So that’s the 1st real Wednesday ride of 2013 out the way and it appears that despite the calendar putting us into another year, the trails are in the same sorry state.
Still, with a good forecast for the evening we had a great turn out of 13 riders and it was really nice to see the familiar Cocks faces as we head into another year.
So, besides myself (Toby) we had the Dorking Contingent of Matt G, Matt R, Charlie, George, Michael (No, not that George Michael), Huw, Joe and his mate Simon. Duncan was down from Chertsey, Simon the bullet biked over from Reigate (or is that Redhill), Brian drove up from Crawley and good old John, (otherwise known as Old Cock) arrived from London.
I was elected to lead despite trying hard to get out of it so after pondering a little drew up a rough route in my mind. Nothing too technical and a fairly early pub stop as Simon was keen to celebrate being 42 years young.
We headed off out around deerleap where we passed another group of six or so riders coming in the other direction. From there we continued across the Abinger Roughs then around the back of Gomshall before making our way up to Ponds Lane. On the approach to this path Charlie questioned my sanity of taking the group up there in the current conditions – he didn’t know it had been resurfaced.
With a large group and quite a wide spread of fitness the ride was a bit stop start as we tried to keep everyone together. Still, reasonable progress was made and at the top of Ponds Lane we took the bridleway through the farm then eventually over to Peaslake.
With all the mud and the extra Christmas pounds being carried it was proving hard work, added to that the temperature had taken a real tumble already being much colder than recent nights. We passed through Peaslake where another group of bikers where getting ready by there cars outside Pedal & Spoke and headed up the road towards the end of BKB.
We had a final group gathering here before embarking on the climb up Holmbury Hill and finally on to the Kings Head where we arrived in drips and drabs.
Duncan & Michael had both missed the Christmas meal so I presented them each with a Dorking Cocks puncture repair kit – oh how Duncan needs one with his recent spate of flats with yet another one being collected on the way home.
As usual the beers were lovely (my 1st beers of 2013), the company entertaining and the pub warm and cosy. All too quickly it was time for some of us to leave so the advance party of Myself, Duncan, Charlie, Brian & Michael got ourselves prepared.
On leaving the pub it was all too evident just how cold it had got with frost already covering many of the cars outside. A quick blast down the road didn’t help matters as the 1st mile or 2 all the way down to the Volunteer has the wind chill biting hard with little in the way of hard effort required which normally warms you up quickly.
We went up the little road by the Volunteer ignoring the road closed signs only to come across a huge tree down justifying the closure. We had to dismount to scramble past the tree then it was onward to the A25 and back to Westcott (not before having waited with Duncan to sort out his front wheel having had yet another puncture).
What happened to the rest of the Cocks that we left at the Kings Head I am yet to hear but I suspect it involved more beer and a wobbly ride home. Not the best ride ever but in the current conditions the 18 miles we covered and the company in which it was done still made for a cracking evening out.
