I'd eaten too much, drank just a little and stayed up late watching The Bourne Ultimatum - do you feel an excuse coming on? Well you're dead right - I had severe trouble getting up and consequently only gave myself 25 minutes to do a 40 minute journey. Manfully I rode into the wind, trying not to overdo it as I've only just recovered from my cold (actually the remnants are still on my chest). As I rode past K2 (which was closed), a couple of Crows tried to fly out of my way and both of them flew straight into a chain-link fence! How weird?
I thought I was making good time as I crested Pease Pottage Hill and the clock still looked good as approached Colgate but that tiny little hill there took minutes off me and somehow the road seemed longer from there to Roffey. I kept the power on down through Roffey but it was 10:15 before I arrived at the (closed) Pavilions in the Park. I hung around, looking to see if there were any recent tyre tracks visible (none were), but after 10 minutes and barely having seen a soul, I concluded that either no-one else fancied a Boxing-Day ride or that they'd got fed up waiting for me and gone off.
I decided I would head out towards Doomsday Green, so took Depot Road. At the end, realising that I was on my own and my bike was fitted with knobblies, I decided to use the bridleway route along Hampers Lane and then down to Hammerpond Road. This was quiet and pleasant although the second part was definitely not suitable for any of the more delicate, close clearance bikes (my Kona did it with it's eyes shut and both hands tied behind its back!!).
Hammerpond Road was up and down as usual but seemed easier than usual today and I was soon on Grouse Road. I'd put my rear light on at the start of todays ride and it was noticeable that (almost) all the traffic was giving me plenty of space - even on the narrow part of Grouse Road, a car actually had the good manners to stay behind me until the road widened out! I think there's a lot to be said for having a bright red flashing led on the back of your bike.
At Pease Pottage I had a decision to make - stay on the road or go off-road through Tilgate Forest? I'm afraid I wimped out - feeling too lazy to have to clean all my gear after doing an off-road ride, I stayed on the road and belted down Pease Pottage Hill. Then, as I cut through the deserted K2, at exactly the same spot as the Crow incident, I disturbed a Green Woodpecker. That's the first time I've seen one and it was on the ground! (until it flew into the tree that is).
Arriving home, I'd only ridden 19 miles but they'd been enjoyable enough and I'm sure the exercise had done me good.
Our next ride is on New Years Day, Sunday 1st January. Starting from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 09:30 hrs, we will head south to The Black Horse at Amberley where we will meet up with riders from the other two West Sussex groups for lunch. I reckon it's a Medium rated ride of about 40 miles. There will be a couple of hills but nothing too hard. Let's hope the weather is kind to us.
Monday, 26 December 2011
Sunday, 18 December 2011
South and West from Crawley
This weeks ride should have been led by me and was intended as a short morning ride to the south and west of Crawley, however, I was laid low by a cold and couldn't even get to the start to see if anyone else was out. I've not had reports that anyone was - please let me know if I'm wrong!
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Christmas Party
This year, our Christmas Party was held at The Dragon in Colgate.
We organised/arranged that anyone wanting to ride would use their own route and meet up at Rusper by 11:15, so I set off from home at about 11:00 hrs. I was taking it very easy as I wasn't feeling too good - I seemed to have a cold developing - but I arrived at Rusper with time to spare. As I stood waiting, I was bemused by just how poor the average motorist is at driving. Perhaps we should stop using the term "motorist" as that implies some level of ability at the task in hand! The most classic example was a person who approached from the Ifield direction and swept around the sharp corner on the wrong side of the road in order to pull up by the right hand kerb outside the shop. The only trouble was, the wrong side of the road is the right side of the road for traffic moving in the other direction and, yes, there was a car coming in that opposite direction - fortunately he was awake and managed to avoid the collision!
Shortly after, Barbara and Pete could be seen climbing the last few yards up to the junction. After a brief chat whilst we waited to see if any other rider would materialise, we set off. We headed down towards Ifield then bore right and down past the Lambs Green turning before the climb up to Dowlands Lane. From here it was down, past what looks like a large housing development, over the railway and through Faygate to the roundabout on the A264. We got across without incident and met up with Sandra.
Now we had to work for our dinner as we tackled the one mile climb that is Tower Hill. With perseverence (and a lot of inconsequential chatter from me), we soon crested and could get our breath back as we rolled the final 100 yards to the pub.
Although we were early, having locked the bikes up in the garden, we were allowed into the pub and could divest ourselves of our outerwear - look at the state of Pete's jacket:
All that spattering was the result of a rather muddy road surface and a rear mudguard that failed the trades description act!
Soon the four of us were joined by John V and John C with their partners, followed by Pete, Marian, Pat and Frank.
Dinner was served and was piping hot with monster portions and we all manfully strove to get outside it all!! Then it was time for Barbara to make a small speech to sum up the clubs year.
Barbara finished off her piece with the award of the Mick Horley trophy.
In recent years we have awarded the trophy to the club member that turned out on the most rides but this year the committee felt that it should be awarded to the person that had done the most work in promoting the club (and cycling in general). So, for his sterling efforts in creating and running the Family Bike Ride, Crawley Cycle Forum and his Right-to-Ride work, this years winner of The Mick Horley Trophy is......
Pete Smith:
We organised/arranged that anyone wanting to ride would use their own route and meet up at Rusper by 11:15, so I set off from home at about 11:00 hrs. I was taking it very easy as I wasn't feeling too good - I seemed to have a cold developing - but I arrived at Rusper with time to spare. As I stood waiting, I was bemused by just how poor the average motorist is at driving. Perhaps we should stop using the term "motorist" as that implies some level of ability at the task in hand! The most classic example was a person who approached from the Ifield direction and swept around the sharp corner on the wrong side of the road in order to pull up by the right hand kerb outside the shop. The only trouble was, the wrong side of the road is the right side of the road for traffic moving in the other direction and, yes, there was a car coming in that opposite direction - fortunately he was awake and managed to avoid the collision!
Shortly after, Barbara and Pete could be seen climbing the last few yards up to the junction. After a brief chat whilst we waited to see if any other rider would materialise, we set off. We headed down towards Ifield then bore right and down past the Lambs Green turning before the climb up to Dowlands Lane. From here it was down, past what looks like a large housing development, over the railway and through Faygate to the roundabout on the A264. We got across without incident and met up with Sandra.
Now we had to work for our dinner as we tackled the one mile climb that is Tower Hill. With perseverence (and a lot of inconsequential chatter from me), we soon crested and could get our breath back as we rolled the final 100 yards to the pub.
Although we were early, having locked the bikes up in the garden, we were allowed into the pub and could divest ourselves of our outerwear - look at the state of Pete's jacket:
All that spattering was the result of a rather muddy road surface and a rear mudguard that failed the trades description act!
