Karl's report:
Were the gods playing a joke on me ? Three months, or was it four ?, without any significant
rain and they plan heavy rain on the day of my ride. At least, that’s what the
forecast was telling me, and to add insult to injury, not a cloud was due to
appear for the whole of the following week !
There was hope, however, for as the Wednesday approached,
the forecasts were telling me the rain was due to stop earlier and earlier and
the sun was going to make an appearance sometime in the early afternoon. Things
were looking up. On the day itself, some of us who came from further away needed
rain gear on their journey to the start point, and before mounting our bikes for
the ride itself it was difficult to decide whether or not to don waterproofs.
We decided against it. The right decision, for the morning, indeed the whole day
itself, was unseasonally warm, and we would have needed to stop shortly after
starting to remove layers.
So seven of set off: DaveV, DaveW, Peter, Steve, Ged, Patrick
and me (or should I say I?) in very light rain. We followed the Thames out
towards Chertsey passing through Sunbury and then Shepperton. By now the clouds
were breaking up, patches of blue were appearing and, at intervals, wonderful views
could be had of the Thames glinting in the sunshine. The day was turning out to be glorious. We looped
around to Virgina Water, through the only section of the route with hills, and
on to Staines, where we stopped for lunch at a dependable ‘Spoons.
Well satiated, we took off towards Laleham and along the
river back towards Chertsey. It was around this point, a slight problem I
noticed with my bike before lunch became worse: it wouldn’t stay in gear. Steve,
I believe, had the same problem. If I wasn’t leading the ride, I probably would
have bowed out and taken a train home or gone in search of a bike shop. Fortunately,
we were on the homeward leg with the wind behind us and I decided to limp on with
a set of gears that kept jumping and crunching from one to another. Around
Walton DaveW left our group to make his way home, as we were in his neighbourhood.
We took the opportunity also to have our picture taken: a kindly dog walker
obliged.
From Walton back to Bushey park it’s a straight flat ride alongside
the Thames which we completed at speed: we had a headwind out, we now reaped
the benefit of a tailwind. As a result, we found ourselves in the Pheasantry Café
in Bushey Park well before 3pm for our usual end of ride tea stop.
It was a great ride in what turned out to be wonderful
weather (despite the earlier forecasts). It leaves me only to thank the group
for their good company, Ged for back marking, and Sue for her leadership of the
second group. Her report on the day is
below. I attach also an image of the route and a group photograph.
As a beside, I dropped into a bike shop on the way home: Cycle
Exchange in Kingston, where they fixed my gears in minutes. A slack gear cable
was the problem, something which often happens a short while after a new cable
is fitted: it stretches in service and loses tension.
My companions in the second group out of the traps were
Simon, Brian, Gill H, new member Graham with Jennie kindly back marking. I
promised a slow, un-recced ride but no one seemed to mind - at least they
didn’t say anything!
We travelled familiar roads along the north side of the
river then over to Chertsey, where a man in an extremely large lorry coming in
the opposite direction, slowed and poked his head out of his cab window. I am
thinking, ‘Oh he’s about to warn me of some issue ahead’, but no! With a pointy
finger and shouty voice asked, did I know what a cycle lane was!? To be fair I
was cycling on the road beside an extremely wide cycle lane and had I noted it
earlier, we would have been on it!
Karl’s lovely route took us north to Virginia Water and then
the downhill delights of Prune Hill before lunch.
There are three certainties when you dine at Spoons: cheap
food, quick service and upstairs toilets. Staines Spoons ticked all these boxes
and we were swiftly back on our bikes.
Going through Walton I could feel that my rear tyre was a
bit soft so pulled the group up to take a look. We were all (including me) very
impressed by my new electric pump which inflated said tyre in a jiffy.
Tea in the sunshine at Bushy Park was the perfect end to a
lovely day and we had the added bonus of the B’s arriving after their ride to
Putney. Thanks to all my group for their excellent company and patience and to
Karl for masterminding the adventure.
