Well its been built up on the TV and in the press for the past few days and have to say its all been a bit of an anticlimax. Still, I got a decent ride in on Saturday, nothing over the top, just some pure XC riding over to Newlands Corner and back.

7 of us set off from Nirvana, myself, Matt G, Joe, Sally, Simon, the other Simon and of course Tony. Abinger roughs, then over the A25, behind Shere and Gomshall then up onto Albury Heath. A play around Albury Heath then down to Albury, up Water Lane a bit, hang a right then a left, over the A25 then up to the NDW. Turn left then along the top, back over the A25 to the café. Rather than stopping we did an additional loop right over onto Merrow Downs.

At the top of Half Penny Lane we departed from Joe, Sally and Simon as they headed on to the café at Bramley whilst we returned to the Newlands Café for bacon rolls. Once fed it was back along the top of the downs all the way home to Westcott. About 23 miles done so not too bad in the current conditions.

On Sunday there was no biking for me as it’s the ‘Bonfire Building’ time of year so that meant a few hours up at Coldharbour along with about 20 other locals stacking wood, all good fun. Why mention this ! well, only that whilst there I saw the Muddy Moles go past, then George doing a solo Sunday Ride, next it was Tony B out with a mate. Not long after that the Muddy Moles went past again in the other direction and finally just as we were finishing Sally and Jonathon went past not to mention the many many other bikers whom I don’t know.

Onto this morning and having woken up expecting to be greeted with a scene of devastation from the ‘storm’ I was a little disappointed , sure there was some local flooding and plenty of debris blowing about but no sign of any big trees down. I decided to take the bike to work and with a nice tail wind set a record time for that route despite being slowed by traffic and a few floods – all good fun