Details for Sunday 9th August

I do hope you can join me for a Tour of Essex, Hertfordshire & Cambridgeshire!

Aiming for the 09:23 Departure from Liverpool Street Station arrive Sawbridgeworth 10:03 

Suggest Super Off Peak Day Return (Route Any Permitted £16.70

Elevenses at The Shed Coffee House

Then 19 Miles through the lanes of Essex (plus a small bit of disused railway - Flitch Way)  to Lunch in Stansted Mountfitchet at Yeomans Cafe

After lunch 19 miles mostly following National cycle route 11 towards Cambridge to tea at Cafe 19

.

Then 10 miles to Cambridge where we will explore some cycling provision (including a Dutch style roundabout),

We will pass the Station on the way into Cambridge if anyone needs to get an earlier train.

Faster trains available to King's Cross or Thameslink to Blackfriars (change for Thameslink or short ride to Waterloo)

Then I have planned a short 5 mile sightseeing loop with a short riverside pub refreshment stop!

Total 53 Miles: GPX Route

A Towering Success? 2 August to Leith Hill

Well, people can't say they weren't warned.  But still they came, for a ride that was a bit different, braving the parched heat even at elevenses to sit outside at the the Tiger Lily Bus Cafe.  No tigers were in evidence, nor, for that matter, any buses.  Just a lot of sunshine, coffee and chat, and not a lot of shade.  Terry set off for home while ten of us headed for the shady lanes and the hills.

Enjoying the shade

Leith Hill is a serious hill, the highest in the south of England, and must be treated with respect.  So we respectfully approached it via Shere, Peaslake, Holmbury Hill and then Pasturewood Road.  Diane decided she'd had enough excitement on her first group ride with us for a while and peeled off around here - it was great to have your company, Diane.  By the time we arrived at the bottom of the track up to the tower, we knew we had climbed a big hill. 

Shere

Pond Lane

Radnor Road

Everyone seemed to manage well on the half a mile of stony track to reach the tower, and we found an idyllic picnic spot, in a glade of large trees within sight of the tower.   Andy and Christina climbed to the top of the tower (at a bargain reduced price of £4.05 during the August VAT holiday) to enjoy the amazing views.  A guide lent Andy his binoculars, through which he could see a wind farm on the Channel.  Andy was planning to take a photo of the rest of the group assembled down below but this didn't go as planned.  For one thing, it was like herding cats trying to rouse the group from their shady position to stand in the heat for a photo, and for another, Andy found that he got vertigo looking down from the tower, so the guide eventually attracted our attention and took a photo of us.

After all the climbing, the descent of the Leith Hill Greenway was even more of a test.  We skipped the first very rough section, instead going round on the road to Coldharbour.   Then we descended a long section of the off-road Wolvens Lane down to Wootton, about three miles but it seemed longer, with a few more sandy stretches than when I recced it a month ago.  At Wootton, Niall opted to take the road home while the rest of us headed for a bit more off-road across the valley and zigzagging up the other side towards Denbies.  Unfortunately I missed a crucial turning half way - or possibly fortunately, because it got us back to the road more quickly near Deepdene station, and we completed the ride along the road.   Most people headed for home and Rykas was packed with long queues for service, so Martina and I had a quick drink in the Stepping Stones pub before heading home.

Thank you everyone for coming on this adventure, for surviving and even perhaps enjoying the heat, the hills and all the off-road, and thanks for all your lovely photos.  It's nice to have some willing friends to try out "new" places and routes, even though as Andy reminded me, the C&M has had lunch at Leith Hill Tower before, under Graham Hill's leadership.

C&M's last visit

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were faced with a medical emergency whilst out on a ride?

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were faced with a medical emergency whilst out on a ride? I know some of you have had to deal with situations whilst on our weekly rides and it can be a pretty scary experience. Knowing basic first aid is an important life skill and can be a life saver if you are faced with a medical emergency in any aspect of your life.

The  trainer is an experienced nurse Jen Craven who runs Wimbledon First Aid. As a cyclist herself she perfectly understands our needs and tailors the learning to situations we may encounter on a ride. The course will run for a morning and you will be awarded a certificate which is valid for 3 years.

We are hoping to get funding from Cycling UK as we did last year, but there may be a small charge if they do not fully cover the cost.