Soon the four of us were joined by John V and John C with their partners, followed by Pete, Marian, Pat and Frank.
Dinner was served and was piping hot with monster portions and we all manfully strove to get outside it all!! Then it was time for Barbara to make a small speech to sum up the clubs year.
Barbara finished off her piece with the award of the Mick Horley trophy.
In recent years we have awarded the trophy to the club member that turned out on the most rides but this year the committee felt that it should be awarded to the person that had done the most work in promoting the club (and cycling in general). So, for his sterling efforts in creating and running the Family Bike Ride, Crawley Cycle Forum and his Right-to-Ride work, this years winner of The Mick Horley Trophy is......
Pete Smith:
Special mention must also be made of Anton who completed the VERY tough Paris-Brest-Paris ride(PBP) back in the (wet) summer. His achievement is even more remarkable because he was suffering from a severe stomach problem for two of the four days of riding!
Other mentions go out to John V who managed a couple of continental cycling "jaunts" - joined by John C on one I believe - and to me (Bob) for completing my own version of the Coast to Coast (I rode from St Davids Head to Hemsby).
Here are a few pictures of us enjoying the meal:
Merry Christmas everybody.
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Easy Bike Ride
I'm sure we had a ride on Sunday 4th December, but at the moment I can't remember any details of it! Anyone care to remind me? Or write a blog for it? Or a poem?
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Bluebell Railway
Ros had proposed this weeks ride and was scheduled to lead it, but unfortunately she'd broken her wrist a few weeks back and still cannot ride her bike.
Barbara had ridden the route with Ros and so was going to lead in her place, but unfortunately she'd hurt her ankle yesterday.
Bob had contacted Ros to find out the route details, but unfortunately he didn't have any injuries and turned up at the start!!!!!
Bob was joined by Johnny at Three Bridges Station and together they headed off on The Worth Way for an uneventful ride over to East Grinstead. In spite of the early rain, which had caused Bob to put his knobblies on his bike and his waterproofs on himself, the sky was clear and blue and although the breeze was quite fresh it wasn't cold. The surface of The Worth Way was very good with very little splatter coming up from the tyres and it only took us 35 minutes to get from Crawley to East Grinstead.
We stopped at East Grinstead Station to see if anyone else would be joining us and after a couple of minutes Alison rolled up. As this ride had been rated as "Easy" she had decided to give it a try. Looking at the map, Bob felt that due to the hilly terrain the ride probably warranted more of a "Medium" rating and decided to shorten the route slightly to keep it pleasurable. Leaving the station and heading downhill, a map-reading error saw us turn right at a roundabout instead of going straight on and we were into the first climb of the day. A left turn took us past the Hockey and Rugby clubs and down to Saints Hill Green. From here we back en-route and headed west towards the tail end of Weirwood Reservoir. As we were going down the hill I took this picture of the reservoir. What the picture doesn't show is just how low the water level is compared with how I remember it from 30 years ago - I reckon it's a good 20 feet lower, possibly more!
Next we took Legsheath Lane for the long climb up into Ashdown Forest. As we rode along this lane we were overtaken by several sets of cyclists before we got to the crossroads. We all headed straight over but then we turned right into Twyford Lane (the other cyclists carried straight on). This lane was the usual pleasure to ride with a glorious mile or so of freewheeling before it steepened down further to twist and turn through some woodland before splashing through a ford.
Unfortunately my camera battery faded at this point, so no more pictures I'm afraid.
Now I started to deviate from Ros's route and took a sharp right to go down and cross another ford before going up a short, sharp climb that saw Granny have her first outing of the day. We carried on west then southwest to Cinder Hill and a little further on took the right turn and down a slight incline to turn into Horsted Keynes Station on The Bluebell Railway.
Locking our bikes up outside (probably quite unnecessarily) we purchased platform tickets and entered the station. On the middle platform is the station bar and buffet and here we got our refreshments - hot Cornish Pasties and tea/coffee. Johnny found a nice bench in the sunshine and we sat there consuming our consumables, watching various trains pass through the station and chatting about this and that.
Eventually it was time to get going again and as we approached the first junction I asked my fellow riders which route they wanted to take - turn left for a short, steep uphill, a sharp downhill and equally sharp uphill before a longish but pretty gentle climb or turn right for a long, draggy climb. They opted for the long, draggy climb so we turned right and climbed up and through Highbrook and then on and on up to Sharpthorne. Here it was good to see that the pub looks like it will soon reopen (it was once called The Vinols Cross Inn, but I think had been renamed The Fabulous Fox or something like that).
The rest of the ride would be on the fairly busy road through West Hoathly and on to Turners Hill. On the way several cyclists went past us again and I took the opportunity to chat with one of them and found out that they were taking part in a Sportif ride organised by Evans Bikes. It had been raining when they started and the route had involved a lot of hills but they were now only about 5 miles or so from the finish.
We said goodbye to Alison at Turners Hill as she lives there, and Johnny and I headed back down to Crawley past Tulleys Farm (the road has reopened after its closure last week). When we reached the Worth Way we turned onto it and retraced our tyretracks all the way back to Three Bridges Station. From here Johhny headed back to his hotel in the town centre and I headed home to Furnace Green where I noticed a reading of 30 miles on my speedo.
It seems hard to believe, but next weekend it will be December! Our ride for the Sunday 4th December will be a very easy, beginners ride starting at Three Bridges Station at 10:00 hrs. Depending on who turns up, it will probably head for Redhill Aerodrome where refreshments are available at the cafe, and then get back to Crawley before 13:00hrs.
The week after (on Sunday 11th December) will be the club Christmas Dinner. Riders can rendezvous at Rusper at 11:15 for a short ride down through Faygate, across the A264 and up Tower Hill to arrive at The Dragon in Colgate with time for a festive drink before Dinner at 12:30. Why not bring along husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends for what we hope will be a pleasant and enjoyable festive meal. The cost will be £15.95 a head and you must let Barbara know by December 1st. See the website for more details: http://www.horshamandcrawleyctc.org.uk/
Barbara can be emailed at: Barbara@HorshamandCrawleyCTC.org.uk
Barbara had ridden the route with Ros and so was going to lead in her place, but unfortunately she'd hurt her ankle yesterday.
Bob had contacted Ros to find out the route details, but unfortunately he didn't have any injuries and turned up at the start!!!!!
Bob was joined by Johnny at Three Bridges Station and together they headed off on The Worth Way for an uneventful ride over to East Grinstead. In spite of the early rain, which had caused Bob to put his knobblies on his bike and his waterproofs on himself, the sky was clear and blue and although the breeze was quite fresh it wasn't cold. The surface of The Worth Way was very good with very little splatter coming up from the tyres and it only took us 35 minutes to get from Crawley to East Grinstead.
