Ride Invitation A’s - Wed Mar 11th

Next Wednesday’s A ride from the New Haw Centre (Amis Ave KT15 3ET) will be to Dorney.

24 undulating miles, all on-road or surfaced.

Lunch at The Palmer Arms, last visited in March 2020, our final ride before lockdown.

17 miles, one hill, to tea at Shepperton Ferry.

If you would like to come, please email me d.vine207@btinternet.com before 6pm Monday.

Invitation to ride with B group on 11th March

We will meet at the Woodham and New Haw Day Centre for Elevenses. Anyone coming by train should hop off at West Byfleet Station for the short ride to the day centre.

Lunch will be at The Drummond in Albury, over 2 hours but not quite 16 miles from Elevenses. We'll set out westward along the Basingstoke canal and the first 11 miles will be fairly flat and quite scenic, perhaps squishy in places, some off road. Then after Stoke Park, zig-zagging up into the hills before an exhilarating descent all the way to the pub. The road surface quality is variable during the ride. Namby-pamby slick tyres won't be ideal on some short muddy stretches but most of the ride is on very decent tarmac or canal path.

This is our route:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53853439 

The Drummond manager has asked for us to pre-order our lunches. It is a gastro-pub so it is somewhat pricey especially for main dishes but I hope that everyone will be able to find something tasty.

This is their menu:

 

Please reply to this invitation by Monday lunchtime. This is essential for two reasons; Clive needs to advise numbers attending Elevenses to the Day Centre in New Haw and I need to give as much notice as possible to the pub regarding our lunch menu choices.

Afternoon tea will be either at Leatherhead, Lucio's or perhaps for a change, The Old Clunker in Dorking. The afternoon routes may vary at the whim of your leader.

We'll be running with just two teams with Team Mick probably setting out at 10:45 and Team Tim at 10:50 or 11:00.

It's a pretty nice route and we're looking forward to seeing you.

Tim and Mick 

 

A ride March 4

Only nine of us rode from Cobham to the annual lunch at Tolworth. Janice led Dave V, Clive and Steve D. My group consisted of Sue C, Richard, Dave E and Simon. 

The promised sunshine was a bit slow coming so it was a chilly start. Our route took us along Sandy Lane and Stokesheath Road to Malden Rushett. Janice followed the road to Stamford Green whereas I turned off at the Stew Ponds to go over the common to The Wells. From here we went up Chalk Lane and over Epsom Downs to burn off a few more calories. By now it was sunny but London was still shrouded in a thick haze. A swift descent to Alexandra Road was followed by a lot of wiggling round the edge of Ewell to lunch. 

My thanks to Janice and to Simon for back marking my group.  

 

Awards presented for achievements in 2025

The Winners

(click to enlarge)

Mileage competition winners

Photo competition 

Here are the winning photos and links to the albums for all the photos in each category:

6.1 Person or people (male) (Drake Cup)

Photo by Brian

6.2 Person or people (female) (Colour Cup)

Photo by Dawn

6.3 Action (Albert Welvaert Memorial Trophy)

Photo by Helen

6.4 Scenery/Landscape (President's Trophy)

Photo by Steph

 

6.5 Building/buildings (The Tom and Mrs Fish Cup)

Photo by Robert

6.6 Humorous or funny (Snapshot Trophy)

Photo by Bernard

6.7 Best Group photo (Pete Mitchell Memorial trophy)

Photo by Ged

6.8 Hors Catégorie  (no prizes)       

Photos arrive in this HC category for numerous reasons, not delivered before the deadline, not showing an obvious link to cycling, not taken by the person submitting the photo, exceeding the quota of two photos per category, or not meeting other criteria for the competition. But they are good photos all the same so we will be pleased to be able to exhibit them along with those in the main categories.

Further to a decision taken by the Committee the main exhibition will take place at the AGM on 29th April. At the Annual Lunch we had just a single panel with prints of the seven winning photos.

Thank you to Clive and Graham who judged the photos this year, (along with myself). 

At last year's Annual Lunch Sue, our Chairperson, addressed us to explain that due to the high total cost of having the engraving done for our 13 trophies, we had suspended the engraving of all trophies until a full discussion could take place at our AGM to agree the way forward. At that AGM it was agreed that we should continue to engrave the trophies awarded for highest mileages and highest attendance scores. 

