Five riders met at Cheam Station for the second-weekend-in a-row MTB ride I’ve led.
This ride was organised after the cancellation of the Hythe ride due to lack of numbers.
Myself, Mick Ayliffe, Dave Elliott, Andrew Adams and Kerry Tilbury left the station in the direction of Nonsuch Park.
One of our usual routes out to Horton Park via Ewell and the Hogsmill River was used to get us out in the direction of Chessington South and across the main road into Barwell Lane.
Our route took us skirting along the edge of Claygate Common back up over the A3 and by various bridleways onto Esher Common.
More bridleways took us into the outskirts of Cobham and after leaving Cobham Downside we turned into Plough Lane and across Ockham Common via Telegraph Hill.
On Ockham Common I made a navigational error. This took us a little more east than my intended path to cross the old abandoned Wisley aerodrome and led us to enter it via the road route beyond Martyr’s Green.
This by pure luck had us cross paths with Barry Gregory, which probably wouldn’t have happened if my route had been correctly followed by myself in the first place!
We rode along the old runway for its entire length and dropped down to the junction of the A3/Ockham Road.
After crossing this we headed on a slight detour across the edge of Ripley Green because three years later the local council still hasn’t rebuilt the public foot path bridge across the stream in Mill Lane overlooking the golf club.
The detour took us down to Walsham Lock on the Wey Navigation; we crossed over it and onto Pyrford Green side of the river.
At Pyrford Green still heading west we entered Elevdon Close, a nice little cut de sac which at the end has a path that the club knows well.
Mick O’Brian was the first to explore and map this route and from the start this section was renowned by the club for the density of the nettles along the first half mile or so.
We were not disappointed this time and I wondered whether taking off the leg warmers a little while before had been a good idea!
As we all regrouped after the nettles to continue on Sheep Walk towards Old Woking all of us that day so far had been kissed by more nettles than by Sun!
At the end of the path outside the entrance to Hoebridge Golf Centre Mick got the only puncture of the day in his rear wheel.
This was one of the more handy places to puncture, affording nice dry golf course grass to sit out on whilst the team worked to replace the tube. Well timed Mick!
After the puncture we headed into Woking to the H.G. Wells (Wetherspoons) for lunch and pleasant conversation and memories of our late friend Mick O’Brian.
On leaving the pub our route back was mostly flat. We joined the Basingstoke Canal and rode down all the way until it joined the Wey Navigation heading towards New Haw, Addlestone and Weybridge.
The Wey Navigation joins the Thames at Town Lock, Weybridge and a few minutes later we were on the Thames Path heading for Walton.
The Thames Path is always busy on a Sunday and this weekend was no exception, for we accidentally ended up in amongst spectators at a rowing regatta. This did slow down our ride to walking pace, but then it was interesting to see another sport in action.
After Walton on Thames our ride slowly but surely headed towards Hampton Court, I say slowly because we also got mixed up in a group on the path doing a charity fun run. Such is a ride along the Thames Path on a Sunday!
Andrew Adams left us for home around the Hurst Park area and then there were four. After a little discussion the route was decided, through Thames Ditton, up and over the hill to Tolworth and home via the usual route along the Hogsmill River and Nonsuch Park.
Mileage for me: 48 miles. Time? As I’ve said before fairly irrelevant when one’s using the Thames Path on the weekend, but computer says 5h:30m
Good ride, Lads and Lass
Paul White