Five riders met at Nonsuch Mansion at 09:15hrs, Adam Domaingue, Dave Rapson, Dave Clarke, Mick Curtis and myself leading. The morning was gloriously warm and bright with a breeze from the Northwest, and the first conversation was comparing notes on our sun splosh UV Factors applied!
Our route took us out over Horton Park using Butcher’s Row to the northwest side of the park. This was followed by a brief drop into Ashtead Common before crossing the perilous A24 (Chessington World of blah, blah, blah) with overheated drivers due to current road works! Soon we were in the peaceful Prince’s Coverts land with not a soul about.
We christened Adam’s hard tail ‘Fanta frame’ orange bike today with a trip through the muds under the railway bridge at Birchwood Lane in Limekiln Woods (south of Claygate Station). Soon we were passing through Esher Common the way to West End, Hersham area and byways leading us to the tow path on the Thames at Walton Bridge.
At the cafe we met Barry Gregory, caught up on the latest news and enjoyed the view of a lovely blue-looking Thames.
The return journey was via Kempton, the back streets of Hampton and into a quiet Bushy Park. The Thames crossing point was Kingston Bridge and then back through a fairly busy Kingston Market where Barry Gregory left us for a little light shopping. The rest of the route followed the Hogsmill River back through to Cheam with Dave Rapson, Dave Clarke, Adam Domaingue and myself heading back home via a coffee stop at the little 1960’s Citroën panel van in the car park at Horton Park.
Nice ride chaps, 37.66 miles for me.