Got to Horsham Park Pavilions cafe today
to be met by John V, John C and Norman - none of them sounding very enthusiastic about going out
into the drizzle. Norman decided on just a short run back home. The two Johns and I decided to commit ourselves to ride at least as far as Cranleigh
where I had arranged to meet Michael. We went via Warnham, Oakwood Hill,
and Ewhurst. At Cranleigh we decided that we didn't want to go to a pub and eat (
I had already decided not to go to Winkworth as although the rain had stopped
it was still quite gloomy), so we all agreed to go to the cafe at Wisborough
Green instead and set off south on a direct route there. The cafe was excellent
and I would recommend their soup. After about an hour we set off along
the A272 and then took Rowner Road to the The Blue Ship where Michael left us. We
went back to Horsham via Slinfold and Broadbridge Heath. About 35 miles in total
which seemed about right for a cold day.
Next weeks ride is VERY easy - it's the Old Crocks Race (or London to Brighton Veteran Car Run as they prefer to call it). We will start from Three Bridges Station at 10:00hrs and ride to Crawley High Street where we will be able to get close to the cars as they park up for a while. From there we will follow the route of the cars up to Pease Pottage and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the old cars struggling up the hill before popping into The Black Swan for lunch. Come along, it's one of the few occasions when you get the chance to overtake cars on Pease Pottage Hill!
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Skimmington Castle
A nice easy ride this week. However a 9:30 start from Three Bridges on a damp, overcast morning saw only two riders turn up. Norman and I waited around for the obligatory ten minutes and then set off. We rode through Three Bridges first - it seemed a lot easier to use the roads than use the footpaths to me - I can't understand why the recent furore about footpath cyclists (pedestrians on bikes?) had erupted in this area. The industrial estate was very quiet and we were soon passing the Beehive. We noticed that one of the office blocks now houses Nestle (they moved from Croydon recently) but the othere all look deserted.
The River Mole was running very briskly and Norman made the observation that perhaps we should try installing small scale hydro electric generators on rivers like this - every little helps. I was reading about plug-in photo-voltaic cell panels recently. I got the impression that these would be a fairly hassle-free way of reducing ones use of centrally produced electricity although Norman pointed out that it would actually take quite a long time to recoup the cost of buying/installing them (at current prices).
The pond just north of Gatwick Airport was looking very nice, aided no doubt by the work party in reflective gear brandishing brooms and plastic sacks. I think this pond will look spectacular next spring and summer. We continued through the middle of Horley and passed a healthily busy car boot sale before using the subway under the railway.
We'd been following NCN21 since Three Bridges and continued to do so as it went out through the new builds of North Horley, then once we reached the end of a bumpy farmtrack we left NCN21 in favour of a tarmac climb up the hill and across to Redhill Aerodrome. The cafe wasn't too busy and we were soon sat down supping our coffees. With the low cloud very much in evidence, it was no surprise that there wasn't a single aircraft movement whilst we were there.
We continued north then headed west and used Philanthropic Road past the cemetery and then through south Redhill and across to the Woodhatch crossroads. We continued west and onto Slipshatch Road, followed by Clayhall Lane and then right onto Flanchford Road. This took us round onto Reigate Heath and then a right turn onto Bonny's Lane led us up to the lunch stop at The Skimmington Castle.
The food and beer was good and we spent a pleasant hour at the pub before setting off for home. We headed south through Leigh, Norwood Hill and then Charlwood. As we arrived at Ifield Wood I noticed a cyclist heading in the opposite direction and somehow I realised it was a chap called Ed who posts on the Crawley Cycle Forum pages in facebook. He's posted a video on there where you spot us cycling past! Shortly after this we turned right through Ifield Wood to the Rusper Road where Norman headed right towards Lambs Green and Horsham and I turned left towards Crawley.
Pulling up at home I'd covered just over 30 miles, almost all easy with no bad climbs - shame only Norman and me had turned up.
Next weeks ride starts from Horsham Park Pavilion at 10:00hrs. Pete will lead us to Winkworth Arboretum for a lunch stop at the cafe there. It's a National Trust garden so bring your NT membership card if you want to view the spectacular autumn colours in the garden. It should be an easy/medium ride of about 35 miles.
The River Mole was running very briskly and Norman made the observation that perhaps we should try installing small scale hydro electric generators on rivers like this - every little helps. I was reading about plug-in photo-voltaic cell panels recently. I got the impression that these would be a fairly hassle-free way of reducing ones use of centrally produced electricity although Norman pointed out that it would actually take quite a long time to recoup the cost of buying/installing them (at current prices).
