Not such an aBiding trip home

We needed a training opportunity and Eleanor Brown was the one to provide it. When she announced her engagement party was to be held in Chilworth, Surrey we hopped on our bikes (carefully pressed dresses and all), swung by to pick up our newest training recruit; Ruth Bide, and got on our way.

This was our second time to cycle back to our former stomping ground and it was a relief not to be struggling with the map all the time. Derby day wouldnt have been the best choice to travel through Epsom but we slalomed through the traffic with Ruth only getting hollered at by one old man. Getting a little over confident on the directions I swung us wrongly round a large junction at Leatherhead and on to a large dual carriageway leading on to the A3. We thought twice about this and sheepishly pushed our bicycles back along the verge to safety.

It was extremely pleasing to find that the hills that annihilated us on the previous trip were quite managable this time round. So much so that on the home straight we decided to take on the formidable Newlands Corner. Now anyone with any local knowledge will know what Newlands Corner had in store for us. It was long and tough and cars whizzed passed at speed, but we did it. We crawled to the top for a stunning view over the beautiful and often unsung Surrey countryside.

We were on rather good form having successfully made it up this looming hill, so much so that a passing cyclist come blog photographer (thanks very much for that) scarsely believed we'd cycled up.

Ruth and I reminisced about riding horses around there in years gone by. One particular escapade came to mind; when I had to ride an extremely excitable and completely unknown horse home from there - the horse box having broken down half way up the hill. Not being at all dressed for this activity in a skirt and spagetti top, for reasons of safety I was coersed in to wearing my mother's size 8 jeans (with flies forced open to maximum) and a riding hat so large that it rested on the bridge of my nose. I digress. You will see our attempts at cartwheeling for joy below (note the gel bum padding). 10 points for effort eh.
 

Clare

Ruth

All bikes now adorned with daisies (you can tell we brought the creative one along with us this time) we flew down the otherside of Newlands Corner with great delight and cruised the rest of the way home through Albury and Chilworth. We made it home in time for a leisurely home made lunch in the garden, which my wonderful mother had out ready for us.

What's more we shaved an hour off our previous time!

(plus 5 miles apparently - the benefits of Newlands Corner eh!)