We stopped at East Grinstead Station to see if anyone else would be joining us and after a couple of minutes Alison rolled up. As this ride had been rated as "Easy" she had decided to give it a try. Looking at the map, Bob felt that due to the hilly terrain the ride probably warranted more of a "Medium" rating and decided to shorten the route slightly to keep it pleasurable. Leaving the station and heading downhill, a map-reading error saw us turn right at a roundabout instead of going straight on and we were into the first climb of the day. A left turn took us past the Hockey and Rugby clubs and down to Saints Hill Green. From here we back en-route and headed west towards the tail end of Weirwood Reservoir. As we were going down the hill I took this picture of the reservoir. What the picture doesn't show is just how low the water level is compared with how I remember it from 30 years ago - I reckon it's a good 20 feet lower, possibly more!
Next we took Legsheath Lane for the long climb up into Ashdown Forest. As we rode along this lane we were overtaken by several sets of cyclists before we got to the crossroads. We all headed straight over but then we turned right into Twyford Lane (the other cyclists carried straight on). This lane was the usual pleasure to ride with a glorious mile or so of freewheeling before it steepened down further to twist and turn through some woodland before splashing through a ford.
Unfortunately my camera battery faded at this point, so no more pictures I'm afraid.
Now I started to deviate from Ros's route and took a sharp right to go down and cross another ford before going up a short, sharp climb that saw Granny have her first outing of the day. We carried on west then southwest to Cinder Hill and a little further on took the right turn and down a slight incline to turn into Horsted Keynes Station on The Bluebell Railway.
Locking our bikes up outside (probably quite unnecessarily) we purchased platform tickets and entered the station. On the middle platform is the station bar and buffet and here we got our refreshments - hot Cornish Pasties and tea/coffee. Johnny found a nice bench in the sunshine and we sat there consuming our consumables, watching various trains pass through the station and chatting about this and that.
Eventually it was time to get going again and as we approached the first junction I asked my fellow riders which route they wanted to take - turn left for a short, steep uphill, a sharp downhill and equally sharp uphill before a longish but pretty gentle climb or turn right for a long, draggy climb. They opted for the long, draggy climb so we turned right and climbed up and through Highbrook and then on and on up to Sharpthorne. Here it was good to see that the pub looks like it will soon reopen (it was once called The Vinols Cross Inn, but I think had been renamed The Fabulous Fox or something like that).
The rest of the ride would be on the fairly busy road through West Hoathly and on to Turners Hill. On the way several cyclists went past us again and I took the opportunity to chat with one of them and found out that they were taking part in a Sportif ride organised by Evans Bikes. It had been raining when they started and the route had involved a lot of hills but they were now only about 5 miles or so from the finish.
We said goodbye to Alison at Turners Hill as she lives there, and Johnny and I headed back down to Crawley past Tulleys Farm (the road has reopened after its closure last week). When we reached the Worth Way we turned onto it and retraced our tyretracks all the way back to Three Bridges Station. From here Johhny headed back to his hotel in the town centre and I headed home to Furnace Green where I noticed a reading of 30 miles on my speedo.
It seems hard to believe, but next weekend it will be December! Our ride for the Sunday 4th December will be a very easy, beginners ride starting at Three Bridges Station at 10:00 hrs. Depending on who turns up, it will probably head for Redhill Aerodrome where refreshments are available at the cafe, and then get back to Crawley before 13:00hrs.
The week after (on Sunday 11th December) will be the club Christmas Dinner. Riders can rendezvous at Rusper at 11:15 for a short ride down through Faygate, across the A264 and up Tower Hill to arrive at The Dragon in Colgate with time for a festive drink before Dinner at 12:30. Why not bring along husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends for what we hope will be a pleasant and enjoyable festive meal. The cost will be £15.95 a head and you must let Barbara know by December 1st. See the website for more details: http://www.horshamandcrawleyctc.org.uk/
Barbara can be emailed at: Barbara@HorshamandCrawleyCTC.org.uk
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Skimmington Castle
Six riders on five bikes turned up for todays ride - Frank was leading with Pats help, Pete and Marian were on their tandem, John C was on his Van Nicolas and Bob was on his Kona.
It was a bit foggy/misty and as we left Crawley and headed over the M23 it seemed to be getting thicker (and colder). We were expecting Old Hollow to be cold and it was, but we were not expecting a King Charles Spaniel to be sitting on the middle of the road - and Frank did not expect that he would have to put so much effort into pedalling in an effort to outrun the crazy pooch! After about half a mile the little dog (how did its legs go so fast?) turned off and rejoined its owners, leaving us to carry on and Frank to get his breath back.
We crossed the A264 into Copthorne then went along Copthorne Bank to head for the Black Corner crossroads. Just before we got there the lady driver of some 4x4 Tesco Trolley told Frank off for riding two abreast - Frank was so surprised by this that he says he didn't manage to get a reply in, so it looks like Mrs "I don't know how big my car is but you cyclists should scurry along in the gutter" has got away with it this time....
We headed west of Smallfield and crossed back over the M23 before turning north at Weatherhill (reminds me of Weathertop in The Lord of The Rings). After two small climbs and a a wiggly lane we arrived at Redhill Aerodrome and the prospect of a nice hot drink. The cafe was quite busy but we managed to find a table for six - right by the window so that we could keep an eye on our bikes - and we were soon tucking into teacakes and mugs of tea.
There was no flying action today - I think these two pictures give some clue as to why not:
Suitably refreshed we remounted and headed south then west to cross the A23 at Salfords. Soon after we joined Lonesome Lane and headed north before slipping through the southern outskirts of Reigate. Reigate - famous for two things (as far as I'm concerned) - (i) it's where I bought my Kona (ii) The Cure recorded the scream at the end of a track on their first album in Reigate Tunnel.
We followed Slipshatch Road as it became Clayhall Lane and then turned right onto Flanchford Road. After a small uphill section it was an equally small downhill before the road emerged into more open country, occupied by a golf course. We then turned right onto Bonny's Lane which led us up to the lunch halt, The Skimmington Castle.
We hadn't booked a table and all the tables were reserved, but the landlady managed to fit us in - though we had to promise to vacate the table by 13:15 hrs. Not a problem, we had about an hour to eat our lunch and have a pint - easy!
Pete and Marian arrived a couple of minutes later having taken a different route from Reigate in order to "case a joint" on the way ( although Frank suggested they were perhaps reliving their youth).
As promised, we finished before 13:15 and were back out on our bikes. It was still misty but the sun was making a gallant attempt to break through.
We headed west along Trumpetshill Lane and Wonham Lane to arrive by The Dolphin at Betchworth. From here we turned south then west again when we reached The Seven Stars. The next left took us southwards once more until Parkgate and The Surrey Oaks. Here we turned left down the hill and left again onto Blanks Lane and then Stan Hill.
