Do Join the 'A' Group Ride from Guildford on Weds 12 August

On Wednesday, we'll be riding from the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford to the Holly Bush Inn, Headley (Hampshire), and back to the Watts Gallery, Compton for tea and/or Guildford for a train home

There is a main route option (very similar to last year's, but with no cornfields involved!).  As it looks as if it may be very hot, I've also come up with a slightly shorter, and much less hilly 'lite' option which avoids the long climb from Thursley to Hindhead (with its long unshaded section).   We'll decide which route to use on the day.

Other details and booking by 'Spond.   If you have problems accepting the invitation or sending your menu choice by 'Spond, then send me a private WhatsApp instead.

Invitation to the B Group Guildford ride on 12th August

You are cordially invited to join Francis and myself for the annual train-assisted Guildford ride, meeting at the Yvonne Arnaud Centre for Elevenses and riding to The Barley Mow in Tilford for Lunch. As usual this will be a chance to explore some unfamiliar but lovely terrain.

During a recce I found that our usual route (cycling and walking) from the station to the theatre was closed and that may still be the case.

I recommend riding a bike with robust touring or 'gravel' tyres due to some parts of the route which are a bit soft and complicated, other parts are rough, there are occasional tree roots, mounds of horse poo, and other bumps to negotiate.

It is essential that we pre-order our lunches as the pub is often very popular on an unpredictable basis and they don't have a very big kitchen.

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During our recce we noticed that a 10% service charge was added in the bill. 

There is a separate Pizza shop at the pub. I am not clear whether pizzas can be pre-ordered but I believe that they can be delivered to our table wherever we decide to sit. If the weather is hot it is very pleasant sitting inside where it is cool and breezy.

 

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Due to ride departure times which will allow most of us to catch trains after 9:30, and the several stretches on unpaved tracks, our route offers fewer miles than usual, but for the most part they are high quality miles.

Departure times are expected to be 11:00 and 11:10

    Morning: Guildford to Tilford: 14.3 miles, ride time: 2 - 2¼ hrs (estimate)
    Afternoon: Tilford to Guildford: 12 miles, ride time: 1 hr 40 mins (estimate)

This is the route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/55520435 

For anyone wanting afternoon tea after the ride, if your train timetable permits, we can visit Frida's Coffee House in Fays Passage.

Some specimen times for trains to Guildford:

• Wimbledon direct, 9:19 -> 10:09 (but miss out on reduced fare)
• Wimbledon direct, 9:49 -> 10:39 (probably no time for a cuppa before departures)
• Wimbledon, change at Woking, 9:36 -> 10:24 

• Surbiton direct, 9:28 -> 10:09 (but probably(?) miss out on reduced fare)
• Surbiton direct, 9:58 -> 10:39 (probably no time for a cuppa before rides depart)
• Surbiton, change at Woking, 9:30 -> 10:02
• Surbiton, change at Woking, 9:44 -> 10:24

Please confirm your intention to join the ride as soon as you can and please let me know what you'd like from the menus, pizza if you wish.

~ Tim and Francis 

A ride report: 5th August . Cobham - Rusper - Leatherhead

I'm not sure whether it was the forecast of cooler weather or the route but my guesstimate of numbers was on the low side with 22 signed up at one point though there were a couple of cancellations before we left Cobham.

My group left first (arriving last by some margin!) comprising Sue C, Jennie, Simon, Dave F and Geoffrey S.  Andy joined us at Bookham after Peter's group had passed us.  Clive's group also overtook before we reached the top of Whitedown. Here Geoffrey decided that the hills were too much and retired to make his own way home. We continued over Leith Hill and onwards to Rusper where we arrived shortly after 1pm just as the lunches were being served.

After an enjoyable ride back in cooler temperatures than recent weeks we had tea at Lucio's, managing to arrive in between B groups. 

My thanks to Clive and Peter for sub leading, Jennie for back marking, Andy for the photo and not least Dave F's tyre for not puncturing until after tea!

Peter's report: 

My group (Frances, Dave V, Dave W, Hans, Karl, Ged & Andy) left promptly at 10.45, after a 45 second rain shower - torrential in comparison to our new weather regime! Our only off road excursion was early in the ride, and, as a result of the dry weather, a bit tricky on road tyres. We caught group 1 here and, after passing/restarting, I noticed we had lost Andy to the first group. We got to lunch almost exactly 2 hours after starting and were greeted by the thickest sandwiches I have ever seen (as in height not intelligence!) Very nice. Dave W departed after lunch and the 6 of us cruised back to Leatherhead on a much flatter profile than the morning. Many thanks to Brian for his excellent route, my group for their company and, in particular, to Ged for backmarking.
 

 

 

 Clive's report:

My group was last off from Cobham and was made up of Steve D, Simon W, Patrick, Mike and with Dave B back marking. Brian had devised a lovely route through the Surrey lanes and we were blessed with great weather to show it off to its best advantage.  The route was generally uphill to Leith Hill via Critten Lane and Abinger Common. With most of the hills behind it was a relatively easy run in to lunch at the Star Inn at Rusper. We had overtaken the other two groups along the way so were first to arrive, but were soon to be joined by the others for our refreshments and refuel.
After lunch the only hill of note was Langhurst Lane so it was a fairly quick return to tea in Leatherhead via Brockham where we stopped for a photo by the church.

