YOUR TOAST!!!!

Was the accompaniment to the late and lamented arrival of du pain chaud which was supposed to be part of le petit déjeuner budgette (£2.99 with tea). Not that the new found waitress was going to take any nonsense from a mere band of bicyclists.

Twelve of us (or with Tacey possibly a Baker’s Dozen) had, once agin, made it to East Grinstead’s finest greasy spoon via Ann Summers (Whyteleafe) and ‘not the Brickmakers’ Crowhurst. There inevitably we fragmented into instant returnees and the temperance division leaving just four to sample the delights of …

… at Colemans Hatch. Was it the Harveys or the sun that connected bestiality and bicycling?

Here sporting the latest in designer pannierware is a beast to be reckoned with. What did they contain? Could it be Sussex’s loaded answer to the brandy bearing St Bernards? Or were we in Kent? It all got a bit hazy. Not helped by watching Gina’s battle scarred ‘stag’ Pearson rearing up to seriously intimidate Jeremy’s and Tacey’s steeds.

Back via Lingfield and Marden Park without incident and just beating the late afternoon rain showers. Over 50 miles!

Philip had an appointment to keep so it was arranged that he would get the train to Tattenham Corner, arriving at 11.38. This determined the tea stop – Annie’s – at Leatherhead as we should then be able to get there shortly after 12 noon. I then had to work out a route, leaving Purley at 10, to arrive at the Tattenham Corner as near as possible to 11.40.  I would like to claim that it was my excellent judgement, but luck did play its part!  As we rolled up at the station we saw the train coming in so neither Philip nor us were required to wait about in the blustery wind. The “we” being myself, George, David and Mark Hancock, now of course joined by Philip.

But we original four had done a fair few miles before this rendezvous.  Leaving Coulsdon we climbed up Portnalls Rd to the high ridgeway at Chipstead, then took the turning off to Mugswell, or is it Monkswell?  Well actually neither. Its original name was Magswell, named from the well of St Margaret.  The well being a feature, the feature of the Well House Inn.

The present day pub was originally three small cottages which date back to the mid-1560, when Henry VIII hunted deer in the adjacent Kings Wood. But we did not linger for a cup of holy water or even a pint of the devil’s brew as we had an appointment to keep.  Following a big loop which took us over Headley Common and into Ashstead, then on the outskirts of Epsom we climbed Chalk Lane upto the Grandstand on the famous Derby race course and over the Downs to its famous Corner, and our meeting point.
Arriving at Annies, just after 12, it was full with lunch time diners, but meeting up with John and Meike we had the back room area all to ourselves.  

No new faces on this Thursday Ride, but we did have a new bike. Or rather, George had a new bike. A very nice, and hardly used by its previous owner, Boardman Pro, high-end fitness bike.

Next Thursday we meet at Shurguard at 10 and head off to the crypt tea room at Sevenoaks parish church. Another favoured place for  home made cakes and a cuppa at bargain basement prices. But then you would expect that in the church’s basement!

 Roll Out The Barrel ( or is it roll in?)

For quick and smooth gear changes the gear cable requires the correct amount of tensioning. This is dependent on fine tuning of the cable length via its adjuster.  Adjusting the cable length is a simple matter of turning the adjustment barrel  by the correct amount and in the correct direction.  The photo below shows a Shimano rear derailleur with the adjustment barrel marked. Note that the Shimano barrel is spring loaded and notched where it sits against the main housing. To turn, pull the (black) barrel away from the main housing, towards the rear of the bike.  The notches allow accurate turning of the barrel in small, quarter turn increments. 

 Before you turn the adjustment barrel, make sure you have diagnosed the shifting issue correctly. In most cases the reason you reach for the adjuster is because the rear derailleur starts hesitating when shifting onto larger cassette cogs (lower (easier) gears). This is caused by the gear cable having stretched a little.
However, once in awhile you might run into the opposite problem: hesitation shifting onto the smaller cogs (higher gears). One thing that can cause this is someone overtightening a new shift cable during installation (or incorrect subsequent adjustment). Too much cable tension can be as bad as too little.

Wait, don’t turn it yet!
 There are two more crucial things to get straight.
 1.) You need to be sure you are turning the adjustment barrel in the correct direction.
 2.) You should only turn it in 1/2-turn increments, then check the shifting to see how you are doing before turning it more.
If you count and keep track of the turns, you can then simply return it to where it was and start again if you happen to turn it the wrong way.

Okay, NOW you are ready to make the adjustment.
While standing behind the bike and looking down at the rear derailleur, to fix the most common problem – hesitation shifting into lower gears (larger cogs) – turn the adjuster anticlockwise.  For the rarer problem – slow shifting into higher gears (smaller cogs) – turn it the other way, clockwise.