As you can see, it was still misty as we made our way through Charlwood and passed the Half Moon and The Rising Sun before hitting the Ifield Road which took us all the way back to Crawley Town Centre
It wasn't long before I was back home with about 40 miles on the clock - very pleasant and not at all arduous.
Next weeks ride starts from East Grinstead Railway Station at 10:50, although there is the option of leaving Three Bridges at 10:00 hrs to ride the Worth Way across to East Grinstead.
From East Grinstead we will head south to have lunch at The Bessemer Arms at Sheffield Park Station on the Bluebell Railway. I've been told that the ride there is easy but that it's a little hilly on the way back - I reckon that could be a cue for a rail trip behind a steam engine!
Hopefully the Indian Summer will continue over next weekend and give us yet another pleasurable days cycling, see you there!
It was a bit foggy/misty and as we left Crawley and headed over the M23 it seemed to be getting thicker (and colder). We were expecting Old Hollow to be cold and it was, but we were not expecting a King Charles Spaniel to be sitting on the middle of the road - and Frank did not expect that he would have to put so much effort into pedalling in an effort to outrun the crazy pooch! After about half a mile the little dog (how did its legs go so fast?) turned off and rejoined its owners, leaving us to carry on and Frank to get his breath back.
We crossed the A264 into Copthorne then went along Copthorne Bank to head for the Black Corner crossroads. Just before we got there the lady driver of some 4x4 Tesco Trolley told Frank off for riding two abreast - Frank was so surprised by this that he says he didn't manage to get a reply in, so it looks like Mrs "I don't know how big my car is but you cyclists should scurry along in the gutter" has got away with it this time....
We headed west of Smallfield and crossed back over the M23 before turning north at Weatherhill (reminds me of Weathertop in The Lord of The Rings). After two small climbs and a a wiggly lane we arrived at Redhill Aerodrome and the prospect of a nice hot drink. The cafe was quite busy but we managed to find a table for six - right by the window so that we could keep an eye on our bikes - and we were soon tucking into teacakes and mugs of tea.
There was no flying action today - I think these two pictures give some clue as to why not:
Suitably refreshed we remounted and headed south then west to cross the A23 at Salfords. Soon after we joined Lonesome Lane and headed north before slipping through the southern outskirts of Reigate. Reigate - famous for two things (as far as I'm concerned) - (i) it's where I bought my Kona (ii) The Cure recorded the scream at the end of a track on their first album in Reigate Tunnel.
We followed Slipshatch Road as it became Clayhall Lane and then turned right onto Flanchford Road. After a small uphill section it was an equally small downhill before the road emerged into more open country, occupied by a golf course. We then turned right onto Bonny's Lane which led us up to the lunch halt, The Skimmington Castle.
We hadn't booked a table and all the tables were reserved, but the landlady managed to fit us in - though we had to promise to vacate the table by 13:15 hrs. Not a problem, we had about an hour to eat our lunch and have a pint - easy!
Pete and Marian arrived a couple of minutes later having taken a different route from Reigate in order to "case a joint" on the way ( although Frank suggested they were perhaps reliving their youth).
As promised, we finished before 13:15 and were back out on our bikes. It was still misty but the sun was making a gallant attempt to break through.
We headed west along Trumpetshill Lane and Wonham Lane to arrive by The Dolphin at Betchworth. From here we turned south then west again when we reached The Seven Stars. The next left took us southwards once more until Parkgate and The Surrey Oaks. Here we turned left down the hill and left again onto Blanks Lane and then Stan Hill.
As you can see, it was still misty as we made our way through Charlwood and passed the Half Moon and The Rising Sun before hitting the Ifield Road which took us all the way back to Crawley Town Centre
It wasn't long before I was back home with about 40 miles on the clock - very pleasant and not at all arduous.
Next weeks ride starts from East Grinstead Railway Station at 10:50, although there is the option of leaving Three Bridges at 10:00 hrs to ride the Worth Way across to East Grinstead.
From East Grinstead we will head south to have lunch at The Bessemer Arms at Sheffield Park Station on the Bluebell Railway. I've been told that the ride there is easy but that it's a little hilly on the way back - I reckon that could be a cue for a rail trip behind a steam engine!
Hopefully the Indian Summer will continue over next weekend and give us yet another pleasurable days cycling, see you there!
Sunday, 13 November 2011
DA AGM - Pulborough
Second week of November, still quite warm!
Todays ride was down to Pulborough to attend the West Sussex DA AGM.
I was always going to struggle to get to Horsham for the 09:30 start so, on realising I was going to be at least 10 minutes late, I contacted Barbara (the ride leader) to let her know. She sent me a message back to confirm her route would go via Woods Hill and so I just rode straight through Horsham and out on the Worthing Road. Turning right at Tower Hill, I sped down Two Mile Ash Road past The Bax Castle and on to Barns Green. Valewood Lane then took me to West Chiltington Lane and onwards to Coneyhurst where I safely crossed the A272. Then, as I reached Broadford Bridge I spotted the lone figure of Barbara just ahead and we tackled Woods Hill together - it's nice to have a someone to chat to when tackling a hard climb.
After West Chiltington we went along Stream Lane and soon after pulled up at The Village Hall in Pulborough where about twenty of us from the three sections of West Sussex CTC had congregated for the AGM. The meeting worked through its agenda with reports from all three sections and also the Treasurer before we observed two minutes silence at 11:00hrs.
When we resumed the meeting, the results of the various DA competitions were revealed and I'm pleased to report that Horsham and Crawley section won three of the four on offer! Well done everybody, we may have the smallest membership of the three sections but we've certainly punched above our weight this year.
AGM completed, we headed for lunch at The Rising Sun in Nutbourne where we sat outside in pleasant sunshine and enjoyed food, drink and each others company.
Here'a a "contre-jour" shot by Barbara:
On the way home I spotted a lot of fungi along the roadsides and took a couple of snaps of them:
Todays ride was down to Pulborough to attend the West Sussex DA AGM.
I was always going to struggle to get to Horsham for the 09:30 start so, on realising I was going to be at least 10 minutes late, I contacted Barbara (the ride leader) to let her know. She sent me a message back to confirm her route would go via Woods Hill and so I just rode straight through Horsham and out on the Worthing Road. Turning right at Tower Hill, I sped down Two Mile Ash Road past The Bax Castle and on to Barns Green. Valewood Lane then took me to West Chiltington Lane and onwards to Coneyhurst where I safely crossed the A272. Then, as I reached Broadford Bridge I spotted the lone figure of Barbara just ahead and we tackled Woods Hill together - it's nice to have a someone to chat to when tackling a hard climb.
After West Chiltington we went along Stream Lane and soon after pulled up at The Village Hall in Pulborough where about twenty of us from the three sections of West Sussex CTC had congregated for the AGM. The meeting worked through its agenda with reports from all three sections and also the Treasurer before we observed two minutes silence at 11:00hrs.
