Four riders met at Cheam Station at 0900hrs.
Paul W, Mick C, Bill M and Dave E.
After a group ‘Democratic’ conversation at the start the elevenses stop supposed to be at Oaks Park following a Kingston Phoenix route map provided by Trevor H via email was partially abandoned.
Sorry Trevor! this was me reading the ‘Tripadvisor’ comments for I knew of the cafe’s existence, but had not been in it for fifteen years.
The last two months reports on ‘Tripadvisor’ on the cafe were ‘Surly staff, instant coffee, cold food served after forty-five minute wait’ etc did not make for much enthusiasm to visit.
On the good side we did pass your good lady wife in the Ramblers group at Ashtead Common and passed pleasantries.
We decided if Oaks Park reports on quality and service were to be tested it wasn’t going to be when we were arriving frozen to the bone with today’s wind chill!
Following a very democratically designed route ‘on the fly’ we had an enjoyable thrash through the mud and goo across Horton Park, along what Bill called ‘The Bluebell Route”, didn’t see any Bluebells!
Out the back of Horton via the old hospital buildings still in use, that looked like they’d be at home with ‘Steed’ from ‘The Avengers’ in a derelict mystery hospital/Army Base episode we headed across Ashtead Common.
Once across the railway at Ashtead (Surrey, for readers of the blog outside the U.K.) we headed up to Biker Bean for elevenses.
After elevenses it got a little more chilly on the route back for the NE 18MPH wind was now a headwind for the climb back over Epsom Downs.
We made our way through the back of Ashtead and picked up ‘Staine Street’, Roman Road up to ‘Thirty Acre Barn ‘ and then dropped down Langley Vale via the bridleway.
A turn right at the bottom took us the long slow climb around the back of the racecourse and for most of the way out of the headwind.
At the top, Tattenham Corner we took to the road for a mile or so to the junction with Reigate Road where Dave E diverted for home and three of us descended via Church Lane and Nork Park.
At Banstead Station Mick C diverted towards Sutton and home leaving Bill M and Paul W to descend further via one of Bill’s discoveries in his explorations, and frequently used since, a path leading down the side of Cuddington Golf Course.
The wind was in our faces all the way back and cold, even down hill to Cheam required some peddling downhill to keep a decent pace.
I turned off just before Cheam Station and back to my parked car, leaving Bill to soldier on for a couple of miles to home.
Good ride chaps throughly enjoyed it.
Paul W.
Never go by Tripadvisor. It gave a rave review to a South Croydon restaurant which then received from Croydon Council a 0 out of 5 food hygiene rating.