This year we were pleased to take up Paul's and Maggie's recommendation of an engraver in Wallington, 'Recognition Awards' who provided excellent service with the engraving as well as a repair to one of the cups. 

The 'Over the Top' cup was awarded to Dawn for the published account of her ride with a friend in Japan. 

You can read Dawn's article in the Jul/Aug 2025 digital edition of the Sou'Wester:

'The Setouchi Shimanami Kaido' by Dawn Moriarty

Thank you to those who served on the specially convened sub-committee for reading through all the articles to arrive at the winning entry for this prize.

Thank you to Mick for undertaking the amazingly complex task of analysing the attendance data for all sections of the club to discover the winners of our two attendance trophies.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the competitions and congratulations to all prize-winners.

~ Tim C

 

Report for B Group - 25th February

The pecking order having been confirmed on Tuesday, three flocks of assorted free-range poultry assembled at the Fairfield Centre for a good old cackle, then at their prescribed times they flew the coop and into the leafy lanes of Surrey.

We were sorry to find out that Ray had fallen off on the way to Leatherhead and hurt himself and damaged his bike, including broken spokes we understand. And although Brenda made it to Elevenses she decided that the funny noises emanating from her drive train were a sign that she should go to a bike shop rather than risk riding with us. And Carolyn had to attend to some urgent repair to her house and so miss the ride. Nobody else chickened out and we were overjoyed that Sue F came to join our ride with Stephen’s flock, The Old Crafty Hens. 

 

The first flock out were The Old Crafty Hens (“Oak-Aged”)

Flight departure: 10:45

Leader: Stephen

"We assembled at Leatherhead in warm weather with the sun shining and blue skies - a glorious contrast to the weeks of rain which have characterised so much of this year.  Not surprisingly, the turn-out was good.

Stephen led the first group of 8 (’the Old Crafty Hens’), consisting of Sue F, Steph, Lilian, Chris McC, Arwyn, Martin and Tim G who very kindly backmarked.

The scenic route - much enhanced by the Spring sunshine - took us up to Effingham, down to Effingham Junction, past Ockham and over the A3 on the new bridge to Wisley.  Here we got tied up with an amazing queue of cars. In answer to the question ‘What’s going on?’, the Wisley traffic managers explained that ‘the sun has come out’:  the queue was simply people trying to get to the Wisley car-park.  We were able to weave our way carefully past most of the traffic (helped some of the way by the new, partially completed, cycle lane), but it was a relief to get back onto clear roads again. 

From there to lunch at the ‘Saddlers Arms’ at Send was a straightforward loop near Pyrford.  At the pub we sat outside, somewhat amazed to be basking in sunshine.  Food was simple but good -  the home-made soup was a particular stand-out.

The Old Crafty Hens

Afterwards we headed to Ripley, Ockham - again! - Stoke D’Abernon, up Leigh Hill Road, down Sandy Lane and then an interesting route (Stokesheath Road) to Fairoak Lane (where Steph and Lilian left for home) before taking a wooded path, the footpath over the A3 and down to Claygate where 5 of us stopped for some well-earned tea.  Althogether a very enjoyable day out on a lovely Spring day!

~ Stephen

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The second flock were The Old Golden Hens (“Refreshing”)
Flight departure: 10:55
Leader: Bernard

"The body ages but the heart is forever young.  The early morning sun rays poked me awake.  I jumped out of bed with excited anticipation of a glorious day’s ride.  Cycling shorts season had arrived with just two top layers instead of the winter’s half dozen or more.

A little kid was dragging me by the hand and urging me to get on my bike, “come on, hurry, let’s go... the sun’s out!”  Like flying swallows making their way from Africa to our northern summer the kid in me spread his arms and felt the sweet breeze head on.  Sabina and I joined our fellow cyclists for elevenses at the Fairfield centre in Leatherhead; a throng of kids dropped off for a day’s cycle riding on the first sunny day of the year.

As we rode the sun spread its arms wide across the horizon.  The greys of yesterday were gone.  Only one or two sheepish small vaporous clouds made an appearance. Young hearts coasted through fields of green, blues and whites.  A blackbird perched and then darted into a hedge.  A fox flashed into the road, u turned and disappeared.  Sparrows all along chirped and chatted.  And us, kids, in our youth, pedalled to the rhythm of joy.  At Wisley we met a convoy of cars, sunseekers, escaping winter’s enforced hibernation.  We arrived for lunch at the Saddlers Arms in Send Marsh, equidistant between Send and Ripley.  Lunches pre-ordered for young souls.