When we resumed the meeting, the results of the various DA competitions were revealed and I'm pleased to report that Horsham and Crawley section won three of the four on offer! Well done everybody, we may have the smallest membership of the three sections but we've certainly punched above our weight this year.
AGM completed, we headed for lunch at The Rising Sun in Nutbourne where we sat outside in pleasant sunshine and enjoyed food, drink and each others company.
Here'a a "contre-jour" shot by Barbara:
On the way home I spotted a lot of fungi along the roadsides and took a couple of snaps of them:
Our next ride is on Sunday 20th November, starting from Three Bridges Station at 09:30.
Frank will be leading a fairly easy 30 mile ride up to Redhill Aerodrome for elevenses, across to The Skimmington Castle pub for lunch and then back to Crawley - who knows, the weather may still be mild.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Veteran Car Run 2011
This was a nice easy ride with the emphasis more on the occasion than the riding.
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is held every year on the first Sunday of November and has been a constant in the lives of the people of Crawley for many years now. Indeed, the old Crawley Clock which I've mentioned in previous posts features this very event. As I arrived at Three Bridges Station for the start of the ride, I could see two cyclists waiting for me - Pete S and Sandra. Unfortunately Pete was on his way to a meeting and wouldn't be able to ride with us. Sandra and I waited for another 5 minutes but no one else turned up - I knew Anton was unable to make it and a couple of other riders had also said they were unlikely to be out.
We headed through Three Bridges and then down The Boulevard and Bank Lane to get to The High Street. Here, a jazz band was playing to welcome the "Old Crocks" into the middle of my home town. There were about 50 of the cars parked in the High Street and it was interesting to spot the different types and see how the vehicles were refined and evolved in their early days. Sandra preferred the ones with Dark Green or Maroon paint schemes, I seemed to lean more towards the garish yellows! We both liked this one because of the woodwork!
After spending the best part of an hour chatting and watching the cars as they came in and out, we decided to get some riding done. We headed out on the cycle path along Southgate Avenue which conveniently was the same route the Veteran Cars were taking (although they were using the road and not the cycle path!!).
Then it was up Pease Pottage Hill. This is a real test for the old cars as well as for a cyclist - though I ride up it every other week on my way to our Horsham starts.
I sat in the slipstream of a tallish Veteran Car with a lady driver and crew - they fairly shot up the hill at about 15 mph and I managed to stay with them all the way. At the top I stopped for a breather and took the following pictures:
The lower the number, the older the wehicle. Number 8 therefore was one of the oldest and you can clearly see the roots of the motor vehicle come from our world - the cycle world - it's all our fault!!
Sandra managed the hill and even commented that it wasn't as steep as she'd imagined.
I'm pleased with this picture of a steam-powered car. It's a bit blurry but, along with the cloud of steam, that was exactly how this vehicle appeared as it powered, relatively quietly, to the summit.
This one is quite advanced - it easily made it up the hill and overtook the one in the background. Not only that, it's got a windscreen and a folding roof! But then, looking at the numbers you can see that it is younger.
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is held every year on the first Sunday of November and has been a constant in the lives of the people of Crawley for many years now. Indeed, the old Crawley Clock which I've mentioned in previous posts features this very event. As I arrived at Three Bridges Station for the start of the ride, I could see two cyclists waiting for me - Pete S and Sandra. Unfortunately Pete was on his way to a meeting and wouldn't be able to ride with us. Sandra and I waited for another 5 minutes but no one else turned up - I knew Anton was unable to make it and a couple of other riders had also said they were unlikely to be out.
We headed through Three Bridges and then down The Boulevard and Bank Lane to get to The High Street. Here, a jazz band was playing to welcome the "Old Crocks" into the middle of my home town. There were about 50 of the cars parked in the High Street and it was interesting to spot the different types and see how the vehicles were refined and evolved in their early days. Sandra preferred the ones with Dark Green or Maroon paint schemes, I seemed to lean more towards the garish yellows! We both liked this one because of the woodwork!
After spending the best part of an hour chatting and watching the cars as they came in and out, we decided to get some riding done. We headed out on the cycle path along Southgate Avenue which conveniently was the same route the Veteran Cars were taking (although they were using the road and not the cycle path!!).
Then it was up Pease Pottage Hill. This is a real test for the old cars as well as for a cyclist - though I ride up it every other week on my way to our Horsham starts.
I sat in the slipstream of a tallish Veteran Car with a lady driver and crew - they fairly shot up the hill at about 15 mph and I managed to stay with them all the way. At the top I stopped for a breather and took the following pictures:
The lower the number, the older the wehicle. Number 8 therefore was one of the oldest and you can clearly see the roots of the motor vehicle come from our world - the cycle world - it's all our fault!!
Sandra managed the hill and even commented that it wasn't as steep as she'd imagined.
I'm pleased with this picture of a steam-powered car. It's a bit blurry but, along with the cloud of steam, that was exactly how this vehicle appeared as it powered, relatively quietly, to the summit.
This one is quite advanced - it easily made it up the hill and overtook the one in the background. Not only that, it's got a windscreen and a folding roof! But then, looking at the numbers you can see that it is younger.
From the top of the hill we rode the short distance to The Black Swan at Pease Pottage. In the old days The Black Swan would have been a popular stopping place for vehicles travelling between London and Brighton, but now that it's not visible from the main road, it doesn't get nearly as much business. As Sandra and I pulled up, we were tooted by a campervan and looking inside I could see we were about to be joined by Ros and some friends. Ros was not riding today because she had an unplanned dismount from her bike the other week and broke her wrist - she's waiting for it to be plated and pinned but has been told that as soon as that is done, she'll be able to ride her bike again. She's a bit sceptical about that (as are we).
At the same time John V turned up, looking very dapper in casual wear and a flat cap, on his mountain bike. We lunched on beer and bagettes and various stories/reminiscences before heading back home in our various directions - Sandra back to Horsham along The Forest Road, Ros back to East Grinstead with her friends, John and I back to Crawley through Tilgate Forest. Mileage? Don't ask, suffice to say that I didn't even make it to double figures!!
Next weeks ride starts at Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 09:00 hrs and will head straight down to Pulborough Village Hall for the West Sussex DA AGM (which starts at 10:30 hrs). Once business has been concluded, we will head up to Nutbourne for lunch at The Rising Sun before heading back home more or less retracing the morning route. Mileage from/to Horsham will be about 35.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
The Foresters Arms, Kirdford
Late October - obviously t-shirt and shorts weather! Well, long-sleeved t-shirt but that was plenty warm enough. Barbara was todays ride leader and she was joined by Pete E, Mike, Johnny and Bob.
We headed west, across the golf course, under the A24 and along Robin Hood Lane. No deer visible today - are they being prepared for Christmas???
