Ride to Flowerland, Iver - Sunday 31 May

'Twas the last day of spring, and fourteen of us gathered outside the cafe at Osterley Park to venture into the unknown with a ride designed by Tony H.   It was good to see Diane with her "grand-dog" and especially pleasing to see David J back on the bike, just joining us for 11s today.

I was leading - I had done a recce last weekend but a lot has happened since then, so I was a bit vague about the route.   Even after doing the ride, we were all still a bit vague about where we had been.   Anyway, we organised in two groups, Jennie leading the second group and with Steph and Bernard back-marking, and set off.   

The organisation seemed to work well, and there were a lot of positive comments about the route, such as "Where are we?", "I've never been here before", and "We're in Datchet?  No!".  We'd start along a familiar road, and then take an unexpected turning and be completely lost for a while in a cycle paths or lanes, taking a few turns here and there, emerging disorientated after a few miles somewhere completely different but recognisable.  For the record, we went to Norwood Green, Heston, Cranford Park, Hayes, Dawley, Colham Green, Pield Heath, Cowley and Iver, which just illustrates how far off the beaten track we were.

Urban jungle

Pesky gates

Hmm, that looks familiar

Ah, we might be in ... where was it?

Several people had never been to Flowerland garden centre in Iver before, and it was more like JungleLand when we went in; packed with tropical vegetation.   As we were having our lunch, we were approached by a lady called Lilian from the Uxbridge Loiterers cycling group, who knew Tony H and asked me to say hello to Tony from her.   Hello Tony!    We were all served quite quickly once we found the cafe, and we set off again for Hampton Court.

JungleLand

We were probably on more familiar ground in the afternoon, but even so Tony managed to find plenty of roads we'd never travelled on before, and an impressive and unexpected view of Windsor Castle as we left Slough on a long straight road heading straight towards the castle.  It's almost as if someone had planned it.  Another interesting route back via Langley, Slough, Datchet, Poyle, Stanwell and Snakey Lane to a riverside tea at Hampton Court lock.

Castle in the distance

It's the job of ride leader to be aware of how the group interacts with traffic for the safety of the group, and to ensure we try to leave a good impression with other road users.  I noticed that a couple of times when we stopped for people to catch up, a few of the group stopped where they were obstructing the traffic, once on quite a busy blind corner in Bangors Road.   This led to a big queue of traffic trying to get past, and could have been avoided if we had all got off the road when we stopped.  I would encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the Group Riding Guidelines.   Group riding skills are a bit different to individual riding skills and we can sometimes forget their importance.

Many thanks to everyone in the group for your good company on an enjoyable day out, and for your photos.   Special thanks to Tony H for the route, Jennie for leading the second group and to Steph and Bernard for back marking.

Plans for Sunday 31 May

This Sunday's ride is from the Stables Cafe, Osterley Park to Flowerland in Iver, as advertised on the rides list.  Tea will be at Hampton Court.  It was originally going to be led by Tony who's no longer able to lead it, so I will lead, using Tony's planned route.  You can expect all the unexpected treats you get with a Tony ride.  The whole ride is about 27 miles, not too hilly.

If anyone would like to be led to 11s from Bushy Park,  I'm happy to lead from the Teddington gate of Bushy Park, leaving at 9.45.  Please let me know by WhatsApp if you intend to join at Bushy Park.

We will leave Osterley Park at 11.00.  I hope you can join us.

Sunday Ride, Polesden Lacey to New Malden via Redhill

Today was stage 15 in the Giro d'Italia, starting from Voghera in Lombardy and according to official sources finishing in Milan some 919 miles from Polesden Lacey in Colline del Surrey (Surrey Hills); at this juncture we made the break. 

 

We surged with the full force of tension cabled limbs.  The bottom bracket of each bike a vortex of power.  Lungs like burning furnaces powering our thighs.  The soles of our feet pumping levered pedals.  Wheels cutting the dust on the tarmac.  Down the short descent to the first real test of the day, the infamous Vicolo della Cappella (Chapel Lane), under a fireball sun blasting a temperature of 30 C plus, mercilessly whipping our backs on this the hottest day of the year and hotter than any day in May... ever.  

 

Like gladiators staring into the eye of Destiny we tore at our foe.  We held our lead.  And on we pressed in the silence of the blistering heat, louder than the baying crowd of the anfiteatro (amphitheatre).  And out came gladiatore after gladiatore; Vicolo della Grande Coppa da Punch (Punchbowl Lane), Collina Trompe (Trumpets Hill) and Via Doods in the citta di Collina Rossa (Doods road, Redhill).  We were so far ahead.  When I looked back Vingegaard (overall leader in this year’s Giro) and the rest of il gruppo (peleton) were nowhere in sight.   

 

We took a short break at the Taverna del Sole (The Sun, Whetherspoons).  Back on our biciclettes we got.  The gladiatori were waiting, the combined chill boning horrors of Vicolo de la Collina Roccioso (Rocky Lane), la Salita de Markedge (Markedge Lane) and worst of all the hellish Via de la Salita de Cannonica (Rectory Lane).   

 

We had conquered...Rome was a long way but la Citta de Banstead was ours.   It was not over. One final test... the notorious downhill descent from Banstead to Worcester Park. And there it was, the Flamme Rouge, one final kilometre to the end of the dream. 

 

This had been a day where the hills had come alive to the sound of bicycles*, where the Giro had entered the Surrey Hills on a gloriously sunny day; “e bello essere un ciclista!” (it’s good to be a ciclyst”). 

 

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*Thanks to Steph for the clever twist on this line from the Sound of Music. 

 

My fellow Ciclistas were: Christina, Steph, Sabina, Karl, Eric, David W and Andy.  Keith, Carolyn, Diane, David and Audrey joined us for Elevenses at the Court Cafe in Polesden Lacey. 

 

Not knowing how to speak the language my recent new great buddy, AI, provided the Italian dressing to this piece. 

 

There is a real link to this day in May, 24th, in the Giro apart from it being stage 15 of this year’s race.  Back in 1987 Stephen Roche, on this day, won the time trial in stage 3 taking the overall lead and eventually winning the race overall.  That year he also won the Tour and the World Race Championship, Cycling's ‘Triple Crown’.  I looked it up! 

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