Recession Obsession

It was a balmy summers evening with maximum daylight hours given that the longest day was just a few days away. Billybob needed an after work escape not to mention exercise and at last minute made the call for a late start TCA route from his. Jon answered the call with John and Al being either out of the country or away, so once again Billybob had to try and keep up with the big man.

After picking up the nippers from nursery, getting them ready for bed before handing over to Stef and hastily assembling apparel and bike lights, the boys managed to depart by 7.30pm normally far too late but given the long clear evenings of late still adequate for a spot of off road action. The route followed the road to Blackdown via Tennyson Lane and then the steep downhill past Tennyson’s Aldworth House onto Jays lane. This northern downhill section was especially dry and a mighty fine test for Billybob’s new Rock Shock Recon forks and boy what a difference a ‘rebound damper’ made.

The route followed a dog leg north through the usually waterlogged Anstead Brook before crossing the Petworth Road then onto the Killingfields otherwise known as Killinghurst Lane, this time the intrepid duo stuck to the country lanes rather than fight the dense thicket and poor unmade footpath through Hollis Hanger. The road picked up the Furzefield Road and then joined the historic TCA route otherwise known as the Chiddingfold bonfire route via Mill Lane which leads into Chiddingfold and the TCA favourite albeit super posh and carpeted The Crown.

Shoes Surrendered at the Door

of the Chiddingfold Crown

The boys sat down to the last few chimes of the local bell ringers while discussing how recession proof some people are, noting the plethora of Mercedes and new 09 plate Audis in the car park not to mention the various states of dress sitting down to a five figure evening meal. The boys content with their common man pints of Thirsty Ferret (albeit £3.25 each), soaked up the ambience (free) and discussed the merits of pushing onto Hambledon (fee) and then taking the train home (not free, in fact very expensive for a 4 minute journey).

A Toast to Absent Friends,
The White Horse

True to form the lads ditched the route that necessitated a train home in order to make dinner that was not cremated and so Billybob quickly fashioned a simpler, faster and more importantly cheaper route back to Haslemere via the Frillingshurst Copse, basically retracing the historic Chiddingfold walker route of olde and then picking up the road through Grayswood avoiding the intimidating relentless hill climb of Three Gates Lane (Billybobs choice as he was sure Jon could tackle this without shortness of breath).

The final return leg into Halslemere, went off road once again through Beanfield Copse, this time on a footpath, a route not usually chosen but given the lateness of the evening it was decided there would be few if any walkers on this wooded trail, fortunately the lads were proven correct. This is a lovely wooden trail which avoids the Petworth road eastern run marred only by the several styles that the boys had to invent various lift and drop techniques to overcome, some more successful than others.

The duo opted once again for another posh pub The White Horse rather than the ‘Spoons’ a decision based largely on likely ‘ambience and views’ rather than the quality of their beer. However Billybob was very pleased to see that Doombar was on tap and all agreed this was a splendid way to finish the evenings ride. A quick slog up Shepherds Hill saw Jon really get into his stride and leave Billybob once again for dust. A return by 10.30 saw the boys sit down to a Mrs B.B spag bol and half a Waitrose custard slice and the beginnings of the film Black Book: Carice van Houten stars in Paul Verhoeven's war-set thriller as a member of the Dutch resistance prepared to sleep with an SS officer to uncover secrets.

(Posted by: Billy-Bob)

Summer House Blues

It was alternate nights for the TCA squad this week with Jon accompanying BillyBob on a local ride to the HalfMoon in NorthChapel. It was a fair evening and both needed a bit of exercise what with BB deskbound all week and Jon still in training for his duathalon weekend. It was the usual slog up Black Dogs Copse where they met a slightly confused lady walking her dog who had just got off a flight from New York. The route then picked up the sandy trails into BlckDown proper then past the National Trust Car park and the rutted steep drop down into Jays Lane. Both decided quickly to pass on the Noah's Ark a former venue of old and head straight for the Half Moon. Rather than dodge the low ceiling the boys opted to sit outside and admire the impressively built childrens wooden playhouse in the beer garden.

BillyBob wished his house was big enough to accomodate such a structure while Jon wondered if it was watertight and good enough to sleep in if we had one too many ales (wishful thinking) After a pint of Hip Hop each the boys knew it was time to return the way they had come picking up the single track baked trails back up to Blackdown. Billybob showed Jon a new off road route down the side of Tennysons Lane which picked up a rather pictoresque trail that fed into Lythe Hill Country Club. Billybob pondered if they accepted muddy bikers in their 4 Star French Restuarant but then thought that they had better head back to Mrs B.B's for a home made spag bol which was bubbling away on the stove.

