Four riders at Cheam Station for the last MTB ride of 2016.
Bill, Paul, Mick and Duncan.
Duncan opted for the road route to Walton on the Hill and alas we didn’t see him again due to circumstances beyond our control IE the cafe was shut when we got there!
Our route took us out of Ewell on paths I’d not been on before and into Horton Park. We then headed across Ashtead Common through the back of Ashtead Village and out onto the Top of Langley Vale/ Thirty Acre Barn.
After descending Langley Vale we cut up through a long sometimes muddy slog of a climb to the village of Walton on the Hill.
It was at this point our leader’s magnificent plan was in tatters as the cafe was shut. There was some scratching of heads and pressing of noses on pub windows but alas none of them would open their doors at 1100hrs.
It was finally decided to ride back towards Tattenham Corner towards the Epsom Downs race track and having cycled back it would then be around 1200hrs and somewhere warm, with coffee etc would likely be open. This we found in the guise of The Beefeater pub.
Tea, coffee and a portion of spicy chicken wings with chips were politely shared as we looked out of the window over Epsom Downs. The view out of the Window continued to be that of a grey overcast day and the remnants of yesterday’s heavy fog were still swirling around as it had been all morning on our ride.
After what was now our “Twelveses” instead of “Elevenses” we headed back to Cheam on the usual route in the happy knowledge that it was all downhill from our “Twelveses” stop.
A good off road ride of 25 miles for myself and a little bit more for the others.