3* South Downs Stirrup
Posted on Sunday 22 October 2006 by Mark Waters
It suddenly occurred to me that my time would be better spent writing a report on today’s scintillating 3star ride than cogitating on whether to re-join the Tandem Club for a fourth year of total uninvolvement.Any sane person seeing the weather forecast for today would not have bothered to get out of bed this morning. But we CLDA – sorry CLCTC – types are made of stupider stuff than that, which resulted in five of us meeting at Godalming station at 9.50 with ambitious plans to ride to the South Downs and then up them to the top of infamous Billy Bignor Hill. We were Roger and Kay (in-liners rule) Bettis, George (Mr Click) Ong, Dr Goodguy Bob (Davis) and Mark (er, I’m not quite sure where we are) Waters (ride leader).
Things started well – it wasn’t raining, just spitting, but enough for Bob to stop to put on his rainjacket at the top of Holloway Hill out of Godalming. (He took it off shortly after – a surefire way to encourage the rain gods to get to work!) Anyway we enjoyed a delightful few miles through the bendy lanes via Dunsfold to Plaistow where Bob again announced that he was putting on his rainwear again. A look upward and we all agreed this wasn’t a bad idea this time.
Sadly it soon became apparent that it wasn’t going to stop so a revision of plans was called for, and the obvious voie alternative was to head for Darnley’s Coffee Shop in Haslemere, where there was a railway station if necessary and a good hill to climb if things improved.
It didn’t and so, following good conversation, good food and a general dripping out, Roger, Kay and George decided at 2.30pm to make their way to the station for an early train home. The rain was still hitting the tarmac and bouncing back off it in a most unfriendly way. Bob and I stuck it out for another half an hour hoping for a break so we could ride back to Godalming, but it didn’t come, so Bob set off home too. I decided to ride home and within minutes came a magical lull, so I was able to ride home in dry conditions from above, but exceedingly wet conditions underwheel. Not quite sure what I’d done to deserve this treatment but I wasn’t going to complain. I even had time to wash down the Mercian once home before the rain started falling again in earnest. It really was an ‘orrible day, but mild so at least we didn’t get cold.
So much for Billy Bignor – it’ll have to wait for another day. Thanks to all who had to courage to come down.