former Secretary, has sent us this interesting news:

In my local library I have come across a Statutory Consultation Brochure for the above. Apologies if you already know about it but it’s a fairly chunky book dealing largely with Surrey flood prevention. However there are two issues that may interest South West London CTC. The proposal includes:

• upgrades to the Thames Path
• a new(ish) cycle path from Walton to Staines.

The latter requires 2 new footbridges over the Thames (there is another option without the bridges that would be rather fragmented).

The consultation runs to 4th March with various meeting all over the place.

Perhaps you could update the Committee and maybe we might find a volunteer to progress our interests.

Pete

 

Details of the consultation and plans are available via this link:

https://www.riverthamesscheme.org.uk/

~ Tim

Cycling UK Ride Leader Training

I recently completed the Cycling UK online course for ride leaders. You may find it a useful refresher for things to consider when leading a ride – plus you get a certificate when you complete the course, which perhaps you could get framed!

It takes around 1 hour to complete and here is the link:

Member Group Ride Leader (cyclinguk.org)

The Cycling UK online training is separate to the main Cycling UK website and unfortunately the logins are not synchronized. 

So, you will need to get a separate username and password. 

To do that email Julie Rand at Cycling UK (volunteering@cyclinguk.org) stating that you want to do the online 'member group ride leader' course and that you are a member of CTC SW London. She will then send you login details.

On the web site it says the course cost £15 – ignore this!! 

It is open all member group ride leaders and is free once you get the login.

Good Luck!

'A' Gruop Ride Report for Weds 31 Jan 2024 (Teddington & Selsdon)

 

I do like a quiet life and I took steps I hoped would deter anyone from this ride!    Suggesting there will not be many hills always puts off 'A' groupers, so that was an obvious first step!   Plotting a route not heading west or north-west from Teddington into their natural territory will always unsettle the 'A's', and the very word 'Croydon' is anathema!   Mentioning 'industrial estates' and taking the ride through a desolate post-industrial  landscape littered with disused gasholders must play a part!  Including a ride along the romantically-named 'Pig Farm Alley' must be a deterrent!  Arranging for gloomy, cold and cheerless weather will have its role!   If all else fails and anyone is foolhardy enough to respond to the invitation, then send a polite reply filled with doom-laden safety warnings and cryptic directions about dropped kerbs and staggered crossings!   How could it possibly fail?

The results are rather complicated!   25 booked onto the ride through the usual channels, although three did subsequently see sense and pull out (I will have to watch them)!   There were another two late joiners, and Daniel gate-crashed tea at Horton Chapel (as if)!    So, sadly, all my efforts at amateur behaviour-modification were to no avail and I will have to think of something yet more dastardly for next time!   

On a more serious note, somewhat to my surprise, everyone seemed to quite enjoy the ride!   The two-mile, relentless, long drag from South Croydon up Croham Road and Farley Road to Selsdon was particularly appreciated, as was Montpelier Road, Purley's own version of the Alpe d'Huez (especially appreciated no doubt if you have just 'enjoyed' a haggis meal for lunch at Selsdon Wetherspoons)!   By the end of the ride even I was growing a bit disenchanted with the roller coaster feel of going east to west across the foothills of the North Downs and there were no more factory estates to relieve the boredom!

Anyway, many thanks everyone for your support and your company and welcome back Gina C!   Particular thanks to Hans, Neil W and Neil C for volunteering to lead groups in the face of severe adversity (particulalrly so for Neil C), and to Dave E for back-marking my group.

(Photo credits to Andy C and Neil W)

Invitation to the 2024 Annual Lunch

CTC SWL Annual Lunch and Prizegiving

6th March 2024 at 12:30 for lunch at 1 p.m.

We are delighted to tell you that Jennie has booked the Ristorante Sorrento (379 Ewell Road, Tolworth, KT6 7DE) for our annual lunch.

This has proved to be a most popular venue for the occasion since our first visit in 2018 and we are pleased to be able to hold the event there again.

The set price for a three-course lunch will be £19.00, as it was last year (and the year before 😋). This includes a service charge, but does not include any drinks, coffee or tea. This is the menu:

(click to enlarge)

Please book by placing your order, and pay in advance by 15th February.

We expect the occasion will be attended by over 60 members, as it has been in recent years.

Please send an email message to Tim Court with your order for (i) a starter and (ii) a main meal. The waiters will take your orders for dessert after the main course on the day.

The preferred method of payment (£19.00) is via your online banking facility, but we can also accept cash or a cheque. For online payment please ask Tim for our bank details if you don’t already have them.

If you wish to pay cash please give the correct amount to one of the Membership Representatives, Patrick Watmough (A), Christina Berkley (B), Helen Tovey (C).

