Meet: Cutty Sark Gardens 09:00 map Ladywell Fields 09:30 prompt map

Distance:

Phone: Paul - 07957 209 322

To Barcombe Village Hall for a look at the murals recently featured on Ian Hislop's TV programme on World War 1. The ride follows part of our evolving route to Brighton and takes in Ardingly Reservoir, returning via the Worth Way to Three Bridges and then Gatwick where there are fast and frequent trains back to London.

Pub lunch.

60 miles.

Suitable for any bike except racers

Report

Balcombe via Ardingly reservoir ride report (apologies for initial mis-spellings on web site - my fault, not Ian P's)

Just four of us for an early start on a cold winter's day - Peter, Robert, Judith and Paul.

Heading for Croydon, we took the Waterlink Way, not the fastest route but always a good beginning to a southbound ride as it gives you a gentle start.
In the park just north of Cator Park we got closer to a ring-knecked parakeet than I'd ever done before - feasting on an old apple stuck to a tree branch. I'd always wondered what they were for until now.

As we hit Croydon, Peter, who had cycled down from Kentish Town, decided that his winter lay-off had been too long and that he wasn't up to the planned 60 miles so he cut free and three of us carried on through Purley.

We took the main road from Purley to Whyteleafe. It's nice and flat, a good run and not bad at all apart from an initial bit under the trees that feels dodgy and a bit dangerous even on a bright summer's day. Maybe next time I'
ll take the alternative route through the suburban sprawl, though it does involve redundant climbing.

We don't usually stop for a coffee break but we were making such good time that we stopped at the Cafe just north of Wapses Lodge roundabout on the A22 Godstone Road - map 18. Not the handiest of stops for rides south (a bit too
soon) but one of the best coffees I've had in a traditional caff for a long time - usually it's just swill and a waste of time. Just 70p as well. Very clean and well frequented. Tables outside. Recommended - it's on the right as you head south - look out for the Betty Boop figures beckoning.

On to Caterham, then first left after the station to start the climb over the M25. Pretty tough though it's over sooner than you think. Through Bletchingley, we sped on down a fast bit of road, past the swan sanctuary, then climbed to Outwood and the Windmill. Complaints about stopping for pics for the record/web were silenced by offerings of my home-made energy snack courtesy of Cycling Plus - recipe available on request.

Left at the windmill we turned down a series of small lanes and bridleways, then headed for Turners Hill.

We stopped at the pub we'd used on our September Brighton ride - good value food, pretty quiet on a Saturday and they've always been very nice about us taking our bikes through to the back garden for security. I'd popped in a few weeks ago when checking the ride and all seemed well but today they seemed to have a staff shortage or some other issue as the food took forever. Pity - nice pub, decent Sussex beer. We'll use it again and see if they've sorted themselves.

After a long lunch we headed for Ardingly, then turned off for the reservoir - handy place for an ice cream stop in summer. Round the reservoir, we headed for Balcombe and the Victory Hall. Its murals were featured in the recent Sunday night TV series on World War 1 memorials fronted by Ian Hislop. Interesting and far from jingoistic, they show real local people in times of peace on one wall and a pretty realistic picture of the horrors and waste of war on the other.

Back on the main road, we soon cut off through deserted lanes and climbed back towards Turners Hill, before joining the Worth Way traffic-free path to take us back to Three Bridges. A truly awful piece of cycle signage (like none I could see) at Three Bridges, before we threaded through the traffic to turn right to Gatwick where all became peaceful again. At Gatwick we took the rather hidden and decidedly whiffey goods lift and came out into the curiously quiet terminal. Robert made the mistake of getting an overpriced Gatwick Express ticket to take him back to Victoria and resisted our urging to go and get a normal ticket, but Judith and I got ourselves back to Forest Hill/East Croydon for £4.60 each using a network card.

Pity about the low turn-out but a good ride and, as so often on these initially bleak-looking days, the weather was wonderful - sunny blue skies made it positively warm at times.

Hope to see more out for our Brighton ride on April 1 which follows some of the same route. Summer - ok - spring - is coming - honest.

An early morning rushed reprogramming of my too-clever-by-half computer meant I didn't have a proper read-out for the day but it was about 60 miles.

Paul Taylor