Invitation to B Group ride from Banstead on 17 June

You are invited to next Wednesday's B Group ride from Banstead.

We have a fairly hilly morning in the North Downs, but we have all been practising hills on the way to Shoreham and back, and there is a refresher course on Wednesday by simply getting to Banstead for elevenses.

The morning ride includes green country lanes most of us have not ridden before, and a trip around RAF Kenley, the best preserved of the Battle of Britain airfields.

Lunch at the Wattenden Arms just tucked under the airfield.

After lunch it is back to Wimbledon Windmill for tea, at first along roads seldom travelled, then along the Wandle Trail to Earlsfield before turning through Wimbledon Park and up to the Common by the gentlest route.

Unfortunately the pub wants us to pre-order.  Menu attached here.

I will publish the final route after a bit of recce work this weekend to minimize the unavoidable afternoon climb over Woodcote.

Please let me know by e-mail by Monday evening if you would like to come, and your choice from the menu. 

Paulandrewjames1949@yahoo.co.uk

Ride report A’s to Shoreham 10 June

 The forecast showed showers were likely for much of the day and we had a new untested pub for lunch. However, the route was mainly our tried and tested one, tinkered slightly to divert through the pretty village of Bramber which then put us in the right place to enter Shoreham using the new underpass and an old bridge.

Fiona’s group was first to leave at 10.15:

We were the first group off from Tanhouse and almost got to Bramber before the heavens opened and we were rushing to put on our wet weather gear. The rain didn’t last long and the ride into Shoreham dried us out. The Crown and Anchor served us a good lunch and were efficient.

Dave and Mike sat out the next shower before heading to Brighton to get the train. The rest of us set off in freezing wet, windy weather - we didn’t even make it onto the beach for the customary photo. At Horsham Patrick and Clive went to the train station. Leaving Steve, Guy and I to make it amongst intermittent showers to Leatherhead .

Thank you to Janice for a good route, my group for cheerful company and Dave for back marking.

My group was away next with Neil W, Karl, Richard B, Dave E and Brian.

 It was a bit windy but the sun was often shining and we made steady uphill progress, pausing to admire the pond and fine show of waterlilies at Warninglid.

The ride continued and around Small Dole the sky darkened, the wind increased and after the first few spots of rain we stopped to put rain jackets on. We had 3 miles of busy and very wet road before things improved again.

Somewhere around Botolphs we passed Fiona’s group as they had stopped to fix Steve’s snapped chain so we were first at the Crown & Anchor. The pub proved to be a success as it was reasonably priced and service was both friendly and very quick.

We left in sunshine and we stopped at the beach for a photo, by which time the weather deteriorated and for the next few miles it was a howling gale and torrential rain. Never mind as we dried off in sunshine by Horsham. Brian, Richard, Neil and I stopped at the leisure centre intending to cycle on but the weather changed to torrential rain again and as a train was due to depart all but Richard headed to the station where our journeys home continued in sunshine. There was just one more downpour just before we got to our front door.

Dave’s was the final group and here’s his report.

My group (Sue C, Gina, Dave F, Neil C, Steve W and new to Wayfarers Rob) gathered at Tanhouse in pleasant sunshine. As we set off the clouds gathered and the temperature fell. But we kept dry until around Wineham, where the first of several showers forced us to pause to don waterproofs.

This set the pattern for the rest of the day with much stopping and starting to don and un-don. At Small Dole it was clear we had missed a major downpour, with surface water everywhere. That and the unpleasantly heavy traffic on the approach to Upper Beeding caused us to reassess the route, and get off the roads for a while. So we took the traditional gravel track to Shoreham, a bit puddly at first, but later givingus a smooth ride, where we could exchange greetings with a party of B riders.

Lunch was excellent at the Crown & Anchor. Thanks, Janice for finding a pub with reasonable food, reasonably priced, speedily served too. And we were allowed to park our bikes safely on the terrace. Can we go back next year please.

However at lunch we learned that other groups had not been so lucky, and to avoid getting soaked we delayed our departure by 15 minutes. Getting to the beach for the traditional photo, we managed to capture a patch of blue sky.On leaving we met Steph, completing her own solo marathon trip.