The route finshed with a more gentle climb up into Haslemere via Petworth Road and then a cheeky last stop in The White Horse for a pint of Doombar and bag of crisps before heading up the mighty steep Shephards Hill. This time B.B made it up in one and even managed to pip Jon home who took a wrong turn on the last leg. He picked up the leg and put it in his backpack for later.

Another good ride, a shorter than normal route this week but for a late 7pm start, not a bad workout.

Toast to Absent Friends
Halfmoon Inn, Northchapel

Billy-Bob's Birthday Bash

Jon and Al met at Billy-Bob's gaff on the occasion of his birthday for a gentle ride to the pub. Kids and women-folk were packed off to Petworth Park and the trio set off for Temple of the Winds. It was a glorious sunny day and it was already warm despite the 10am start (a real challenge for Jon).

Jon and Paul...lost already!

We went up and over Blackdown starting with the ascent at Black Dog Copse,into Blackdown proper then down the usual route which was very dry. We caught our breath at the popular local view point before descending in the usual fashion. Taking in Jobsons Lane on route to the Lurgashall winery.

Temple of the Winds

A brief stop at the winery saw the three riders consume as many 'tasters' as they thought they could get away with. Impromptu Sunday morning snifters comprised such exotic beverages as rhubarb wine, giner wine and blueberryport [sic.]. Billy-Bob had much in common with the eccentric Califonian proprietor it seemed, but Jon and Al eventually coaxed him out of the shop and back onto his bike. Then it was on our way to Lodsworth via the traditional uphill ascent of Highstead Lane .

The novelty of a daytime ride.

Rather than turn off in a northerly direction into the Forest Commission woodland towards Henley we headed south accross the only wet bog on an otherwise balmy hot day and proceeded to ascend Bexley Hill with the unsightly mast atop. This was followed by a gradual down hill ascent through Bexley Common nearly toppling an unsespecting day walker at Hoe Hill before arriving at the Hollist Arms at 11:48, well before the agreed 12:30 rendavous deadline with the Petworth Party.

Anyone for a Snifter?

We sat in the rear beer garden soaking up the sunshine and repremanding Jon on his selfish birthday secracy. The peace and quiet was however soon eroded by the arrival of a mixed sex cycling group with all mannor of dress code and unsughtly lycra unsembles. The decision to hold off for the afternoon BBQ back at the Billybobs was one of attrition as the smell of various lunctime delights wafted over the beer garden making the wait for the Petworth party.

As the Petworth Picnic had obviously overrun there was time for a couple of beers before the women-folk, kids, Peter and Delphine arrived. The kids were happy to run around the beer garden, Jimmy undertaking a pioneering exploration of the dense vegetation on the Western fringes. Meanwhile there was business to be done. Al and Peter retired to the corner where a heated negotiation on the going rate for Morris Minor hire was undertaken. Discussions ended amicably and a deal was brockered, but not before Al had finished another beer.

Reunited in the beer garden.

Boys watered, kids worn out, Peter broken by Al's negotiation and the women-folk reminding Billy-Bob and Al exactly what the Brownie-Point score was, we headed back to Chateaux Billy-Bob for a BBQ.

Clan Billy-Bob

Billy-Bob ran around for a bit with burning pieces of newspaper and retired to the upper tier of the garden, the girls prepared salad, Al took a shower and Uncle Jon entertained the kids with his funny face(s) and apparent tolerance for being dowsed by Jimmy as Elodie slept.

Soaking your Uncle Jon is a
serious business!

The standard of cuisine was as high as one has come to expect from a TCA BBQ and a thoroughly pleasant afternoon was had by all. Happy Birthday Billy-Bob!

(Posted by: Al & Paul)

The Ascent of Blackdown

There are several TCA routes in Haslemere and generally all without exception involve a traverse of the National Trust land at Blackdown. Billybob new that any circular route would thus require taking the boy’s back up this mighty intimidating hill. Usually the standard route would have been selected for the first ride in this neck of the woods for 2009 but alas ‘witching hour’ and family logistics meant that the usual start time was pushed back to a 7:15pm departure. A shortened route was called for and in the true pioneering spirit of the TCA Billybob came up trumps with a hastily planned ‘alternative’ route.