There are up to 10 spaces available on the morning of 14 September - to sign up please contact me juliembuckman@btinternet.com or 07803 005516. Closing date for applications Friday August 7th.

Here are some thoughts from Sue F who attended last year:

'Jen proved to be a great trainer and placed a lot of emphasis on not immediately diving into a situation, but pausing to assess first using the DRABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation) mnemonic. We returned to this when discussing almost all medical emergencies. Jen knows our riding territory well and had an excellent idea should an accident occur around a blind corner: place a bike with a bright coloured jacket draped over it to warn any oncoming vehicles or riders that there was a casualty on the road. 

Perfecting our CPR skills occupied a good part of the course. Jen uses dummies that light up when you are using the correct technique. Many of  the group found it surprisingly exhausting giving effective CPR for a prolonged period of time.

She  highlighted the importance of locating a defib quickly and having the locator app What 3 Words and medical info on our phones for a helper to find should we be unable to give this information. I have  now set up the Apple Health app with emergency contact numbers and any medical issues that can be accessed quickly from the locked screen. 

Being faced with a medical emergency can be challenging, especially if it happens in a remote and isolated location. Following the course I think we all felt more confident to deal with a potential situation and give some emergency care. I felt I learned a lot despite having done First aid training in the past. Techniques (particularly CPR) have changed considerably over the years so even if you have done some training this course is great refresher'.

 

Plans for Sunday 2 August - Leith Hill

As advertised, we will be riding to Leith Hill tower on Sunday, which involves a few hills and a short stretch of off road to reach the tower itself.   There is a further, OPTIONAL, longer off-road adventure, to return down part of the Leith Hill Greenway, to tea at Denbies if we're in time.

Leith Hill Tower

You have options, so please read the following carefully.

11s is at the Tiger Lily Bus Cafe, Leith Hill West Horsley Place, best reached via East Horsley and the A246.

Lunch is at the very top of Leith Hill, reached by about half a mile of a stony track.  There is a tiny servery in the tower serving a limited range of good food and drinks, but no toilets.  Or you could bring a picnic.

Food menu at the tower

To return, you have to descend the track back to the road (1/2 mile downhill).  We will then follow the road to Coldharbour, where there's a pub if you're desperate for a toilet.  You have options from here:

1. Continue on-road to Dorking and Denbies (route here but you might have to guide yourself).  This route also has a bit of tame off-road along NCN22 from Westcott to Dorking, often ridden by the Wayfarers groups.
2. Follow the Leith Hill Greenway, described here.  Another five miles of off-road but avoiding the overgrown bit.

I hope you will be able to join us for a ride which will be a bit different to usual.

C&M RIDE TO GUILDFORD, SUNDAY 26 JULY

For this Sunday’s ride we shall meet at and leave The Vineries Garden Centre, Effingham, and ride to Guildford via Ripley, Send and Jacobs Well. Lunch will be at The Rodboro Buildings.

After lunch we shall return, again via Ripley for afternoon tea at Gail’s in Cobham.

All on familiar roads.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday 

Jennie J

Details for Sunday 19th

Details for Sunday 19th

I hope you can join me for a Tour of North London!

More details for elevenses,; Need to use Main Entrance, Cycle parking at park end of Car Park on left.

Routes (linked to Komoot)

Morning Route

Wimbledon Common / Putney Heath / Putney Bridge / Brompton Cemetary / Hyde Park / Regent's Canal / Primrose Hill / Hampstead Heath to Lunch at Kenwood House

Afternoon Route

Alexandra Palace / Parkland Walk North & South / Finsbury Park / St Paul's / Victoria Embankment / Battersea Park for Tea at Pear Tree Cafe

Plans for Sunday 19 July 2026

The change is already on the online rides list, but, in case you haven't picked it up yet, Eric's ride to Cambridge, originally planned for Sunday 19 July, has been swopped with his ride to Kenwood House, Hampstead Heath, originally planned for 9 August.

So, on Sunday 19 July, we'll now be meeting for elevenses at the AELTC Community Tennis Centre Cafe, 170 Grand Drive, Raynes Park, London SW20 9NB.   The Sawbridgeworth elevenses will now be on Sunday 9 August.