Sue had planned to return direct from Shoreham, but the rest of the group headed back, this time taking the tunnel route, shorter and less wind exposed than the road. I had hoped for a wind assisted return, but it was not to be. No takers for ice cream at Partridge Green as we decided to make the most of a dry spell and ride on.

One more rainstorm around Copsale, before we arrived at Horsham Leisure Centre around 4.30, ahead of the café’s 5pm closure. There were no takers for the train, so it was onto the last climb of Old Holbrook with leaden legs, followed by the pleasure of descending from Rusper, with legs encouraged by thoughts of home. We all parted company at or just before Leatherhead, with nobody stopping for tea.

My thanks to my group for their unfailing good humour, and especially to Neil for back marking all day. It appears that we were the lucky group, seemingly always behind the worst of the rain, which meant that we could “enjoy” the full Shoreham Experience.

A memorable day out. Well done to all those who completed the ride all the way to Leatherhead despite the weather, hitting 100 plus miles. 

Thanks to everyone’s cheerful perseverance and especially to Fiona and Dave for sub-leading.

Wisley Lane status and route to Byfleet

I went across the new Wisley cycle route again on Sunday primarily to see whether the cycle path on Wisley Lane had been restored after the addition of the new airfield site roundabout.

It has, though there was a short section with a temporary (tarmac) surface but rideable all the way. I also used the signed route at the Ockham roundabout from Ripley to Wisley going under the bridge counter to traffic. This is fine, with cycle/pedestrian lights crossing the Portsmouth Road out of Ripley, but there are no such lights across Ockham Lane North and it's tricky to see when any stationary car might be about to get a green light.

I found I had a bit of spare time (but sadly not enough to do a full recce) so decided to explore towards the northern Clearmount bridge over the M25 which supposedly links to Byfleet though I had been told that there was a locked gate.

I followed the signs from the Green Bridge towards Pond Farm / Birch Scout camp. As you come across the Green Bridge from Ockham Bites this leads away to the right (but don't take the next right back towards the A3), The tarmac soon ends but the track is wide and hard gravelled. At the scout camp it turns right (with FP sign) onto an old concrete road leading in 100m or so to the new ramp onto Clearmount Bridge. 

I went over and turned left, signposted to Byfleet as a bridleway. The track continues past some iron posts 200m after the bridge ramp (ignore the path to the left) and soon comes to a signpost by some fencing. This is where the bridleway leads slightly left for about 700m to Mill Lane and Byfleet. The presence of two cyclists coming the other way, one on a gravel bike with slick tyres suggested that I could easily have made it on my Tricross. 

A conversation with a walker and mountain biker confirmed that it was straightforward in dry weather. 

Unfortunately I needed to get home so turned back at this point to Ockham Bites. My further exploration will have to wait until I return from holiday but if any of you try this please let me know.

 The route in ridewithgps

It is best mapped by OSM Cycle. 

B Group ride to Shoreham - 10th June '26

John A writes :

Thank you to TimG and Francis for taking on the significant task of leading groups on the long ride from Tanhouse to Shoreham-by-Sea. Thank you also to everyone who joined us for the day. I hope that, despite the changeable weather, you had a good day out at the seaside.

The first group got a bit wet going south and again cycling towards Horsham. But the main wet weather was a very heavy burst when we were riding westwards along Shoreham’s Beach Road. We then made it for the hourly train from Horsham with seconds to spare.

Team JA

Lunch at Brighton City Airport cafe

Francis D'S writes :

The annual Shoreham ride to the coast is always one that club riders look forward to in the summer. Usually, in lovely sunshine. It's great that my middle group of seven was a mixture from different groups - the Wednesday group, Saturday group and the C&M group so it was so good to ride and talk with people I’ve not seen recently or at all. 

Team FD'S

We set off from Tanhouse Farm under foreboding black clouds and optimistic that we’ll beat the rain to Shoreham. Soon we hit the first significant hill, Tower Road and once over it, Eric our back maker, loudly announced to the group that it was now all down hill to the coast. That’s more of a porky-pie that I’m used to telling!!

About halfway there !

Unfortunately, around noon, the rains came on and off but it was still pleasing to ride on Mark Gladwyn’s fabulous route through quiet and picturesque lanes most of the time. 