After affixing Islay to her new bouncy chair Billybob was hands free to meet and greet the duo of Jon and Al who had arrived for once together and were fettling their bikes with impressive speed. Customary cakes were offered in the form of home cooked brownies, prepared by Mrs BB’s fair hands just hours earlier. The boys consumed these morsels with gratitude while Billybob removed his decorative Christmas lights from his helmet.

The ascent of Blackdown is a relatively straight run from the start although this time the usual route of Tennyson Lane was dropped in favour of Chase Lane, which was the first variation of the evening. This route provides more of an off road ascent into Blackdown via an initially steep ascent up through Black Dog Copse. Jon in almost predictable fashion missed the first path while peddling up hill like a man possessed. Clearly those spinning lessons were paying off.

The trio soon picked up the original route which saw a rather uneventful peaceful crossing of the Blackdown paths with a brief stop at a pre-temple lookout where the boys looked down upon the Southern Weald from what is the highest point in W.Sussex. The visitors soon noted that a new fence had obstructed the earlier phase of the drop off but then a quick and uninterrupted descent followed, which Jon commented was a notably dry run. The usual road route was soon picked up and it was not long before the boys were passing the slightly erry caravan site which lies on the outskirts of Lurgashall. The bridleway which skirts this forlorn TCA landmark was vary muddy and boggy which made the bikes sling mud in all directions on the tarmacadum descent into Lurgashall.

Upon arrival it soon became clear that the ‘Ark’ had been renovated and modernised with a new deeper bar area and an impressively large dining space overlooking the green. Sadly this is a all too familiar sign in many pubs the TCA have frequented over the years and the trio were all in agreement that despite the very fine pint of Cornish Tribute, the surroundings had now become a bit too upmarket for their linking, resulting in that loss of the earthy character of yesteryear and presenting a slight air of unwelcome refinery. The muddy bikers decided after an unnecessarily long debate to take their pints outside for consumption.

The Noah's Arc: Gastropub

With a brief discussion centring on Al’s Credit Crunch tips on how to mine sweep the free tasters from the unsuspecting shelves of certain high street supermarket brands the boys downed their pints and headed off this time in a northerly direction towards Northchapel and what would be a rare event - a new drinking establishment for Al.

The route to Northchapel follows the sunken lanes and single track road via Hillgrove, this was a rather uneventful route and in no time at all the trio had arrived at The Half Moon, a rather antiquated pub, situated on the busy A12 road, but nevertheless appealing to Billybob on account of the cosy open fire interior, slightly suspect photograph behind the bar and all manner of agricultural paraphernalia that hangs from the low ceiling. The chaps having only just left the previous pub sat down to a somewhat unjustified second pint of Palmers and discussed some of the logistical operations for the forthcoming boy’s weekend.

Tractor Trouble at

The Halfmoon Inn

Billybob was quick to dispel the notion that home was just down the road when he knew that funs was just about to begin and there was at least a good hour of virgin return route that lay ahead. Pints were downed and apparel refitted with some murmurs of discontent.

In age old tradition Billybob tested the lads out with an early bit of route discussion when he hesitated on which side of the barns the bridle way was aligned at the start of the route back. Out voted by two to one, he conceded that the ‘other’ route was in fact the correct start of the long climb up Jacobs Hill that lay ahead of them.

Jacobs Lane can best be described as a long tortuous never ending up hill ascent towards Blackdown. All on single track road and sunken lane it is broken only by tantalising glimpses of the top of Blackdown through the hidden trees on an otherwise painful slog towards the junction with Tennyson Lane. Jon and Al pushed ahead clearly benefiting from the enthusiasm of thinking they were nearer the top while BB in his unfit state opted for the conservation of what level of energy he had approach.

It was not long before Billybob caught the intrepid hill climbing duo up, whom he heard cursing his name, the route etc. Certainly it had been awhile since the trio had tackled such a steep ascent which left BB wondering to himself how the eminent former resident of this area Lord Tennyson may have managed on two wheels some years previous

Upon reaching the car park at the start of the Blackdown trails, renewed energy was displayed when all realised it was only 10 minutes back home to the delights of a Mrs BillyBob’s Chilli and home made rhubarb crumble with lashings of double cream.