Rowhook Hill followed and we stayed on the Horsham Road all the way to Ewhurst Green where we took Gadbridge Lane and then the Cranleigh Road into Cranleigh. After passing through the village we turned left onto Elmbridge Lane. Where this road crosses first the railway (now the Downs Link path) and later the canal, it narrows down to a single lane and traffic seemed to pile up behind us. Fortunately none of the drivers seemed too impatient and we got no grief from them.
We went over the A281 at the traffic lights and then some incompetent oaf in a people carrier gave us a blast on the horn for no discernible reason (unless they were suffering from a form of Tourettes?).
Once again we went past Dunsfold airfield without seeing any of the Top Gear lads - I'd so like to have a chat with Jeremy and demonstrate how easily a bike could ride over a car (he once suggested that he would drive his car over a cyclist). Bearing west then south we went through the village of Dunsfold and thence on to Plaistow. From here it was just a couple more miles down to Kirdford and our lunch stop at The Foresters Arms.
The pub was recovering from a Halloween party and there were cobwebs and pumpkins all over the place as well as on the menu (pumpkin soup - not cobweb soup!).
We had a pleasant lunch and were joined by several riders from Arun Adur group before eventually getting back on our bikes and taking the shortest route back to Horsham - Wisborough Green, Rowner Road, New Road, Barns Green, Two Mile Ash Road and Tower Hill.
Mike returned to his car, Johnny and I carried on through Roffey, along Forest Road and back into Crawley via Pease Pottage. As I put my bike away I noted that I'd clocked up 57 miles on what had been a very pleasant October day that felt more like a late summers day.
Our next Sunday ride is on November 6th and will be suitable for ALL levels of riders. We'll start at Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs, ride to Crawley High Street and have a look at the Veteran Cars stopped there. After that we'll ride along cycle paths to Pease Pottage Hill where we can watch the Old Crocks tackle the hill (we can ride up with them if we want), before popping into the Black Swan at Pease Pottage for some refreshments.
It'll be easy, it'll be fun, so come along.
We headed west, across the golf course, under the A24 and along Robin Hood Lane. No deer visible today - are they being prepared for Christmas???
Rowhook Hill followed and we stayed on the Horsham Road all the way to Ewhurst Green where we took Gadbridge Lane and then the Cranleigh Road into Cranleigh. After passing through the village we turned left onto Elmbridge Lane. Where this road crosses first the railway (now the Downs Link path) and later the canal, it narrows down to a single lane and traffic seemed to pile up behind us. Fortunately none of the drivers seemed too impatient and we got no grief from them.
We went over the A281 at the traffic lights and then some incompetent oaf in a people carrier gave us a blast on the horn for no discernible reason (unless they were suffering from a form of Tourettes?).
Once again we went past Dunsfold airfield without seeing any of the Top Gear lads - I'd so like to have a chat with Jeremy and demonstrate how easily a bike could ride over a car (he once suggested that he would drive his car over a cyclist). Bearing west then south we went through the village of Dunsfold and thence on to Plaistow. From here it was just a couple more miles down to Kirdford and our lunch stop at The Foresters Arms.
The pub was recovering from a Halloween party and there were cobwebs and pumpkins all over the place as well as on the menu (pumpkin soup - not cobweb soup!).
We had a pleasant lunch and were joined by several riders from Arun Adur group before eventually getting back on our bikes and taking the shortest route back to Horsham - Wisborough Green, Rowner Road, New Road, Barns Green, Two Mile Ash Road and Tower Hill.
Mike returned to his car, Johnny and I carried on through Roffey, along Forest Road and back into Crawley via Pease Pottage. As I put my bike away I noted that I'd clocked up 57 miles on what had been a very pleasant October day that felt more like a late summers day.
Our next Sunday ride is on November 6th and will be suitable for ALL levels of riders. We'll start at Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs, ride to Crawley High Street and have a look at the Veteran Cars stopped there. After that we'll ride along cycle paths to Pease Pottage Hill where we can watch the Old Crocks tackle the hill (we can ride up with them if we want), before popping into the Black Swan at Pease Pottage for some refreshments.
It'll be easy, it'll be fun, so come along.
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Cutty Sark to Crawley on NCN21
I, ride leader Peter S, met Richard at Three Bridges station in time for the 07.55 stopping train to London Victoria. We could have got the 08.04 faster train but Richard had pre-ordered his ticket on the internet at a cost of £3.30 (using a network rail card). I bought my ticket on the day from the ticket window and paid £11.30. For the same ride – how does that work!? We arrived at Victoria in time for a coffee, before heading off down Victoria Street towards Parliament Square and Westminster Bridge at 9.15. There was very little traffic about and we made good time in nice weather with blue skies, although with a strong south-easterly breeze. There were large numbers of tourists around the Houses of Parliament but as we turned eastwards on National Cycle Route 4 alongside the Thames the streets got quieter again. At times it felt as if we were cycling through a movie set, for one of those films where some disaster had killed everyone off and we were the last cyclists left alive! It is quite interesting to try to follow the NCR4 – mostly you need to find the blue ‘stickers’ on lamp posts etc, and there are one or two locations where care needs to be taken as the turns are not always obvious, as you wind through the former docklands of our industrial heritage. Fortunately Richard had a Garmin GPS in which he had plotted the route which bleeped at us if we diverged from the allotted route. I had all of the TFL paper maps as well, so we didn’t actually get lost this time. I think that I had visited the whole route in the past, but this journey was the first one where we had followed the route precisely in its entirety. It was also pleasing to note that some sections had been improved since we last passed this way.
This is a view looking upstream from Greenwich - the tall, thin chimney-like object in the middle of the picture is in fact The Shard at London Bridge, about three miles away!
We arrived at the Cutty Sark but barely recognised it as the whole area appears to have been dug up and cordoned off for some major works; not quite sure what the outcome will be but hopefully it will improve this lovely spot by the river. Shortly after 10.15 we departed south on the NCR21. This is the route that originates in Greenwich and heads south, via Gatwick Airport and Crawley to Eastbourne where it terminates. Our plan was to follow it, almost to the letter, as far as Three Bridges and home. We have done this a few times now and know the sections that are tricky to navigate, as well as a stretch through New Addington that is well worth missing out, so we set off confidently.
From the Downs the route back is pretty straight forward as we regained home ground, and it also gets flatter, but with more exposure to the wind.
This is a view looking upstream from Greenwich - the tall, thin chimney-like object in the middle of the picture is in fact The Shard at London Bridge, about three miles away!
We arrived at the Cutty Sark but barely recognised it as the whole area appears to have been dug up and cordoned off for some major works; not quite sure what the outcome will be but hopefully it will improve this lovely spot by the river. Shortly after 10.15 we departed south on the NCR21. This is the route that originates in Greenwich and heads south, via Gatwick Airport and Crawley to Eastbourne where it terminates. Our plan was to follow it, almost to the letter, as far as Three Bridges and home. We have done this a few times now and know the sections that are tricky to navigate, as well as a stretch through New Addington that is well worth missing out, so we set off confidently.