Soon, a sight of sea gulls over the Downs Link gave us an indication we were very near. At the Swiss Cottage pub, a couple stayed for lunch, as the waiting time had halved to 20 mins whilst the rest of the group sought other venues for lunch before heading homewards by train. 

Thanks John for organising the ride groups etc and my group of John, Anne, Karen, Christina, Lilian and Eric, my back marker, for your company. 

Nothing like the sea air at the beach in Shoreham after a long day’s ride. 

...and Tim G writes ;

After a group reshuffle four of us left in the last group for our trip to Shoreham. A smooth ride south followed the familiar annual route and led us via Faygate, Colgate to Warninglid where we stopped for a photo opportunity courtesy of a couple of local walkers. 

Team TG

We cycled with a sense of optimism as the weather had been very kind to us. Sadly this was short lived as we headed into a heavy downpour just north of Upper Beeding causing us to take shelter under some roadside trees. 

Scenic Warninglid

Undeterred we soldiered on only to be met by further heavy rain along the Downs Link, eventually arriving at the ‘Swiss Cottage’ soaking wet ! We were surprised to find only three fellow cyclists inside who were waiting patiently for their food order. Everyone else seemed to have sought sanctuary elsewhere. 

Further grey skies persuaded me to think twice about heading to the beach for a glimpse of the Shoreham coast so instead headed straight to the station to get my train home. 

Thanks to everyone who made today’s ride a success. A good day out despite the changeable weather. 

A group ride to Shoreham 10 June

This is the annual ride from Tanhouse to Shoreham to Leatherhead.

There’s a slight change to our usual route as we approach Shoreham so that we can use the new underpass.

Also different from previous years is that we’re using a new pub in Shoreham, the Longshore, and the B’s are going elsewhere in the hope that this will lead to a swifter lunch experience. 

There are the usual options to catch a train home from Shoreham, Horsham or Dorking for those who’d prefer to shorten their ride.

I intend setting groups off from Tanhouse by 10.30.

The ride will be posted on Spond around 6pm Friday evening. If you’d like to join me please ‘accept’ on Spond and if you have any preference to which pace group you’d like to join please indicate in Spond comments. 

The Garmin Connect route is 

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/469436341

B Ride to Shoreham - Wednesday 10th June '26

I am posting this notice a few days earlier than usual so that riders can have a chance to ponder with others their preference for our annual ride to the coast, next week.

Our groups will set out from Tanhouse Farm a bit earlier than usual to allow for the longish journey to lunch in Shoreham. 

You do not need to commit yourself, but it would be helpful if you could indicate, when booking, your probable option from the following:

Ride from Tanhouse to Shoreham [30 miles]

1. and then train home
2. and then cycle onwards to Horsham and train home from there [30 + 22 miles]
3. and then cycle all the way back to Leatherhead [72 miles].

I shall try to arrange morning groups from Tanhouse according to these options or other comments you may wish to make regarding speed (no B group will be ‘fast’!) 

or earlier / later or with a particular person.

Please contact me by the evening of Monday 8^th June on

johnaustin04@yahoo.co.uk

Take care,

John A.

Ride Report A’s June 3rd

I should have learned by now, but this is an English summer and the weather gods rule, so the forecast of rain all day discouraged many. Of the 18 signed up 8 riders either abandoned or didn’t make it to the start, including myself, laid low by illness. However 10 hardy riders assembled in Cobham, including Brian and Steve as group leaders – thank you both. These are their stories.    

Brian writes. As we all gathered outside The Bakery the first spots of rain arrived. Neil Crocker asked to join my group as his legs weren't ride fit for anything faster. My group then consisted of Gill H, Sue C, Gina, Dave F and Neil. We set off in light rain but by Plough Lane it stopped and we had a mostly dry ride to the top of Staple Lane though into a stiff headwind. Here Dave F left us as he had an afternoon commitment (or an intuitive sense of impending rain). As we set off from the bottom of Combe Lane the rain really set in and continued most of the way to Bramley. The sign in Thorncombe St showing 2.5 miles to Godalming via Iron Lane tempted several of the group but we decided to continue. 

