Three of the Six Nations were represented on today’s ride but there was no sign of an Antipodean Coach to spur us on to greater things.
Managed to get out of Bletchingley Village Hall car park and made the turn on to Church Lane without losing anyone. Up the 21 cycle route and along the North Downs Way the trails were familiar to most of us but Sylvain hadn’t been that way before so the descent via the steps followed by the ride down more steps to Brittania Sandersteads depot was a whole new grin – inducing experience for him. Tea stop was a bit early at Warlingham Knights following the climb past the golf course. We got to experience their very posh extension containing the new café without leaving too much mud behind. The descent of High Lane is getting rougher and more rutted but we all made it down in one piece. As we climbed Upland Road past the Green Dragons hang gliding club we were overtaken by a gigantic tractor towing an even more gigantic trailer full of manure. Thankfully, the wind blew most of the smell away. Along the B269 to the top of Titsey Hill and one of my favourite descents down the path beside the road. Fran had to turn off at this point since she had work to do. The rest of us enjoyed the rooty, slimy, steep (mind the barbed wire fence!) trail down to White Lane. Turned out that three of us hadn’t been down there before but the width of the grins said it all. After that it was back via Wolf’s Row, Icehouse Wood, Hurst Green, Jackass Lane to Godstone. The wind and the mud were taking their toll by then so we chose the flattest route back to Bletchingley via North Park Lane and Stychens Lane.
Gwyn