A Group 24 Aug - Weybridge-Windlesham-Weybridge

A good turnout at Weybridge meant seventeen riders set off in the hot sunshine, via Addlestone and along Stonehill Road to a near-miss with Chobham.  The direct route to Windlesham would have been ten miles but we weren't going that way.   South to Horsell Common and then across to Bisley and Brookwood before following the railway line to Deepcut, where there is a steady climb up the Chobham Ridges to 123 metres - it felt more in the heat.  A long downhill along Red Road to Lightwater and we arrived at the Sun in the sunshine, hot and thirsty.  

The Sun had been worried about catering for us due to being short-staffed, and even asked me to postpone our visit, but were reassured by promises that most of us would have sandwiches and we would pre-order our food.   Some of the food turned up before we had ordered our drinks - and we all enjoyed good food at very reasonable prices, most opting to sit inside with a few mad dogs, or were they Englishmen, risking the noonday sun.   Most of the morning's route was shaded by trees, but less so in the afternoon as we braved the badlands of South Ascot, Sunningdale and Wentworth on our way back to Chertsey and the newly opened café at Walton Bridge, where we met a dozen or so West Surrey CTC riders returning from a towpath ride to Richmond Park.  

Not a very hilly ride at 1424 feet of ascent, but we covered 41 miles and still arrived back for tea around 3.30, thanks to excellent corner marking.  Thanks to all for your company, and especially to Mike Barrett for back-marking.

Author: Simon L