To help you to remember which way to turn the adjuster, he is a tip.
If the derailleur is slow shifting toward the spokes (changing into a lower gear), turn the adjuster toward the spokes.
If it’s slow shifting away from the spokes (changing to a higher gear), turn the adjuster away from the spokes.

Checking your adjustment

Have a friend hold up your bicycle if you’re not lucky enough to be working on it in a repair stand, and test the shifting to see how your adjustment worked. Usually with only a full turn or a turn and a half you can add enough tension to a stretched cable to restore perfect shifting. When it’s right, each shift/click of the lever will move the chain quickly onto the next cog and there will be no noise or rubbing in any gear.
If there are two of you, one person can shift and pedal by hand and the other person can sight the derailleur and listen to tell if the chain is dead center on each cog, or see if you need to turn the adjuster one notch more.
In most cases, fine-tuning the rear derailleur with the adjustment barrel takes only a few minutes at the most, and quickly puts a smile back on the rider’s face. So have fun with this important adjustment.

There are a number of reasons, other than cable stretch, which can cause more serious gear changing problems. These are due to wear and tear, damaged parts, or lack of maintenance.  Cable adjustment alone, will not fix these problems!  This short item is about correcting cable stretch or fine tuning an incorrectly set cable adjustment.

This item is an edited version of one which appeared in a Road Bike Rider newsletter .  These weekly newsletters have many interesting and informative articles on various bike related topics.

Guest leader loses flock

Was it seven or eight I led confidently down the Brighton Road picking up a stray ex-capt’n in Coulsdon?

We lost our first follower on Farthing Down. Was my pace that hot? On through Chandon and the great descent (and a small ascent) to Bletchingley were we re-assembled thus:

Bletchingley is, of course, the venue for our annual downhill freewheel competition. Last November’s cancellation due to rain encouraged us all to do it impromptu. Gina pipped Jeremy by a short toeclip to claim the prize.

Off to the right of this picture at Outwood we passed the Bigfoot Ride to Brighton …

And on without incident to tea at Tulley’s Farm. This leading lark is a piece of cake (chocolate) I munched. But then there was evident mutiny in the ranks as you can see below …

Gina was planning on continuing to Brighton. Ewa was trying to find a route to see a relative in Haywards Heath, Jeremy fancied a pub in Horsted Keynes whilst I was planning to retire to the Brickmakers Arms in Crowhurst. Eventually four of us set out southward whilst t’others turned for home. Hope they made it.

Jeremy roared up the hill to Turner’s Hill with the rest of us in pursuit. I turned the corner to see the red flash disappearing up the hill towards Ardingley. By the time I got to the Sharpthorne turn off he was out of sight. The obvious way was to the left but Ewa needed to carry on straight. Why had not the bu**er not waited? Worse there was no sign of the other two behind me.

What to do? Well when all is lost – have a drink. So guessing which pub Jeremy might be headed I cycle on alone passing those wooden ducks on the way. It was a precious ride in the first blush of spring able to appreciate this year’s countryside.

Got to the pub. No Jeremy! Oh Dear …

Then both of them rode up with a mutual look of confusion. Turned out the red flash wasn’t Jeremy. I had left a bemused bunch at Turner’s Hill. Well there’s no problem that a pint or two doesn’t make better.

I stuck resoloutely to Jeremy’s back wheel for a great ride back that, coincidentally took us past the Brickmakers. Or rather not for the building was shut. Just a FOR SALE notice replacing the sign that had marked a refuge for many a sodden Anerley Ride. RIP.

Next Tuesday, with agreement of the other riders, we plan to meet at Shurgard at 10 am and head off to Bridges in Edenbridge.

Yours Sandra

Today’s intrepid travellers were a little less in number than a Roman legion, being just me, Dave, and a welcome return after a winter’s hibernation, Philip from Forest Hill. It was a forested hill when the Romans last marched this way!
For Tuesday riders who might have forgotten, Philip is now re-starting his training for the Ride London 100 mile charity bike ride, so we expect to see more of him over the coming weeks. And to put a face to a name of this Canondale rider:

We soon crossed over Kent Brook which defines the county border between Surrey and Kent, and the rich pastures of this lowland area are dotted with some beautiful old farm houses, some of which date back hundreds of years. For example Moat Farm which is on the Surrey side of Kent Brook.

Going along the Pootings (that’s an unusual name!) towards Four Elms, we had a short stop when Philip had a front wheel puncture to fix.  After this it was only a 15 minute pedal into Edenbridge, the market town which grew up around the river crossing built by the Romans.  Our tea stop was at “Bridges”, a centre run  by local volunteers which guarantees a modestly priced cuppa, toast, and a selection of homemade cakes, etc.
Returning by a different route we were back at Purley shortly after 2 o’clock having pedalled an interesting and scenic 36 miles.