Our bellies filled, our hearts happy, on our bikes we got.  The sun and the blue sky were taking good care of us and on we pedalled.  A sheep stood in a field watching us, the rest had their backs to us chumping on grass.  Hills came and pinched our muscles.  Down we glided.

We arrived at the café in Claygate where some kids were tucking into cake.

Thanks to Tim C for the route.

The Old Golden Hens

My fellow riders, ‘The Old Golden Hens’, were Sabina, Julie, Karen, (Brenda), Chris, Geoff and Tony H.

Thanks to Mick for backmarking.

~ Bernard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The last flock to depart were The Old Speckled Hens (“Distinctive”) 

Flight departure: 11:05ish 

Leader: Tim C 

The original weather forecast for this ride wasn’t very promising but as we drew closer to the day it became apparent that we could expect very agreeable temperatures and sunny skies.

We crossed the Nature Reserve by the Mill Pond and up the Lower Road towards Bookham and Effingham. At nine miles in we arrived at the Wisley roundabout and although only a week had passed since our recce I managed to lead our group a bit too far (anticlockwise) around the roundabout before I wised up to my mistake. Although the area is still a mess of major construction and we were rather confused about where we should be riding it was also exciting to imagine how it will be for cyclists once the project is complete. What really astounded us was learning that the huge buildup of traffic on the new Wisley Lane and bridge was all due to the sun shining and the multitudes deciding to visit the Wisley Gardens.

We looped through Wisley Village and Pyrford, stopping for a team photo by the lock, then around through Old Woking to Cartbridge, ultimately relieved to get away from the  fairly persistent traffic and into Send Marsh Lane for our lunch at The Saddlers Arms.

The Old Speckled Hens by Pyrford Lock

We used to visit this small pub quite frequently several years ago. As agreed with Yvonne we would just have a limited menu, mostly a lovely leek and potato Soup of the Day and several species of panini with side salads and optional chips. Still February but twenty four of us sat in the sun in front of the pub for lunch. Yvonne and the pub staff ensured that we were very well looked after and it was a shame we had to leave. We should look forward to visiting them again.

After lunch we headed towards Cobham and took the obligatory Chilbrook Road diversion then River Lane to the Cemetery, the Tilt Road and Leigh Hill Road for a nicely flowing route through to Sandy Lane and ultimately up New Road to Claygate. Anne’s chain had come off somewhere in Miles Lane but our trusty backmarker Mr Betts brought her back to us before Sandy Lane. Thank you Peter. 

Parade and Albany is a good choice of Tea stop for anyone arriving before they close at 4:30. Their Tea, Coffee and Cake is excellent. Terry, Grant and Alan had peeled off towards their homes before we got there but the rest of us enjoyed our visit to the café.

Thanks to my cheerful team, Anne, Gill F, Mags, Peter, Grant, Alan I and Terry for our lovely day out. And a huge thank you to Stephen and Bernard for leading their teams. 

~ Tim C

Invitation to join A Group ride to Annual Lunch

Unfortunately my plan to visit the new cycling infrastructure betwwen Cobham and Wisley won't happen because the end February target date for opening has been missed.

If you would like to see a little of what we're missing you can watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1MgK9xnZok 

It shows the route from Ockham Bites over the new Cockrow bridge. The turning to the right at the top of the ramp will lead across the M25 to Pointers Road and Painshill roundabout. 

Instead there will be an 18 mile ride to lunch with one hill to improve your appetite. Janice and I will lead two moderately paced groups. The published route is all on road or tarmac paths but if conditions are suitable my group may detour slightly from the published route to go across Epsom/Ashtead Commons from Christchurch Road to The Wells. This is a well compacted path but please let me know if you are only interested in the road version - no comment needed if you are happy with either option.

Please email me by 6pm on Monday for a place.

 

Invitation to join the B Ride from Cobham to lunch in Tolworth on Wednesday 4th March

We have a straightforward 18 mile ride from our usual British Legion venue to our annual lunch location in Tolworth. Please let me know if you would like to join the ride by Monday evening. No need to send me lunch orders!!

johnaustin04@yahoo.co.uk

Hope to see you on Wednesday,

John A.