Upon arrival in Leatherhead we headed to Luccios but were beaten to it by some B’s so we had our tea and cake at Charlie and Ginger instead before heading home.
Thanks to Brian for organising and Dave B for back marking my group.

 

B Ride Report 5th August - Cobham - Leigh - Leatherhead

A good turnout of 21 riders, with most enjoying the warmth at the RBL and the free coffees and teas, courtesy of Geoff (Happy Birthday Geoff!).

We were blessed by about a minute of light rain as the first group of Steph, Chris McC, Nigel A, Sue F, Keith R and Alan C back-marking, under Pete By set out at 10.30am. followed 15 minutes later by Francis and his group of Brenda, Sabina, Bernard, Alan I, Mags with John A back-marking. 

The last group to leave were Tim C, Anne W, Linda, Julie, Paul J and Tim G back-marking, ably led by Mick A.

The morning section covered 21 miles in around three hours. The ascent to Ranmore Common brought the first beautiful views of the day, followed by the enjoyable descent to Denbies where most of the group shots were taken high up on the ridge.

The climb up Box Hill added a classic Surrey challenge to the morning. At the top, riders were again rewarded with expansive views across the South Downs. The weather remained cloudy and cool throughout the morning, which made the climbing so much more comfortable than it might have been earlier in the week.

After Box Hill, the route continued with a cruising descent into Betchworth, then wound along quiet country lanes to our lunch stop, the ever-welcoming The Plough pub. Lunch was served beneath two large gazebos out front, where the groups enjoyed delicious food and impressively quick service.

 

 

After lunch, the remainder of the ride was a gentler 10-mile flat stretch to tea in Leatherhead.

My thanks as always to my subbies, Pete By and Mick A for their diligent leadership, all our back-markers and of course to everyone who came on the ride. An enjoyable and rewarding day out.

~ Francis

Some 'Action' photos for Team Mick on the slopes of Mt Box:

 REMINDER! FIRST AID COURSE MONDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER - AM 

 Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were faced with a medical emergency whilst out on a ride? I know some of you have had to deal with situations whilst on our weekly rides and it can be a pretty scary experience. Knowing basic first aid is an important life skill and can be a life saver if you are faced with a medical emergency in any aspect of your life.

 The  trainer is an experienced nurse Jen Craven who runs Wimbledon First Aid. As a cyclist herself she perfectly understands our needs and tailors the learning to situations we may encounter on a ride. The course will run for a morning and you will be awarded a certificate which is valid for 3 years.

We are hoping to get funding from Cycling UK as we did last year, but there may be a small charge if they do not fully cover the cost.

There are up to 10 spaces available - to sign up please contact me juliembuckman@btinternet.com or 07803 005516. Closing date for applications Friday August 7th.

Here are some thoughts from Sue F who attended last year:

Jen proved to be a great trainer and placed a lot of emphasis on not immediately diving into a situation, but pausing to assess first using the DRABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation) mnemonic. We returned to this when discussing almost all medical emergencies. Jen knows our riding territory well and had an excellent idea should an accident occur around a blind corner: place a bike with a bright coloured jacket draped over it to warn any oncoming vehicles or riders that there was a casualty on the road. 

Perfecting our CPR skills occupied a good part of the course. Jen uses dummies that light up when you are using the correct technique. Many of  the group found it surprisingly exhausting giving effective CPR for a prolonged period of time.

She  highlighted the importance of locating a defib quickly and having the locator app What 3 Words and medical info on our phones for a helper to find should we be unable to give this information. I have  now set up the Apple Health app with emergency contact numbers and any medical issues that can be accessed quickly from the locked screen. 

Being faced with a medical emergency can be challenging, especially if it happens in a remote and isolated location. Following the course I think we all felt more confident to deal with a potential situation and give some emergency care. I felt I learned a lot despite having done First aid training in the past. Techniques (particularly CPR) have changed considerably over the years so even if you have done some training this course is great refresher. 

Friday, 10 July 2026

Invitation to A ride from Cobham Aug 5th

 The invitation is now on Spond. Please use Spond to reply by 6pm Monday.

 

 Over the hills from Cobham to the Star at Rusper for lunch. A mostly gentle return to Leatherhead. A few lanes tempt us off the direct route in both directions. The only off road is the Coach Road at Brockham. 

https://connect.garmin.com/app/course/495889637 

Lunch order is required. You can access the main course menu from this link if you want. 

http://www.thestarinnrusper.com/small-lunches--sandwiches.html 

Invitation to B Group ride 5th August

You are all welcome to join the B ride from the Royal British Legion, 105 Downside Bridge Rd, Cobham KT11 3DG. It opens at 10am.

The morning route is 23 miles including up Critten Lane, Denbies vineyard, up Box Hill and down to Betchworth and eventually Leigh. It will be about 2.5 hours to lunch at The Plough.

No pre-orders are required but you may wish to familiarise yourself with their menus in advance. As it’s a very busy time of year for the pub, it’s likely we will find ourselves in their beautiful beer garden on different tables.

The afternoon ride is relatively short at just 10 miles to Lucio’s in Leatherhead.

If you would like to join the ride, please email me directly on fdsilva82@gmail.com  latest Monday evening please. 

Looking forward to seeing you at Elevenses. The weather should be dry 😊. Take plenty of sunscreen and water.

Enjoy your weekend,

Francis