Next Thursday we meet at the Purley Tesco and head out along the North Downs, in a southwesterly direction to a destination in Surrey.

Ewa takes the lead …

Armed with nothing more than a pre-M25 ordnance map and a stack of post-it notes Ewa guest led us into the wilderness that is Newdigate. We swept up Portnalls and down Reigate Hill nine up (teachers can count). It was a lovely glorious day and Leigh looked as pretty as ever with the trees suddenly deciding that winter was gone and foliage was now obligatory.

Tanhouse Farm was our (and nearly every Surrey cyclists’ destination). Nevertheless the new regime there was upto the mark in revictualting everybody. We met up with Meike and John and Sandra also rolled up having made her own way to Newdigate.

A few pictures of the assembled multitudes and flowers …

Finally obligatory picture of a ‘bicycle’. Tom’s new snazzy featherlite Mekky.

We returned taking the Pixham diversion around Dorking and the ride mistakenly split into the two cycleways on either side of the A29. Which meant that half the ride didn’t know that some had stoped at the Westhumble pub. Thev remains reassembled and all but one decided that Box Hill looked a bit enthusiastic and headed back via Little Switzerland.

The Weshumblers, however, took the short cut up the hill for a really great day’s ride and that unforgettable view from the top across Surrey. simply stunning!

[The route map will be added shortly]

Of late Dorking has dropped off the mid-week ride list, principally because our favourite tea rooms have, one by one closed. However the memories of some years back suggested a possible place. One which was at least worth a return visit to see what it was now like. So off we pedalled, Kingswood, down  Pebble Coombe, Betchworth, over the River Mole, and along Wellhouse Rd to Brockham. We stopped here, by the village pump, for a group photo.

I mention above that we came into Brockham along Wellhouse Rd. It is only in recent times that the luxury of tapped water has been available at our homes. For example the artesian well that first provided tapped water to most of Purley was not dug until the beginning of the 20th century, and the 1867 Ordnance Survey map of Purley has marked the very few wells that then existed. So Brockham’s Jack and Jill would have gone to the Well House to get their pale of water.
The village pump (above) was a modern luxury to the locals when erected in about 1880/1890.  It would have provided a most welcome refreshment stop to early members of Anerley B.C, who at that time often cycled thru this village. No country tea shops then!      

Following in the wheel tracks of these early cyclists we continued westwards past the old school house, following the back lanes until the last climb up Punchbowl Lane and then down into Dorking.  Here in the town centre is the old parish church of St Martin, and in the modern church hall, our bargain tea room. Toast and jam, plus a big mug of tea, all for £1.10! Now that’s what I call Christian charity.

The journey home was up the now famous and much cycled, Boxhill.  When we  came to the junction with Headley Common Rd, we noticed that we were one man short. After a very short wait we espied a runner, who cyclocross style, was carrying his bike on his shoulder!

It was Dave, who with this amazing burst of speed, strength and endurance, soon caught us up. The man deserves a medal!
The problem was a rear wheel puncture caused by the innumerable potholes that now litter Boxhill Rd. Soon, fixed and reflated we were off again, heading towards Chipstead and the sprint for its 30 mph sign, won but only just by Mark on his Roubaix.

So that was the first of our new Thursday Rides. Next week we meet at Shurguard and pedal off into the border country of the counties of Kent and Surrey. Destination, Bridges at Edenbridge for tea.

Knowing that I was going to be outclassed by this super lightweight, and encouraged by the blue sky and bright sunshine, I decided that it was about time that my own up market two wheeler should  also see the light of day. So after gathering dust in the garage, I brushed off the cobwebs and brought out my own, secondhand but top of the range, lightweight fitness bike. A Trek FX 7.7, which I understand, when new, retailed for a cool £999!

So with bikes worth more than the combined banks of Greece, we set off to revive memories of Ide Hill and other famous climbs of the Weald of Kent.
First stop was Bough Beech Reservoir, which this time last year was suffering from a record breaking drought.  Now, a year later and after record breaking rain, it was transformed into a yachting haven.

Next stop was Chiddingstone Castle, which unfortunately for us is closed on Saturdays, but welcome news for the Anerley B.C, now open for business on Sundays!  So undeterred we carried on towards home for a couple of miles, to join many other cyclists for a now very welcome cuppa at the Four Elms Nursery.
So it was a great day, a great ride, and on our great new bikes!

A good day was had. Jim

here captured riding through Denbies by our undercover cameraperson … hmmm front tyre pressure?