Any food allergies or Vegan requirements must be notified to Tim so that these details can be noted and passed to the restaurant staff.

All ride leaders please note that your teams should be delivered to the restaurant by 12.30 p.m. so that everyone will have time to buy drinks, chat, and browse the photography exhibition, and settle down ready to confirm orders with the waiting staff.

Thank you

Tim C

A group ride report for 24th Jan

Firstly, I must give chapeaux to my hardy subleaders Frances and Jennie who both braved the appalling weather prior to the ride and did route recces on two wheels. I am embarrassed to say that I did mine in the car….

Since the forecast looked much improved for the 24^th with better temperatures and no rain or ice, we had a stellar turnout of 23 riders. Lucy and her team at Riverhouse Barn were unfazed by the extra numbers for coffee and housed us in the main theatre on the proviso that we would be gone before the philosophy café participants arrived. Dave V and Ged joined us for coffee so it was good to see them both too.

My group of eight were last to set off to West End battling a stiff head wind however others kindly took a turn on the front which was a nice respite. Road closures had lifted and much to my surprise after finding water-logged and debris strewn roads the day before, they were miraculously clear.

The staff at the Hare and Hounds were very well organised and got our great- value food out swiftly, so much so that my group were ready to get back on the road just after 1pm. Aided by the wind we had a lovely run back to Walton and three stayed for tea at the Wilde Bunch.

Thanks to backmarkers, subleaders and everyone else for their excellent company. A really, albeit short, day out. I did enjoy getting home by 3:30 though!

Jennie’s report:

Second group to depart was my  group of six  including new rider Roger Smith – welcome to the Wayfarers Roger and hope you can join us again. Thank goodness you are not called Dave!

We had a smooth ride to the pub, getting around road closures with no problem. Food arrived quickly and we had a fast ride back to Walton with the wind behind us. Three returned to Riverhouse for tea. A great day out!

 

Frances’s report: 

We met on a warmer day at the lovely Riverbarn cafe in Walton.

Our group was the first off, Steve D,Andy Huddart,Brian,Patrick,Dave Bartholomew, Richard B,Neil W and Hans - my merrymen!

The outbound was into a head wind which Steve kindly took the brunt of and we pushed along nicely on good roads to such an extent we reached the Hare and Hounds at West End around 11.45am.  We were warmly greeted and soon had a very nice selection of wraps and chips without any fuss or waiting!

We departed promptly and instead of going back via Stonehill we continued past Fairoaks to Walton Bridge.  The party decided that we push on to Hampton Court for perhaps another lunch stop helped by tail wind.  We decided dessert was cake at Dish just before 2pm and had the benefit of the sunshine to end a very nice ride out.

Thanks all for assistance and banter.

B Group Ride, 31st Jan

 You are invited to join the B group ride on Wednesday the 31st of Jan, 11's at Elery Hall Teddington,  lunch at Chertsey Bridge Hotel, and tea at the Lion Gate cafe,  Bushey Park.  18 miles to lunch with a few undulations. Around 10 miles to tea.Please PM me on Whatsapp, or email me at tonyiahopkins@gmail.com

 Tony..

 

Join the 'A' Group Ride from Teddington on Weds 31 Jan 2024

Just for a change on Wednesday 31 January the 'A's' will be setting off south-eastwards from the Elleray Hall, bound for lunch at The Sir Julian Huxley (Wetherspoons, but quite a nice one) at Selsdon.  Don't be put off if this sounds a bit urban and gritty as much of the 18-mile outbound route is on pleasant, mud-free cycle paths and through parks, and we will actually only pass two industrial estates, honest!    Another 13 miles, mainly on quieter, but often undulating, residential roads will take us back to tea at Horton Arts Centre, Epsom.   Not exactly a flat route but overall probably still a bit less hilly than a typical 'A' group ride.    

If you would like to join the ride please e-mail me at cycledave23@gmail.com by 5.00 pm on Monday 29 January.   If more convenient for you, you can ask to join the ride at either New Malden station or Arthur Road, Motspur Park instead of Teddington. The return route also passes through Sutton, Cheam and Ewell if you would like leave to leave the ride before tea.

A willing volunteer(s) to co-lead from .gpx (plus supplementary guidance I will provide) would be more than welcome.    Failing this, I'll deal with requests to join the ride in the order received and if there are more than about nine I'll start a second group which will need to make its own arrangements to follow the route https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/245077149  from .gpx.

(Just for the record, I'm aware the first para above is in larger font than the others but am unable to change it as the post appears to have got corrupted)!

