This week's news....

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BLETCHINGLEY 27/01/08

13 riders at the library on this cold, crisp morning. Normally we
dilly dally around quiet backstreets and river paths but by taking a
more direct route to Carshalton, we were able to get a little bit
further afield and visit Bletchingley. Roads aren't particularly busy
at that time on a Sunday morning anyway.

It's a hilly route. After Carshalton, it's a climb to the Telegraph
Track with it's black weatherboarded smallholdings, built for the
returning soldiers after WW1. The views from here are great and we had
ample time to take them in whilst a puncture was fixed. Then another
climb up to Woodmansterne with it's fantastic carved cedar tree and a
descent before the long climb of How Lane. All of this is the route
that the London to Brighton charity ride takes and How Lane defeats
most of those riders. We had a couple walking up but it rarely takes
more than a minute longer to walk so it's never a problem.

Chipstead was busy with rugby and football matches but we rode
straight past and onto the wonderfully eccentric Fanny's Farm for a
morning stop. At least 20 other cyclists were at the farm and the bike
racks were full. Instead of just tea and cakes, panniers were also
filled with chutneys & fudge from the farm shop. It's always worth a
visit.

Normally, our rides are very carefully planned but it dawned on me the
night before that I had no idea which pub we were heading for. A quick
look on the reasonably reliable Beer In The Evening website revealed
bad reports for all Bletchingley pubs except the William IV. I had no
time to check menus or bike parking but I put in a quick call just
before we left Fannys. Yes, we can accommodate you - we've just about
got enough seats. And indeed, it is a tiny cozy boozer, more suited to
the locals than a large bunch of passing cyclists. They only do roasts
on a Sunday plus an veggie option which was a lasagne. Some of the
meals were slow to come but we just about got away with it. Phew!

A little hill immediately after lunch was unwelcome but huge descents
awaited. We virtually flew all the way to Rocky Lane where another
climb reduced us back to walking pace. We turned off into the grounds
of the Royal Alexandra and Albert school, a new route for us, where
the North Downs Way has been conveniently covered with tarmac. It sits
in the grounds of Gatton Park, mentioned in the Domesday Book,
landscaped by the busy Capability Brown and once home to the Colman
family of English mustard fame.

Another new route was using the former Crossways Lane to get back up
to the Chipstead plateau. A steep stony track leads you to a tunnel
under the M25 and another steep stony track up to Crossways Farm. You
can see the broken tarmac where the lane used to be but now it's just
a bridleway. It's worth using this route as although it's hard to
cycle, it's your shortest route uphill.

It's easy to pick up speed as High Road gently drops you back into
Chipstead. Hazelwood Lane was signed as being closed for resurfacing
but we decided to take our chances. We've climbed that hill so many
times as it's shorter than How Lane but have never been down it. The
resurfacing was complete so we flew downhill on a very smooth road. I
felt we had earned that descent!

We popped into Oaks Park for an afternoon stop but the temperate was
starting to drop so we didn't stay long. Park Hill provides the
fastest route down, all downhill into Carshalton village and back up
to Pollards Hill. 32 miles, out for 7.5hrs. See the pix on Flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pollardshillcyclists/sets/72157603802296064
or
http://tinyurl.com/yqjgj2

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ISLE OF WIGHT

If you are interested in going to the Randonee on May 4th, let me know
by return. Those going are starting to organise overnight
accommodation, ferries etc. Details here: http://www.cycleisland.co.uk

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DIEPPE RAID

No longer occupied by Germany, instead each year cyclists invade the
French resort to join the randonees (cycle rides) organised by
Cyclo-Club Dieppois. Details are on http://www.dieppetour.com

This was mentioned by a few PHC members late last year. Lynda Barrow
helps to organise the local cyclists attending. Please let me know if
you want to go. It's June 7th - 9th 2008. You'll need to make some
arrangements yourself but most South London cyclists stay at the Hotel
de la Plage. The resorts hotels are mostly booked this weekend but
rooms are being reserved for cyclists. It might be the closest we're
going to get to a PHC trip to France this year so check your diaries
and come back to me.

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HOVIS FREEWHEEL

Organisers have announced that this years' event will cater for
100,000 cyclists. Hopefully they'll scrap the embarrassing marketing
and maybe one day we'll get to do this on a weekly basis for the whole
of central London. These events are slowly moving over from Latin
America - Paris now closes miles of roads on Sundays for cyclists and
skateboarders.

Story: http://tinyurl.com/2jo9ja

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MIDWEEK WAYFARERS

On Wednesday, I joined the Midweek Wayfarers for a ride. They meet
every Wednesday but I've always been a bit confused about the way
their rides list works. It transpires that the local contingent all
meet at the traffic lights at North Cheam (A24/A2043) for a 9:30am
sharp departure. There were 22 riders this week and everyone rides
together to the morning stop. We started off at a PHC pace but the
front riders picked the pace up slightly which strung the group out a
little (or was that supposed to be a split into 2 groups?).

The morning stop was an old folks day centre in Shepperton where more
cyclists had already gathered. I counted 50 in total. After a cup of
coffee, riders split into 3 groups. The A riders are pretty fast by
all accounts and I had no idea where they went. The B riders would be
at a PHC+ pace and left for Windsor. As far as I can tell, there is no
way of knowing in advance where your ride might be going. I joined the
Easy Riders, led by Lynda and enjoyed a nice 10 miles of Thames
towpath to lunch at Teddington.

I left after lunch but the group were carrying on for a few more
afternoon miles. I'd got 40 miles on the clock by the time I got home.
It's a CTC section but isn't subject to the 5 rides and you're out
rule. Regular attendees pay £3 per year to cover club running costs.
Heartily recommended if you're off work or retired. The website is:

http://midweekwayfarers.blogspot.com (click on Runs List for rides)

===

Next week is a mountain bike ride. You can do it on your hybrid but
skinny tyres will get you nowhere. We're following the Waterlink Way
south on it's way to Gatwick. It's a completely bonkers route, going
up hills for no reason, hurtling down stony tracks and generally
making no sense at all. Expect to be riding over rough surfaces, up a
lot of hills and through some mud. 9:30 at the library.

Those who don't fancy it will be pleased to read that the following
week is an easy ride. There may also be an alternative easy-going ride
announced for next Sunday if you don't fancy the challenge. Keep an
eye on your inbox.

Mark
PHC Co-ordinator
07711 688189