The pond just north of Gatwick Airport was looking very nice, aided no doubt by the work party in reflective gear brandishing brooms and plastic sacks. I think this pond will look spectacular next spring and summer. We continued through the middle of Horley and passed a healthily busy car boot sale before using the subway under the railway.
We'd been following NCN21 since Three Bridges and continued to do so as it went out through the new builds of North Horley, then once we reached the end of a bumpy farmtrack we left NCN21 in favour of a tarmac climb up the hill and across to Redhill Aerodrome. The cafe wasn't too busy and we were soon sat down supping our coffees. With the low cloud very much in evidence, it was no surprise that there wasn't a single aircraft movement whilst we were there.
We continued north then headed west and used Philanthropic Road past the cemetery and then through south Redhill and across to the Woodhatch crossroads. We continued west and onto Slipshatch Road, followed by Clayhall Lane and then right onto Flanchford Road. This took us round onto Reigate Heath and then a right turn onto Bonny's Lane led us up to the lunch stop at The Skimmington Castle.
The food and beer was good and we spent a pleasant hour at the pub before setting off for home. We headed south through Leigh, Norwood Hill and then Charlwood. As we arrived at Ifield Wood I noticed a cyclist heading in the opposite direction and somehow I realised it was a chap called Ed who posts on the Crawley Cycle Forum pages in facebook. He's posted a video on there where you spot us cycling past! Shortly after this we turned right through Ifield Wood to the Rusper Road where Norman headed right towards Lambs Green and Horsham and I turned left towards Crawley.
Pulling up at home I'd covered just over 30 miles, almost all easy with no bad climbs - shame only Norman and me had turned up.
Next weeks ride starts from Horsham Park Pavilion at 10:00hrs. Pete will lead us to Winkworth Arboretum for a lunch stop at the cafe there. It's a National Trust garden so bring your NT membership card if you want to view the spectacular autumn colours in the garden. It should be an easy/medium ride of about 35 miles.
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Beginners Ride from Horsham
The second sunday of each month we run a Beginners Ride, this month we started from Horsham. Pete E was the leader and he led us away from the Pavilions in the Park, through the park and along some quiet residential streets to the golf course and then out onto Robin Hood Lane. There were eight riders in total - five club members (Pete, Barbara, Norman, Bob, Anton) and three new riders (Sandy, Suzette and Andy).
Pete took us through Broadbridge Heath and a nice safe crossing of the A264 using a subway. Old Wickhurst Lane took us south and through the building works for the new bypass. We then carried on along a bridleway and had our first technical problem of the day - a chain managed to shift into the gap between the large sprocket and the spokes - but it was quickly fixed by adjusting the rear derailleur.
A little further on the track became a tarmac road as it passed the old Horsham waste tip (now a set of greenfields with the occasional vent pipe visible). However, at the end of the road we had a second technical problem - this time a loose crankarm - embarassingly on a bike I'd recently serviced! Unfortunately none of us had a 15mm spanner with a sufficiently deep reach to tighten the crankarm back up so we split into two groups - Norman took over as leader and led the group up through Itchingfield and along a couple of bridleways into Barns Green and on to Sumners Ponds. Meanwhile Pete and I headed straight for Sumners Ponds where their odd-job man lent us a 15mm socket spanner and we were able to successfully tighten Pete's crankarm. It was very pleasant sitting having coffee and cake at Sumners Ponds - I recommend it if you're in the area.
We got going again and headed up Two Mile Ash Road as far as The Bax Castle then headed for Bonfire Hill and Southwater. At Southwater we took the Downs Link and crossed under the A24 to arrive at Copsale. Now we were back on the road and following the cycle signposts back to Horsham. This took us onto the delighfully named Polecat Lane on which there is a small hill that I forgot about. Continuing north we arrived at the strangely named hamlet of Newfoundout and then back onto a bridleway. This bridleway is called Pedlars Way and heads down through some woodland,
before arriving in south Horsham just in time for lunch.
Next weeks ride, on Sunday 21st October, will start at 09:30 from Three Bridges Station and head for a lunch stop at The Skimmington Castle, Reigate Heath. It will be a relatively level 30 mile ride with a short tea break at Redhill Aerodrome in the morning.
Pete took us through Broadbridge Heath and a nice safe crossing of the A264 using a subway. Old Wickhurst Lane took us south and through the building works for the new bypass. We then carried on along a bridleway and had our first technical problem of the day - a chain managed to shift into the gap between the large sprocket and the spokes - but it was quickly fixed by adjusting the rear derailleur.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Bluebell Railway
Nine thirty on a grey sunday morning, the rain was holding off and there was only one other rider waiting outside Three Bridges station. Norman and I waited a further 5 minutes then set off up Billington Drive and onto The Worth Way. Although we were both on hardtail mountain bikes, Norman was running on medium knobbly tyres and I was on my road slicks. The surface of the trail showed evidence of the recent wet weather but there was plenty of traction and we made good time over to East Grinstead. Here we met the ride leader Ros. Disappointingly, no-one else had turned up.