The boys sat done to a sumptuous feast and traditional TCA movie entertainment catching the end of a 1980’s Kevin Bacon classic – Tremors before turning over to the slightly seedier Lost in Las Vegas with Nicholas Cage.

Route Map (click to enlarge):

Elevation Profile (click to enlarge):

(Posted by: Paul)

Floundering Fathers

Billy-Bob, only 5 weeks after becoming a father for the second time mind you, took the rather brave decision to host the TCA ride. However, he insisted that the ride would not commence until 7pm when the worst of the evening carnage with the nippers was over. He warned that all riders should arrive fully kitted-up and ready to go as the ride he had in mind relied on perfect timing.

Al was intrigued but resisted the urge to arrive early, knocking on the Billy-Bob's door at 7pm sharp - helmet, gloves, the lot. There did seem to be a distinct lack of bicycle hardware outside - in fact just Billy-Bob's trusty steed was readied - and Billy-Bob answered the door in a furious mood. Jon had apparently bailed out of the ride with no reasonable excuse at hand... "fancied a night in indeed!" muttered the host. Al's once cheery mood was also evaporated as he took a mouthful of this week's cake only to realise that it contained almonds, the only foodstuff he has been known to refuse.

Billy-Bob makes the final checks

Wrong John had also cried off earlier in the day since he had a friend staying, so it was just the veterans this evening: Billy-Bob announced that they would be recreating the logistically complicated Haslemere to Hambledon (Surrey) route previously tackled in July. This relied on catching the 21:40 train home and there was not a minute to lose...

With no-one to referee the conversation talk soon turned to babies as the pair made their way by country lane through Home Wood towards Black Down. Turning off the road for the first time and Billy-Bob quickly got confused (apparently the tracks looked different in the dark). No matter, an experienced rider like Billy-Bob always carries a map, and with the assistance of pin-point GPS location provided by Al the pair were soon on the right track towards Barfold and Ansteadbrook.

It was during this portion of the ride that Al started to tease apart Billy-Bob's somewhat Ellisonian timing estimates. The last time this ride was attempted the party set of 15 minutes earlier and had 10 minutes to spare before the train. On this occasion the recent rain had made the terrain more challenging and darkness was obviously hampering navigation to a certain degree. Coupled with the fact that fording once gentle trickles now meant wading through quagmire progress was considerably slower than before.

Billy-Bob squelches onward
throught the leaf debris

Both riders were relieved to reach another road section but this also turned to farce as Billy-Bob searched for the track which lead off-road from Killinghurst to Chiddingfold. After more pondering of the map and consulting of the GPS the footpath was located and the pair confidently proceeded, following the field boundary next to a wood. Approximately 10 minutes into this section of the ride and Billy-Bob proclaimed that 'something doesn't feel right'. Having consulted the map once again he concluded that the obvious solution was to carry the bikes down a deep ravine, over some fallen logs and into a second recently-ploughed field, where we once again picked up the boundary. Reaching the bottom of the field we again studied the map, consulted the GPS and tried to lock onto a reference point on the featureless landscape, but we finally concluded that we were well and truly lost. We re-traced our steps, round fields, over logs, down ravines, back to the road... at which point Billy-Bob announced that we had lost the map somewhere since our last stop.

It was left to good old navigational instinct which thankfully saw us arrive in Chiddingfold shortly afterwards. We piled into the public bar at the Crown Inn and settled down to watch the footie (Spurs v Liverpool) with a pint of T.E.A. With time dragging the prospect of striking out for Haslemere was beyond the relms of reality and, without the map, Billy-Bob decided to err on the side of caution and use the well established route home via the country lanes which felt like an endless climb.

Two pints of Wacko please!

In order to recover we felt that a quick pint in the Swan was in order and we enjoyed a quick pint each of Everards Wacko Jacko mild (with a hint of pumpkin!) in salubrious surroundings. By the time we were back at base, with talk of nappies and teething almost exhausted, and the phrases "just like the good old days!", "Wrong John - imaginary friend more like!" and "Jonny P - what a woofter!" were becoming decidedly over-used.

Now on their second child the Bowmans

share some of their secrets for a quiet night

With Islay fast asleep in front of the telly the boys were greeted with a steaming plate of Mrs BB's famous beef stew with apple crumble to follow. A top night all round!