And we had no navigational problems at all, passing a pleasant couple of hours in the company of many other cyclists and walkers – the route was quite busy in places – to arrive at the Bear in Fickleshole. I was able to text home – ‘Arrived at the Bear. No Men Behaving Badly. Except Bob, of course.’ On a previous visit we had talked with Neil Morrissey who frequents this popular pub, but no sign of him today. Although we were sitting outside in pleasant sunny weather, the sandwich bar was not open and we had to select leek and potato soup from the starters menu. It is a shame when pub’s stop doing sandwiches on Sundays. But the beer was first class and only 3.8%! We had a pleasant lunch watching the executive jets taking off from nearby Biggin Hill – it was just like being at home in Crawley!
The afternoon’s ride had a lot more off-road riding and gradually exposed us to the full strength of the wind. So it all got a bit tougher especially as we climbed across the A22 and up the north downs to the magnificent viewpoint north of Caterham, where we took a short break to update Facebook status etc!!! We could see the planes landing and taking off in the distance – strangely going the ‘wrong way round’ due to the easterly winds. It was here that the battery expired on my phone so the automatic tracking of the route ceased at about 33 miles.
The afternoon’s ride had a lot more off-road riding and gradually exposed us to the full strength of the wind. So it all got a bit tougher especially as we climbed across the A22 and up the north downs to the magnificent viewpoint north of Caterham, where we took a short break to update Facebook status etc!!! We could see the planes landing and taking off in the distance – strangely going the ‘wrong way round’ due to the easterly winds. It was here that the battery expired on my phone so the automatic tracking of the route ceased at about 33 miles.
From the Downs the route back is pretty straight forward as we regained home ground, and it also gets flatter, but with more exposure to the wind.
We dutifully stuck exactly to the NCR21 all the way to North road in Three Bridges where we followed the NCR20 to Furnace Green and Maidenbower. Total distance was 54 miles so a bit less than the advertised 60 miles arriving back at about 16.30. But the route did exactly what it said on the tin taking us through parts of central London and then, seemingly magically, to the countryside again. It was quite hilly in places and made harder by the wind, although we were lucky to have sunshine and pleasant temperatures all day. Thank you to everyone that joined the trip. We hope that we will see you all again soon. And if you fancy this very interesting, unusual and varied route watch out for it.
Here's a link to Google maps that shows the exact ride route from Victoria Station to The Cutty Sark and then down as far as the North Downs:
Next weeks ride (Sunday October 30th) starts from Horsham Pavilion in the Park at 09:30 hrs and will head West from Horsham with a lunch stop at The Foresters Arms in Kirdford. Don't forget the clocks go back on Saturday night/Sunday morning so you'll get an extra hour in bed.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Autumn Colours
The weatherman had promised a clear and dry day but with lower temperatures starting to become a feature - he wasn't wrong and I chose the right things to wear with two layers on top, leggings below and a pair of long-finger gloves. For the first few minutes I pondered stopping to put a hat on under my helmet but, by the time I crested Pease pottage Hill I was plenty warm enough. The Forest Road was a bit chilly in the shade and the odd pocket of mist also took the temperature down but made for photogenic countryside:
I arrived at Horsham Pavilions in the Park on time but none of the bikes were familiar. I was mentally planning a slightly different route for what looked like being a solo ride when I noticed a cyclist approaching - I didn't recognise him but he was looking for me. "Horsham CTC?" he asked. "Yes, good morning" I replied. Johnny had found us on the internet and wanting to join us on our Cutty Sark ride had decided to check us out on this ride beforehand.
We had a chat for a few minutes during which time I reckoned he would easily be able to cope with my planned route and having checked he was OK with it, we set off.
We went across a misty golf course and then through Broadbridge Heath and thence to Itchingfield. Visibility was good but there was still a certain mistiness that the sun hadn't yet broken through. At Barns Green we headed over the railway crossing (after waiting for a train to pass) and carried on south to Dragons Green.
I styled this ride "Autumn Colours" but I forgot to take any pictures as we rode around, so I've included some pictures I've taken on a previous autumn.
From Dragons Green we crossed (carefully) over the A272 and then went past The Countryman Inn with Shipley Windmill invisible in the mist to our left and then crossed the A24 at the garden centre.
After Bob Lane we headed north on Bolney Chapel Lane and after waiting several minutes before being able to cross the A272 headed up Foxhole Lane and then Colwood Lane up to Warninglid. From here it was but a short ride up to Slaugham Pond and then along Hampshire Hill to the lunch stop - The Wheatsheaf at Plummers Plain.
He intends meeting up with us next week (at the Cutty Sark) for our Greenwich to Crawley ride.
Next weeks ride is the Greenwich to Crawley NCN20 ride.
I arrived at Horsham Pavilions in the Park on time but none of the bikes were familiar. I was mentally planning a slightly different route for what looked like being a solo ride when I noticed a cyclist approaching - I didn't recognise him but he was looking for me. "Horsham CTC?" he asked. "Yes, good morning" I replied. Johnny had found us on the internet and wanting to join us on our Cutty Sark ride had decided to check us out on this ride beforehand.
We had a chat for a few minutes during which time I reckoned he would easily be able to cope with my planned route and having checked he was OK with it, we set off.
We went across a misty golf course and then through Broadbridge Heath and thence to Itchingfield. Visibility was good but there was still a certain mistiness that the sun hadn't yet broken through. At Barns Green we headed over the railway crossing (after waiting for a train to pass) and carried on south to Dragons Green.
I styled this ride "Autumn Colours" but I forgot to take any pictures as we rode around, so I've included some pictures I've taken on a previous autumn.
From Dragons Green we crossed (carefully) over the A272 and then went past The Countryman Inn with Shipley Windmill invisible in the mist to our left and then crossed the A24 at the garden centre.
Now I thought I would be adventurous and turned left onto the bridleway through The Lock Estate. A few hundred yards further and there were several young cattle just hanging around on the path - Johnny was really surprised that, though I had been scared by a labrador dog that came bounding up to us earlier, I wasn't at all fazed by these much larger animals. I think it's that I find a hulking vegetarian a lot less frightening than any size of toothy carnivore!
I was following this part of the route by memory and it's about ten years since I last rode it, but I remembered the first couple of junctions correctly. However, when we came to the part that I thought went diagonally across a large concrete apron and then left onto a concrete track, the fingerposts didn't seem to back it up and the concrete track had all but disappeared! I trusted my memory though and a Bridleway fingerpost confirmed we were still legal. It looks like there has been some rerouting of rights of way and closure/removal of old/creation of new tracks around here (a quick look at the satellite view when I got home confirmed this). We emerged back onto the public roads at Partridge Green and from here we headed east then turned south onto the A281.