Ros led us down Brooklands Way, Hurst Farm Road and then out of East Grinstead on Dunnings Road/West Hoathly Road. This took us past Deers Leap Farm where Anton and I went for a ride the other week. We then had the run down to the tail end of Weirwood Reservoir before the climb up past the Girl Guide camp and some good views down the valley, looking at the nice, full reservoir.
At the top we turned right then immediate left onto Chilling Street. This lane gives good views across this part of the High Weald and provides easy, slightly downhill riding. At Cinder Hill we carried on south then climbed up Waterbury Hill to Horsted Keynes which we skirted using Sugar Lane and Treemans Road. Next Ros took us down Sloop Lane to cross first the River Ouse and then the old canal before going uphill and left onto Butterbox Lane. Halfway up the next hill we turned left onto Banks Lane which cut across to the A275 for the final mile to our lunch halt at the Sheffield Park station of the Bluebell Railway.
We sat and ate our lunch on a bench on the platform. It was a sheltered little suntrap and it was very pleasant sitting there watching all the activity in the station: a train came and went, a set of Pullman dining cars was preparing to leave and a couple of light engines were manouevring around.
The return ride took us north to Sheffield Park crossroads and then east towards Fletching and onto Down Street for a nice quiet run up to Nutley. Here, after a couple of hundred yards on the A22 we turned left and headed west to Chelwood Gate where we turned right onto the A275 which we followed to Wych Cross. Next we took Hindleap Road and then at the crossroads we seperated - Ros headed north and back to East Grinstead via Forest Row, Norman and I used Top Road across to Sharpthorne, West Hoathly and thence to Turners Hill. Here I went off past Tulleys Farm and back to Crawley whilst Norman stayed on the ridge and using a combination of road and bridleway headed for Horsham via Pease Pottage and Colgate.
Our next ride is an easy one aimed at beginners/relative newcomer cyclists and starts from Horsham Pavilions in the Park (Horsham Swimming Pool) at 10:00 hrs. It will be a very easy loop to the South and west of Horsham making use of quiet lanes and bridleways with a stop for refreshments at Southwater Country Park and finishing back at The Pavilions a couple of hours later.
Ros led us down Brooklands Way, Hurst Farm Road and then out of East Grinstead on Dunnings Road/West Hoathly Road. This took us past Deers Leap Farm where Anton and I went for a ride the other week. We then had the run down to the tail end of Weirwood Reservoir before the climb up past the Girl Guide camp and some good views down the valley, looking at the nice, full reservoir.
At the top we turned right then immediate left onto Chilling Street. This lane gives good views across this part of the High Weald and provides easy, slightly downhill riding. At Cinder Hill we carried on south then climbed up Waterbury Hill to Horsted Keynes which we skirted using Sugar Lane and Treemans Road. Next Ros took us down Sloop Lane to cross first the River Ouse and then the old canal before going uphill and left onto Butterbox Lane. Halfway up the next hill we turned left onto Banks Lane which cut across to the A275 for the final mile to our lunch halt at the Sheffield Park station of the Bluebell Railway.
We sat and ate our lunch on a bench on the platform. It was a sheltered little suntrap and it was very pleasant sitting there watching all the activity in the station: a train came and went, a set of Pullman dining cars was preparing to leave and a couple of light engines were manouevring around.
The return ride took us north to Sheffield Park crossroads and then east towards Fletching and onto Down Street for a nice quiet run up to Nutley. Here, after a couple of hundred yards on the A22 we turned left and headed west to Chelwood Gate where we turned right onto the A275 which we followed to Wych Cross. Next we took Hindleap Road and then at the crossroads we seperated - Ros headed north and back to East Grinstead via Forest Row, Norman and I used Top Road across to Sharpthorne, West Hoathly and thence to Turners Hill. Here I went off past Tulleys Farm and back to Crawley whilst Norman stayed on the ridge and using a combination of road and bridleway headed for Horsham via Pease Pottage and Colgate.
Our next ride is an easy one aimed at beginners/relative newcomer cyclists and starts from Horsham Pavilions in the Park (Horsham Swimming Pool) at 10:00 hrs. It will be a very easy loop to the South and west of Horsham making use of quiet lanes and bridleways with a stop for refreshments at Southwater Country Park and finishing back at The Pavilions a couple of hours later.
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