Photo Competition

Please note that we are no longer accepting new entries for the photo competition.

Thank you to everyone who has participated.

~ Tim

Author: Tim C

Midweek Wayfarers CTC: A Group 4th February.

Midweek Wayfarers CTC: A Group 4th February

Well done Ray. On the ascent of Leith Hill I heard a thump behind me as you hit the deck with a nasty fall, yet after a few steps you gamely remounted to continue the climb. Not many 88year olds are made of sterner-stuff!

Author: Ged Lawrenson

B Group - 4th February (map and photo)

Happy Birthday Mark Roy

At Elevenses Mark kindly treated us all to our morning tea to celebrate his birthday. He will be 90 tomorrow, 6th Feb.

Mark at Elevenses

Peter T's meandering route to Epsom then to Tea in Long Ditton

Author: Tim C

A Group 4th February

Fourteen of us left Cobham, which, taking into account a couple of apologies and a couple more skiing, is a big group for a hard ride at this time of year.  Away at eleven sharp we headed off across Fetcham Common in bits and pieces of wet snow, which was pretty much all we saw all day.  It was cold, and the temperature dropped slowly as the day went on, but it never got below freezing so no ice.

Bagden Hill from the easy side was our first.  There had been some snow there yesterday but it had all melted, so a swift and easy passage to the first real climb, Ranmore.  This had also been snowy yesterday but was now completely clear, so up we went in fine style

Over the top and down to Dorking, where road works made for a pleasant and traffic free passage through the town centre.  Then Coldharbour, which is a surprisingly long hill (or at least I thought so), before enlisting the aid of gravity to swoop down to Ockley.  There's method in my madness - the point was to get to the very bottom of Leith Hill so that we could say that we had ascended Surrey's highest road properly.  Everyone acknowledged that we had indeed done so, and some pointed out that we could have avoided quite a bit of climbing if we had only crossed by the landslip.  Well, up to a point, Lord Copper ....

Over the top and down to the Abinger Hatch, where they were expecting us, but not quite so many.  No problem, and we were quickly seated and fed.  A good chat in the warm, then back out to tick off a couple more hills.

Sheephouse was the first, a novelty for some, and arguably the steepest hill in Surrey.  We went nicely up this, with several noticing the genuine steep hill effect of the front wheel lifting as you climbed.  This is obviously the beginning of a potentially tricky situation, but everyone managed it well.  We all stopped at the top to puff and blow for a bit.

Only Whitedown left, so the day was almost over, and as we looped round past the pub there was some enthusiasm to go back in.  But sterner counsel prevailed and we did Whitedown in good style.  We were a bit unlucky with the traffic, as there were several cars both ascending and descending, but they were considerate enough and we were soon flying down the North side.  Across Ranmore Common in the sunshine, back down the hairpin and tea and cakes at Pilgrim Cycles.

32.9 miles elevenses to tea; 3,429 feet of ascent at a gentlemanly pace of 11 mph.  Not bad for Winter.

For those that enjoyed this ride, which is a counterpart to Simon's December ride, it is possible to do all of the hills that we rode in both of them (and a couple more) by riding the Tour of the Hills organised by West Surrey CTC.  Entry fee £8, good food included, 115kms and 2,300m of climbing.  You can win medals for doing it quickly, under five hours gets you Gold.  Now that is a hard day out ...  Full details at Audax UK - [Click HERE]

Thanks to all for participating in a great ride, special thanks to back markers and corner markers.  We did well.

Mark

Author: Mark G

A Group Ride - 4 February

There's been a certain amount of muttering about the flatness of January, so I plan to put this to rights on Wednesday.  Just before Christmas Simon took us on a very pleasant ride in the Western part of the Surrey Hills; I thought we could move a bit East for the next shot.

The plan is Bagden Hill, Ranmore, Coldharbour, Leith Hill, Sheephouse and Whitedown, with lunch at the Abinger Hatch and tea at Pilgrim Cycles.

That's the plan, but the weather may dictate otherwise.  We are promised frost and icy patches, some say snow.  The weather rarely delivers as predicted, being sometimes more and sometimes less.  So, let's posit success and make our final decisions on Wednesday.

Wrap up warm and be ready for a prompt start at 1100, please, as there's a bit to do.

Mark

Author: Mark G

Reg Beever RIP 7 April 1935 to 4 January 2015

Many of the older members from C&M and MWW will remember Reg who was a regular with the Family section before it became the Downladers. Reg has not cycled for some years since being confined with dementia. He was a great friend of  Bill Mathews and when they first met were keen runners. Ken also knew Harold Penfold before meeting Pat when they eventually married..Reg was a London Black Cab driver for over 50yrs and knew that are like the back of his hand which made him a very good rides leader!

Reg funeral was arranged by his family who he was very devoted to. In Reg early sporting life he was a semi-professional footballer but had to give up through knee injury. His grandchildren have followed his love of football and the two eldest granddaughter's play semi-professional for League club women's teams.

Moving tributes were paid by son Jason and daughter Vanessa. Some of his long standing cycling friends attended including David & Dawn Aylett, David Ward, Pat Mathews, Ed Sharp, Cliff & Maureen along with me. Ken & Janice Loy were also to attend but had to give up their attempt due to bad weather and traffic travelling up from the south coast. Peter Crofts of CTC cycle tours fame came all the way down from Salisbury to  be there. Reg had been on many of his tours to Nepal, Vietnam, South America and elsewhere.I well remember when Tim at the age of 12yrs came with me to the Easter Cider Festival at San-lo Normandy with Bill Mathews, Reg, David Vines and other past family section members present must have been around 1992.

The exit music appropriately enough was "Bicycle Race" by Queen.

Refreshments were generously provided by the family at the Crown Pub Twickenham.

Donations in memory of Reg may be made if desired to the Alzheimer's Society or Royal Star & Garter Homes.

C/O Lodge Brothers, 55 King St., Twickenham TW1 3SH

Author: mike morley

2015 Photographic Competition - Time is running out!

We need more entries for the photo competition. We know that many of you have been busy with your cameras during 2014. Some of you were caught red-handed:

So please read the rules and follow these instructions to enter your photographic masterpieces for this competition before Wednesday 4th Feb.

Further to the great success of last year's photo competition when we went digital for the first time we invite you to take part this year.

Please use this new method for sending your photos to us:

• Visit the website: https://dbinbox.com/swlda_competition
• Enter the access code: "lunch"
• Locate the photo(s) on your computer and 'drag and drop' them into the big turquiose rectangle.

(As an alternative you may click on "+Choose Files" and select your photos using your file manager.)

• Repeat this for each of the photos you intend to submit.

N.B. When using this website to transfer photos it is not necessary to sign up to dbinbox or Dropbox.

Send an email to me, Tim, confirming the name and CTC membership number of the photographer, and for each photo list:

•     the filename (e.g. P1040276.jpg)
•     the category for which the photo is being entered
•     a short, descriptive caption

The rules and categories are simple:

Competition Period: The 2014 calendar year. 

Your photos must all illustrate a connection to cycling by depicting a bicycle for example, or other cycling association.

You may submit a photo or photos for every category.

    6.1. Person (male) or people
    6.2. Person (female) or people
    6.3. Action
    6.4. Scenery/landscape
    6.5. Building/buildings
    6.6. Humorous or funny

Note that the award for a winning photograph in each category will be given to the photographer who took the picture, not to the model.

[Last year we asked you to email your photos to swlda.photos@gmail.com and this email address is still available if you are unable to use the new method. Attach a single photo to each email and in your message give the information about the photographer and each photo, as above.]

~ Tim

Author: Tim C