Just before the River, we turned left onto the bridleway taking us past Shermanbury Church. At first this is a broad, tree-lined avenue but on reaching the Church it becomes a fairly narrow bridleway, albeit with a good surface. Eventually we emerged back on the road at Wineham where we headed north, past The Royal Oak before turning right onto Bob Lane.
This lane goes past a major National Grid substation. If you look on an OS map, it's possible to see no fewer than seven different Electricity Transmission Lines converging on this substation - all but two of which go to ground some way off from it (the furthest would appear to be just west of Crabtree).
After Bob Lane we headed north on Bolney Chapel Lane and after waiting several minutes before being able to cross the A272 headed up Foxhole Lane and then Colwood Lane up to Warninglid. From here it was but a short ride up to Slaugham Pond and then along Hampshire Hill to the lunch stop - The Wheatsheaf at Plummers Plain.
Over a pint of Sussex and some very tasty (and promptly served) food, I had a chat with Johnny about Norway (where he's from) and about our club and the riding available in our neck of the woods.
He intends meeting up with us next week (at the Cutty Sark) for our Greenwich to Crawley ride.
It was nice and sunny in the shelter of the pub garden but eventually we decided it was time to head for home. As both of us live in Crawley, we took the sensible route over the B2110 onto Hammerpond Road and then up Grouse Road to Pease Pottage. From there it was just a mile and bit to arrive home just after 14:00hrs. Looking at the speedo, it was reading only 46 miles, but they were very pleasant and I found myself wondering if that would be the last dry ride of the year?
The plethora of berries on the Holly trees and other bushes gives hint to a hard winter according to the Old Wives Tales, so I thought I would finish off with this little fella:
Next weeks ride is the Greenwich to Crawley NCN20 ride.
Make your own way to London and meet either at Cafe Ritazza in Victoria Station at 09:00 hrs or on the west side of The Cutty Sark at 10:15hrs. Pete S will be leading this day long ride of approximately 60 miles. The morning is lamost all tarmac, the afternoon has a fair amount of mainly stone dressed off-road. Touring bikes will be more than capable.
Latest Train service news is that trains will not be running from Horsham this Sunday. the service from Three Bridges is unaffected.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Winkworth Arboretum
Todays ride was fairly straightforward: Starting from Horsham Pavilions in the Park, Pete would lead us to Winkworth Arboretum and back. After an uneventful ride over from Crawley, I arrived at the start just as Barbara did. As I was overheating, I stayed outside and kept an eye on our bikes whilst Barbara joined Pete for a pre-ride coffee (I think it was her breakfast as she'd overslept and had to rush out of the house to get to the ride).
No-one else turned up and so we set off - along Hurst Road to North Parade and then west through Horsham and over the Golf course. Just before we went under the A24 a couple of teenage boys on bmx/jump bikes went past us. With their low saddles and lack of gears it was obvious those bikes weren't intended for our sort of riding and it was quite entertaining watching their riders putting so much effort (and discomfort) into keeping ahead of us as we cruised along Robin Hood Lane. Half a mile later they reached their destination - the mud jumps at the end of Byfleets Lane.
We carried on and shortly afterwards "enjoyed" the climb of Rowhook Hill. We passed through Ellens Green on the way to Cranleigh where we crossed over the Downs Link, then the Wey-Arun Canal and then the A281 before going past the entrance to Dunsfold Aerodrome. This is the airfield used by Top Gear and I've always had a hankering to meet Mr Clarkson and ride my bike over his car (in a reversal of a casual comment he once uttered on the show).
As we reached a place called Loxhill the road turned north and also headed up for two (or was it three?) climbs before we reached our destination.
Winkworth Arboretum is a National Trust garden and we obviously weren't the only visitors today - the car park was absolutely choc-a-bloc. Not a problem for us though, we just merrily rode/wheeled our bikes right up to the cafe and chained them up there.
We lunched on tea and sandwiches before going for a walk around the garden. The autumn colours have only just got going and I enjoyed strolling around taking some photographs:
No-one else turned up and so we set off - along Hurst Road to North Parade and then west through Horsham and over the Golf course. Just before we went under the A24 a couple of teenage boys on bmx/jump bikes went past us. With their low saddles and lack of gears it was obvious those bikes weren't intended for our sort of riding and it was quite entertaining watching their riders putting so much effort (and discomfort) into keeping ahead of us as we cruised along Robin Hood Lane. Half a mile later they reached their destination - the mud jumps at the end of Byfleets Lane.
We carried on and shortly afterwards "enjoyed" the climb of Rowhook Hill. We passed through Ellens Green on the way to Cranleigh where we crossed over the Downs Link, then the Wey-Arun Canal and then the A281 before going past the entrance to Dunsfold Aerodrome. This is the airfield used by Top Gear and I've always had a hankering to meet Mr Clarkson and ride my bike over his car (in a reversal of a casual comment he once uttered on the show).
As we reached a place called Loxhill the road turned north and also headed up for two (or was it three?) climbs before we reached our destination.
Winkworth Arboretum is a National Trust garden and we obviously weren't the only visitors today - the car park was absolutely choc-a-bloc. Not a problem for us though, we just merrily rode/wheeled our bikes right up to the cafe and chained them up there.
We lunched on tea and sandwiches before going for a walk around the garden. The autumn colours have only just got going and I enjoyed strolling around taking some photographs:
After all that exercise, when we got back to the cafe we just had to have another cuppa and a bite to eat!!!
For the ride back the wind was behind us and we fair sped down the hills we'd laboured up earlier.
In no time we were back at Cranleigh (did you know it was originally called "Crawley" but was renamed when the New Town came into being in order to avoid confusion?).
To give us a bit of variety, Pete headed us back via Ewhurst, where we encountered this device. I think it is a very "pc" bit of equipment as it tells everybody to slow down and doesn't discriminate against those who are going too quick. Accordingly, I got off my bike and entreated my fellow riders to slow down from the ridiculous 10 mph they were clocking along this dangerous piece of highway!
Cutting through Ewhurst we went through Ewhurst Green and Walliswood before retracing our steps down (joy of joys!) Rowhook Hill and back into Horsham.
Saying good bye to Pete and Barbara I then took the Forest Road back home through Colgate and Pease Pottage. As I put my bike away, I realised I'd cycled some 52 miles on an October day without needing to wear thick or waterproof clothes - result!
Next weeks ride is once again aimed at enjoying the Autumn colours and will start from Horsham Pavilions in the Park at 09:30 hrs. It will head south from Horsham and (optionally)lunch will be at the Wheatsheaf at Plummers Plain. The total mileage will be a fairly easy 30 and even with a lunch stop we should all be home by 14:00hrs. Come and join us.
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