Leith Hill/Peaslake - Sat 14 Nov

[higg]

Is anybody interested in a MTB ride around Peaslake/Leith hill on Sat Nov 14th.

Usual meeting place - Bus shelter outside Peaslake Village Stores (GU5 9RJ) - http://www.peaslakevillagestores.com/.
Usual Time - 10am.

Parking - With PVS on your left turn right at the bus stop/hut and take the road on the left with the wonderful name of Walking Bottom (pub on your right), car park is up here on your left (400m). Ride back down to the hut/bus stop by PVS.

post here to say if you're coming or if you need a lift (maybe from Cousldon South)



Aodan.

[Dombo]

might join you. if so i'll ride up and over from Westcott and meet you at PVS. if anyone else is interested in that route, it takes approx an hour and is a nice warm up.

[Grahame]

I'll be there.

I'll be going by car (Citroen DS if the weather is good, boring car if the weather is "damp"), so I'll have room for 1(if DS) or 2(if BMW) people and bikes. I can be at Coulsdon South Station to meet and load and to have a short banter with those on the normal clubrun.

Please let us know here if you want/need a lift.

[kieran]

I might go, need to check with HQ. The offer of a lift is tempting. What time would it finish around?

[Andrew G]

Me.

[Grahame]

Oh carp!

I've just realised this is the weekend I'm heading up to civilisation to visit my parents, so I won't be able to make it.

[ceejay]

I'm on for this.

I'll be coming on the train but am not sure I can do the Gomshall to Peaslake dash in 7 minutes, so might be a few minutes after 10. Would be looking to get away for the 1604 train back from Gomshall - does that roughly fit the timing?

Colin

[Andrew G]

Can easily wait a few minutes Colin. I don't intend on being out all day like last time and with the nights drawing in would expect to be away earlier. If there's less faffing about, which comes with warmer summer months, then we can get a good 4 hour ride in and be away 2.30ish.

[ceejay]

Thanks Andy - trains on that route are only every 2 hours so I didn't want to get stranded (as nearly happened last time). However, if the finish is more like 2.30 I can ride into Dorking and pick one up there instead.

[Andrew G]

I think there's going to be a reasonable few of us anyway Marco.

[kieran]

won't be going afte rall, family duty.

[higg]

Well done to everyone who turned up today.

8 in total ignored the early morning weather and headed out to Peaslake; Tamar eager to practise mud skills on her new bike, the "Lidl-tex" team of Marco and Mike, Abi and David who were making an all-dayer of it by riding to and from Dorking, Colin in the brightest commuting jacket you've ever seen, Mr Green with a subtle touch of club colours by wearing a yellow cap under his helmet and yours truly just hoping to get through without hurting myself.

As it turned out I needn't have worried, yes, there was suface water everywhere (every corner had a black pool of peaty water) but apart from that there was no more mud than normal, some of the trails were even firmer than normal as the rain seemed to have washed away most of the surface debris.

We started out at on Winterfold Hill taking in the split tree trail befor climbing again to come down a sketchy new trail to the quarry crossover. A short push took us up to the Pitch Hill view point.

Now, normally Pitch hill gives good views to the South Downs 20 miles away and even the sea beyond that but today this meant full exposure to the southerly squalls that were throwing themsleves across the farmland below. A quick photo and we headed back into the shelter of the wood. We took the long way back to Peaslake on several sections of interconnecting singletrack with enough humps, hollows, roots and holes to keep everyone amused.

It was too wet to stop now so we decided to postpone the tea break until the end of the ride and do a quick circuit of Holmbury Hill on the other side of the road first.

We climbed up to the Holmbury view point and thankfully the weather was a bit better now so some of us tried the infamous step-up with varying success, Andrew did clear it every time though. A quick scoot down around the Yougurt Pots, then jump practice on Telegraph Road before climbing back up to return via Barry Knows Best. Remarkably this was still rideable in the wet, a few more pudlles and polished exposed roots than normal but still the same old Barry. There was evidence of trail construction on the final slope though where a new section is being added to make it more rideable by everyone. Hopefully it'll be bedded in by next summer.

It brought us back to Peaslake for samosas, cheese straws and coffee and the new addition to the village, a bike shop (http://www.pedalandspoke.co.uk) with bike wash, much appreciated on a day like today.

[Andrew G]

[quote="higg"]the "Lidl-tex" team of Marco and Mike