Saturday Ride: 12 August 2017

 

It was great to see Maggie at the start ready to sample her first ride out with the Saturdays.
Just three of us this week Maggie, Roger and Pete but the sun was shining and the hills of Surrey beckoned.

We managed to link a few favourite routes together into 55 miles with a tea stop at Peaslake village store. Out via Chipstead valley road, through Kingswood and then from Walton on the Hill, down Ebisham Lane and through Little Switzerland to Westhumble.

Next was the climb up to Ranmore Common which Roger and Maggie attacked while I took a more leisurely pace.

It wouldn’t be a Saturday ride without a closed road challenge. Sure enough just after Ranmore as we turned south towards Peaslake we were met with warning signs and barriers. Another cyclist coming from the other way said it was just about passable so we headed on.

A digger blocked the road for cars, but left a decent gap for cyclists and it was Maggie’s turn to be Dumper Truck Driver of the Week.

Peaslake was packed with MTB’s and Road cyclists showing how popular the area is for all cyclists.

The return was via Ewhurst, Beare Green, Reigate and Merstham. Shepherd’s Hill is not what you really want after 48 hilly miles, but we had to do it. Maggie peeled off to return across Farthing Down leaving Roger and Pete to rendezvous at the Wattenden Arms shortly after. It really was a very pleasant ride, enjoyed by all.

A hilly 55 miles at a rather lumpy 12.6 mph.