Route Map (click to enlarge):

Elevation Profile (click to enlarge):

(Posted by: Al)

Haslemere to Hambledon Humdinger

*** THIS POST MARKS THE TCA's 100th OFFICAL OUTING ***

Jon turned up just before 6:30pm for the Haslemere run, or so he thought, until Billy-Bob announced that it was a ‘new route’ and they were heading to Hambledon, Jon suddenly went pale then realised it was Hambledon, Surrey not the traditional training circuit containing many a favourite route of Blogs gone by. ‘Hurry up!’ Billy-Bob announced the timing tonight was now even more critical, as you shall see later. Jon quickly wolfed down some of Mrs Billy-Bob’s home made fancies, monitored closely by Billy-Bob.

The intrepid duo once again began the Haslemere route, without the rest of the squad who had given their excuses the week before. They sped off just before 6:45; timing was already playing on Billy-Bob’s mind therefore the original 'Blackdeath Valley' route was circumvented in favour of the road route up to Blackdown, characterised by the verdant Tennyson's Lane.

The secluded sunken lane that runs from Haslemere past Aldworth is named Tennyson's Lane in memory of the poet. It is little changed from Arthur Paterson's description in 1905: "Trees meet overhead, copsewood surrounds it, and later, it is hedged by high sandy banks thickly overgrown with plant and scrub; squirrels and rabbits, and all other small woodland creatures, disport themselves over it. It twists and turns, and to the stranger appears to lead nowhere in particular". Tennyson purchased Blackdown, and built Aldworth in 1869 (Wilkipedia).

With no small woodland creatures in sight this time the pair made haste on what was turning out to be a splendid summer evening after a rainy day. Once at Blackdown the traditional off road route would normally take TCA riders to the highest point in the Sussex Weald - Temple of the Winds - after which the riders would descend off the back of the downs southward towards regular watering hole, the Noah’s Ark in Lurgashall. Tonight however the pair were heading north into previously unnavigated territory. The pair descended immediately at the Car Park past Aldworth House; sadly no poetry was uttered in the rather steep, rutted and knarly descent.

Billy-Bob cleans his bike at last

The route followed the Sussex Border Path onto Jays Lane followed by a sharp left off road just prior to Jays Farm which picked up the Bridle Path north towards Petworth Road. This new route was deliberately chosen by Billy-Bob because it was marked on the forthcoming BHF Haslemere ride, and also because the TCA had not travelled up this way before. This section was reasonably tame, flat in part with the odd twisty tree roots and a small stream that crossed the path on route. After crossing Petworth Road an executive decision was made to take the footpath rather than the bridleway for a short section, it did after all mean we would be at the pub quicker.

Billy-Bob assuring the most direct route to the boozer

The footpath skirted the edge of a dense copse named Killingshurst, remamed the Killingfields by Billy-Bob, who thought the dense fern like forest was quite eerie and akin to something from a Vietnam movie. He half expected to pick up a puncture from a hidden bamboo trap. Alas, no bamboo trap only a sneaky root that caught Billy-Bob off guard while concentrating on low flying tree branches, his front coil suspension (already suspect), hit the offending root with a thud followed by a crack and sent Billy-Bob off into the undergrowth.

Kilingshurst (Killingfields) Copse

The bridleway joined up onto Mill Lane which Jon recognised as a route that members had previously travelled on foot in days of old, on route to the infamous Chiddingfold Bonfire night. The pair arrived at The Crown at 8pm on the dot to the sounds of the church bells across the green. The pub was frequented by many well-heeled diners, with the exception of a chap in a long rain coat who sat outside laughing while staring into his pint and holding a lottery ticket. A first for the TCA then ensued, the pair removing their mud ridden SPD shoes before entering the bar. It was such a splendid evening however they opted for an outside table so they could enjoy campanology night. Billy-Bob had an splendid pint of Hip Hop Champion Beer, while Jon slurped his pint of Ballards Best. No nuts as they were too expensive.

Campanology at the Crown while toasting absent friends

The boys downed their pints uncharacteristically quickly with no time for small talk on planning issues of the week. It was at this point that Billy-Bob owned up that tonight was a TCA first: in honour of the club motto and its mission ‘to seek out adventure and good beer using environmentally sustainable transportation’, the pair had to catch the train home in order to complete the route. Oh yes! The only downside was that if they missed the 21:42 from London to Portsmouth it would either be a long wait at the station or a very long road ride home to a cold chilli. Thus i was back in the saddle and straight up the A283 towards Hambleon Hurst, the next off-road section that would take them north through woodland and up to Beech Hill, and then into Hambledon and the second pub of the evening.