My glasses were rain soaked and steaming up every time we stopped which wasn't making life easier and I mistakenly took an early right turn into Alldens Lane. On seeing "the wall" I quickly realised my mistake and we resumed the correct route. Climbing Hascombe Lane was particularly unpleasant with my glasses steaming up and Neil nearly hit by a piece of falling tree. At the top there was a clear desire to skip the route to Markwick Lane and head directly to Godalming. No sign of Steve's group here and it was some time before they finally appeared.
    

Occasional glimpses of sunshine appeared often while it was still raining but after holding out until after 2pm we set off. Only one shower to Guildford and then the sun came out. What a transformation! A strong tailwind swept us back with little effort and we were soon in Ripley where we took Wisley Lane and the new cycle path back to Pointers Road and Cobham. A lovely end to the day. Neil and I had stopped for a brief chat when Steve and Guy arrived and joined me for tea.

My thanks to all the group for putting up with my sometimes tentative (half blind) leadership in the rain and Neil who became unofficial, but de facto back marker.

Steve writes. After the torrential rain on Tuesday, I had decided not to ride on the Wednesday. However I saw Brian was going to Cobham to see who else would want to ride. So as I am only 6 miles from Cobham I thought I would do the same. I set off in dry weather at 9.30 and arrived at The Bakery in time for the rain to start drizzling. 10 of us were there and Hans was on his way. I was amazed to see Gill in shorts with bare legs! We got word that Hans had suffered a puncture and Brian's group were getting ready to leave at the correct time.

Dave W, Guy, Richard and I decided to leave at 10.50. I had the route as did the others, but we agreed I would lead. The rain was constant now and we started our climb up to Ockham, then East Clandon and up Staple Lane, finally descending Combe Lane to the A25 and Albury. We had passed Brian and his group before reaching Staple Lane. After the climbing we went flat through Wonersh and Bramley up to Thorncombe Street and the B2130 to Godalming. The route then took us left along a tarmac bridle path, which ended with 100m of gravel in a loop to the back of the town. Guy must have punctured along here, because shortly after turning into Mare Lane we had to stop. At first we couldn't find the hole and thought it might be the valve and so I used my valve spanner to fit a new one, but it made no difference and so Guy fitted a new inner tube and off we went again. All the standing around had made us very cold and the rain continued to soak us. I had converted my phone to IP69 waterproofness by putting my phone in a zip lock freezer bag. This now played havoc with my navigation, because the bag kept touching the screen and freezing the navigation screen. Another learning curve!

As we went along Tuesley Lane Guy hit a deep pothole 4 inches deep and punctured his rear tyre once again. By now Guy was becoming an expert and pulled off his rear tyre by hand and quickly fitted another new inner tube, kindly supplied by Richard. Soon we were coming to the back of Godalming and Wetherspoons. Dave W left us here to make for home. It was 1.45 pm when we arrived, however Brian had sensibly taken a short cut along the B 2130 and got to the pub first. We ordered hot drinks and food to warm ourselves up. My Goretex top had allowed my sleeves and jersey to get wet and my feet were wet too, but not too bad considering constant rain.

We left at 2.30 pm and followed Dave V's interesting route through Farncombe, up, up to Pilgrim Wood and then down to the A3100 familiar road to Guildford. Up the cobbled high street and to the cross-roads between the A246 and London road. When the lights turned green, I pushed hard on the pedals and snapped my chain clean in two! Guy rescued it from the road, but could find no trace of the broken link. Fortunately I always carry a spare quick link and so five minutes later we were on our way again. Must have been a fault in the chain. The good news was it had finally stopped raining! From here we went to the A3 cycle path, taking Potters Lane to Send Marsh, then Ripley and Ockham. After this Richard left us to make his way home. Then Guy and I finished at Gails for tea and cake with Brian. It was 4.10 pm when we arrived. What an adventure! We were pleased just to get there, but as a bonus the sun appeared and we sat outside and dried off. We even took our wet gear off to ride home. The rain had made progress very difficult, but excellent exercise for mind and body. 

It was such a nice route, we must repeat it in sunnier times. As always I enjoyed good company in my small group and it was good to meet up with everyone else.

Respect to everyone who came out today. Strangely  nobody mentioned the beautiful views along Thorncombe St which was the inspiration for planning the route.