Central London CTC blog

Global warming has well and truly kicked in, which meant the start of autumn delayed by four weeks to coincide with Mark’s spectacularly pretty trip through the North Downs. The weather was sunny, if chilly, and the trees were putting on a show of leaf colour of New Hampshire proportions.Seventeen riders was the eventual tally, and there were plenty of the promised hills, although none too long. Mark led the ride perfectly, with David Kurtz a very patient whipper-in, despite most of us having some very long waits (in the cold) at junctions.

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Well, a magnificent sunny November day brought the “Magnificent 7” to Boxhill Station. It would have been the magnificent 8 but Marion missed the train, we did try to link up latter but it did not work out. Marion did let me know later that she had quite a good if lonely morning anyway.Our ride today was a sort of figure of 8 based around Boxhill. Paul, Kerryn (first timer, welcome Kerryn) Marieanne. Tim, Mark and Ailan from across the river, (thanks for joining us gents) and I, made up the magnificent 7. “Ah” a grand site as we first headed off to the toilets at the nearby car park!

Then up to the North Downs ridge, but this time by an easier more scenic route than on my last ride, through Denbies vineyards which looks out over the valley, Dorking to our left and on the other side of the valley to the right Leith Hill Tower could just be seen by the naked eye if you know it is there, the autumn leaves giving a magnificent array of colour in the bright sunshine.

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Ride south young man I thought today as I set off for Victoria from the top of north London. Victoria Station was busy but I was able to spot the knot of cyclists by the timetable boards on the concourse and spotted some of the usual suspects, namely, Camille, John and Nick but they were eager to inform me that they were doing the 2* ride led by Mark Knox. Mark was in evidence as were other familiar faces and several unfamiliar ones but as I was doing the 3* ride the temptation to hit the roads in Kent was not that great and as I expect to be in Kent next week when John will be doing more bits of The Pilgrims Way. I had to look round a bit before I spotted another candidate for the long ride into West Sussex.Eventually the two groups took shape and the dozen or so for Mark’s ride definitely outnumbered those that we of the same mind as myself and were waiting for Nick Dean to arrive to organise our departure. Eventually six set off for the train to Sutton and the long ride over the North Downs through Surrey. At Sutton we became seven as Roger Cline had cycled out to meet the train.

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