This part of the route was reasonably quick and the expected gradient turned out to be little more of a slight climb up to a rather picturesque 'creamy England' village green. The route picked up Greensand Way which runs east-west north of Hambledon and if followed over the railway line eventually joins up with previous TCA HindHead route in Thursley.

Merely half an hour since the last sip the pair felt slightly guilty at sinking a few more local ales at the new TCA pub of the Merry Harriers, a delightful pub on the outskirts of Hambledon and situated opposite a handy campsite. In fact, despite the recent inclement weather, the pair commented on several hardy campers who were pitched in the field opposite; Billy-Bob made a mental note of this for future expeditions. With two pints of reasonable Summer Lightning inside them, and a chat to a pair of friendly locals on mountain bike routes in the area, the boys were feeling confident of meeting their rendezvous with Network South East. That was until the locals pointed out that the station in Wormley (Whitley on the timetable) was at least 30 minutes away! The pair had 20 minutes to spare and like Batman and Robin (Only Fools and Horses stylie) mounted their muddy steeds and sped off west on road through Hambledon towards Whitley station.

The Merry Harriers' Moto reads like an alternative to the TCA's very own mission statement!

Fortunately, the road, the additional pint, and the thought of cold chilli meant this dash took less than 10 minutes all in and the pair arrived at the rather deserted station with 10 minutes to spare. The only dillema left was whether to run the gauntlet on paying the rail fare for all of one stop. Surely no one would be around this time and with the thought of saving beer money for future rides an executive decision was made to ‘chance it’. "Evening all", the conductor announced when the train pulled into the station, park your bike in that carriage lads and I will be along to collect your tickets when we get going’. B*gger.

Fare dodger

Resentfully the pair parted with two coins each and would have made a dash down the centre aisle of the train if it were not for the pitiful London commuters just finishing work and the fact that they had their bikes. After a whole 7 minutes the return leg of the ride was complete, and all that remained was the very steep uphill back to base and a still warm Chilli. All in all a top ride which the pair both agreed was worthy of the Haslemere Route II honour. Whilst not as hardcore as Route 1, nevertheless a good mix of road and off road and more importantly pushing the limits of the ride coverage in a sustainable manner whilst meeting culinary deadlines.

(Posted by: Paul, Pictures by Jon)

Boggy Bikers of Blackdown

It had been a few years since Billy-Bob had tackled his local jaunt, although Jon and the TCA boys had ventured to the Surrey Hills more recently. The ride started uncharacteristically late, due to Billybob's longer commute, combined with additional pre-ride faff and fettling of Billy-Bob's Kiwi steed with Jons night-lights.

The intrepid duo set off just after 7pm, fortunatly it was still light and was turning out to be a barmy summers evening. Billy-Bob set off uphill leaving Jon trailing behind, complaining about his slippery saddle. When he caught up they deliberated whether to take the road route to Blackdown or the infamous Black Death Alley; there was no question it was down the slippery alley which was as rutted and sandy as ever and back up the the grassy western slope climb to Blackdown and highest point in W.Sussex, Temple of the Winds.

Billy-Bob wipes Elodie's wet nappy
on Jons saddle just before the off.

Billybob tackles the steep
western approach to Blackdown

John, taking in the Sussex countryside

John attempts to beat his 2 second timer,
the impressive green blanket of the
Sussex Weald in the background

A toast to absent friends
The Duke of Cumberland

(Posted by: Paul [4/10 - must try harder, Ed.], Pictures by: Jon)

Fantastic Five!

A record number of TCA riders (Below, left to right: Jon; Jerry; Al; Ade; Julie) set out from the Haslemere recreation ground car park this week to tackle another legendary TCA route...

As we sped up Scotland Lane, past the Billy-Bob pad, to rendezvous at the recreational ground for the famous Haslemere ride it was clear that the Billy-Bob pad (our starting point of old) had seen better days: The havoc created by builders could clearly be seen - materials, equipment and vans strewn around, vegetation dug up and ripped out; a sad site indeed. [If we had some photos, we would send them on, Ed.]