Report for Easy Riders - 24th January

Eight of us gathered at North Cheam this week. We were glad to see Ed, who had been unwell at home the last couple of weeks, and Gillian, fully recovered after last week's outing. With Frank C, John and Anne C, Sandy and John B, we set off for coffee at Walton on Thames, via Malden Manor. It soon became apparent that although the weather was mild, there was quite a strong headwind. Then as we rode through Tolworth, Frank's crank and pedal fell off, so he diverted to the bike repair shop at Hook while the rest of us continued through Long Ditton, then via the Angel and Weston Green. It was good to find that the footway between the waterworks and the timber yard just before Hersham has been resurfaced; it's almost twice as wide as it used to be too, so a much pleasanter riding experience than the old cracked and pitted tarmac path.

Alas, shortly after Walton Park, Ed felt unwell and decided to head for home. The last couple of miles along Sidney Road lead directly into the wind and it was too much. (He did get home OK, the following wind made it easier than continuing).

At Riverside Theatre café we met John Bellamy, Don, Bernard and Ray. There were a few jokes about how late we were (11.30! Record breaking!) but there were plenty of cakes left and the lady behind the counter was welcoming. Good coffee too!

Frank arrived, bike sorted, about 12. We booked lunch for 1.15 pm at Tide End Cottage, and we were soon on our way there with the wind in our sails and the sun shining...heavens, it was almost warm!

After lunch, sun still shining, we all took our various ways home. Too late for a teastop, but at least it was still broad daylight when we got back. Spring is on its way.

~ Helen

B Group report - 24th January

For our cycling excursion out from Walton to Woking, 27 keen Wayfarers 🚵 enrolled.

On this occasion we weren't able to avail ourselves of the hospitality of the Walton Day Centre. Seemingly they can't get the Staff - (to coin a phrase.)

So The Wilde Brunch became our Elevenses meeting point. 

To try and appease the motoring fraternity we split into three groups, The Falcons, the Galahs, and the Harriers.

The group I led was composed of nine riders, Margaret, Diane, Christina, Ann, Steph, Sabina, Bernard, Tony Hooker, this being the middle group on the road, with the group name of the Galahs 😀🦜. 

A Westerly headwind prevailed on our outward leg of the ride. Today's weather was a juxtaposition of last week's cool weather.

The upside was the fact that it kept the motorists' pollution at bay. The tailwind was helpful after lunch, heading homeward from the Herbert Wells in Woking.

Some of our group made a welcome stop for fuel in the afternoon, at the Riverside Barn in Walton.

The Navigator leading our group did seem to struggle to some degree, so thank you to the assistant navigators 😁.

Also thanks to our good backmarker!  

Thanks to all who took part in our ride today, which made it an enjoyable day out.

~ Dave (Fixie)

______________________________________

Blessed with a dry, warm but breezy day, it was a big turnout by the B's.

After a refreshing coffee at the Wilde Brunch café at Walton Bridge, the 7 Falcons (Francis leading, Brenda, Julie, Dawn, Ian W, Tim G and John A) left on time to head west towards Addlestone, LongCross and Chobham Common where the group stopped to admire the views and take a breather.

Suitably refreshed, we pushed on towards Woking and lunch at The Herbert Wells (Wetherspoons pub). On seeing a statue of H.G Wells, Tim instinctively gave us a history lesson on Woking's most famous resident and writer of The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man.

The usual quick service saw us about to leave just as The Galahs walked into the pub.

The afternoon's ride was 10 miles back to Walton via Woodham and we arrived in good time. A few departed for home while the rest headed for their cuppa at the Riverhouse Barn.

A special thank you to Ian W who tried valiantly to help Julie get her low gears working again, even scouring around for bike repair shop in Woking. Alas, no luck but hopefully it will be fixed today.  

An enjoyable day out after the miserable weather of late.

~ Francis

______________________________________

We had a very good turnout for a winter ride, nearly 30 riders made there way to Wilde Brunch Café at Walton-on-Thames for Elevenses. Dave had planned the day and organised three teams, The Falcons led by Francis, The Galahs led by Dave and The Harriers led by Mick, we departed in that order.

Our Team Harriers left the cafe more or less on time. We were hampered with a headwind as we headed west from Walton-on-Thames nor did that ease as we turned south towards Woking. Nevertheless the weather was kind considering Storms Isha and Jocelyn had battered the area in the prior days. We kept the pace easy to reflect the weather and ‘new year legs’. The route was pleasant and we enjoyed riding across Chobham Common where we stopped for a group photo catching the prior group ‘The Galahs’ completing their photo opportunity. On through Chobham into Woking where we lunched at The Herbert Wells.

As this was a winter ride we were expecting a lot of riders to skip the afternoon ride but most continued. We headed north east and were relieved to have a tail wind. It was a short ride of 10 miles back to Walton where we stopped for a very pleasant tea and cake at Riverhouse Barn.

We all returned home having had the cobwebs definitely blown away.

~ Mick

(also in the team but not in the photos: Tony Hopkins and Pam)