srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
As mentioned in another thread I've got mildly guilty feelings about taking sponsorship money off people for a 100 mile ride that turned out to be (for perfectly good reasons) 86 miles and avoided most of the hills. In my email to work colleagues I've floated the idea of a completists' ride - I'm floating it again here. No pun intended after yesterday's weather.
The plan, such as it is, is simple. Pick a weekend day, set off from Guildford early enough to beat the worst of the traffic, go along the A25 via Newlands Corner to Abinger Hammer, divert via Holmbury St Mary and over Leith Hill, take the rest of the A25 to Dorking, then up Boxhill via the Zigzag road and down via the B2033 to Leatherhead. From there, trains are available back to Guildford and to other places. Hospitality might be available in Guildford.
Normal informal ride rules would apply - go at the speed of the slowest, feel free to come and go more or less as you please, stop at the Box Hill cafe for a coffee and a slab of cake. The route is about 32.5 miles, with apparently 2500 foot of climbing (according to bikehike.co.uk). I have no idea how hilly that really is, but approximately half the miles are draggily or properly uphill with barely a mile of flattish road. The other downside is that, when it's not closed for a major cycling event, the A25 is a reasonably main road with sections of narrow, twisty, hilly bits running at NSL speeds.
This won't happen (at least I won't organise it) during August, but if someone has a crystal ball and can tell me which days in September or early October will be sunny and dry it might.
So - expressions of interest, please.
The plan, such as it is, is simple. Pick a weekend day, set off from Guildford early enough to beat the worst of the traffic, go along the A25 via Newlands Corner to Abinger Hammer, divert via Holmbury St Mary and over Leith Hill, take the rest of the A25 to Dorking, then up Boxhill via the Zigzag road and down via the B2033 to Leatherhead. From there, trains are available back to Guildford and to other places. Hospitality might be available in Guildford.
Normal informal ride rules would apply - go at the speed of the slowest, feel free to come and go more or less as you please, stop at the Box Hill cafe for a coffee and a slab of cake. The route is about 32.5 miles, with apparently 2500 foot of climbing (according to bikehike.co.uk). I have no idea how hilly that really is, but approximately half the miles are draggily or properly uphill with barely a mile of flattish road. The other downside is that, when it's not closed for a major cycling event, the A25 is a reasonably main road with sections of narrow, twisty, hilly bits running at NSL speeds.
This won't happen (at least I won't organise it) during August, but if someone has a crystal ball and can tell me which days in September or early October will be sunny and dry it might.
So - expressions of interest, please.