On a brighter note, we started the ride with FIVE members, the TCA is growing fast! In fact it should have been six but Scott never arrived before the alloted departure time. Having done our pre-ride checks our brakes at least were soon tested cycling down the boulder strewn track, off the road adjacent to the car park, and onto the route proper. This was safely negotiated by all, including our newest recruit, Jerry.

We then rode back up the steep hill in good spirits, though the field towards Stedlands Farm and National Trust land (Map 1). In the past some of us (mentioning no names) would have chosen the alternative easier route, around the perimeter of this field, but not today - we all took the steeper direct approach, all having to resort to pushing before the summit. Onto Black Down and Jon did the usual stripping of excessive clothing routine, a little pessimistically preempting the early onset of winter in his choice of attire.

Once at Temple of the Winds (right), we stopped to admire the fantastic view of the North Downs; apparently at the highest point in Sussex. The route off the 'Temple' to the south takes in the awsome 'Black Death Alley', a fearsome descent which has to be respected (Map 2). Having reached the bottom without incident we joined the steep, winding road though Quellwood Common, scene of one of the most notorious crashes of modern TCA history, and on towards the Noah's Ark at Lurgashall. The peleton then dramatically split as Jerry (who was leading) decided to show off his local knowledge, taking the road rather than the track off to the left beside the carvan park. The race for the pub was on! Al, Jon and Ju took the more familar Windfallwood Common off-road route, Jerry and Ade the (marginally longer) road route. Waiting for Julie took its toll on Al and Jon's frantic initial pace and the road boys earned a narrow victory. More time-trial training is obviously required for Julie before the routes are reversed on the next Haslemere outing.

The postmortem over pints of Green King 'Abbot Ale' at the Noah's Ark dissipated any hard feeling (left). Everyone commented on what a fine pint it was until Al realised that his pint was particularly flavoursome due to its added ingredients; an encrusted layer of dead flies at the bottom of the glass which had survived the dishwasher. With the landlady suitably chastised we then reviewed the map so that Jon and Al could try and remember the rest of the route. There was also a brief debate amongst the novice riders about the length of the ride and whether the lights would hold out. Queue much incredulity from Al and Jon for the second week in a row - just wait until the winter sets in and we START the ride in the dark! We rode off but quickly came to a halt as we realised Julie had a flat tyre. Adrian manfully came to the rescue and proudly announced that he would repair it in double-quick time. The repair was completed in a reasonable time and, had he not put the wheel back on the wrong way round, such that the disc and brake calipers were on opposite sides of the forks, would have made a fine fist of things... such a fine line between hero and dawk!

Ten minutes later we were on the road up past Shotters farm and Highstead Lane towards our next port of call (Map 3). We negotiated a muddy, and increasingly dark, Verdley Wood where Al, Jon and Julie did their best to lose Adrian and Jerry for a laugh, pulling the classic TCA 'double back behind a hedge manouver'. Had Ade and Jerry shown any consideration for their missing companions this would have worked a treat, but they carried on regardless. Regrouping at the pub (the one with the trout... editor?) [that'll be the Cumberland Arms (below) famed for it Sunday lunches, Ed.], we sampled some Everards (Correct me if I am wrong editor) [Too right - Everards 'Beacon' to be precise! The best thing to come out of Leicestershire since Gary Lineker! Ed.] which Jerry kindly brought us. As usual Adrain and Julie had 'forgotten' to bring any money.

This week's caption competition;

submit your entry in the ‘comments’!

The final stretch of the ride was a mixture of Al and Jon's vague recollections along the lines of "Are you SURE it's this way"; "Errr.. I think so"; "I have never been here before in my life... Oh, yes I have - THIS WAY EVERYONE!". Through Fernhurst (Map 4) and Leazers Wood, the famous incident of the wrong turning was told at Crab/ Kingsley Copse where in bygone days the TCA managed to go round in circles three times. By now it was dark and we were closing in on Haslemere (Map 1). We said our goodbyes to Jerry, as he peeled off towards home, hoping he had not been put off by our collective lack of pace, irresponsible consumption of alcohol, disregard for the effectiveness of our lights, amateur attempts at basic bike maintenance, juvenile practical jokes, shaggy-dog style anecdotes of past rides, or the sight of Ade in his underpants in the car park. Wondering what happened to Scott (who has perhaps already learnt these lessons) we drove back to our respective homesteads past the Billy-Bob house, which looked better in the dark.

Route Maps

Map 1

Map 2

Map 3

Map 4

(Posted by: Jon)