Due to adverse weather, Sunday's ride will be a shorter ride, not going to Tunbridge Wells. My apologies but it looks as if it might be dangerously windy, and very wet in the afternoon too.
The weather looks OK for the morning, so I plan to lead a morning ride from Leatherhead, via Walton on the Hill and then back through Sutton to either New Malden or a cultural option suggested by Andy, North Cheam where there is an open day at the Service Wing Museum for the old Nonsuch Palace. Either way you will be nearer home when the rain arrives.
In the same spirit of madness adventure as the ride from Reading to Reading, I volunteered to lead a ride to Tunbridge Wells next Sunday. This is based on a ride to the Easter Tour in 2024; dodgy weather but a lovely route which deserves repeating.
Plans are not yet finalised, subject to a recce tomorrow (Weds) but so far it looks like this: 11s at Leatherhead as advertised; lunch at Lingfield (22 miles), tea in the glamorous surroundings of The Opera House, Royal Tunbridge Wells, which happens to be a spectacular Wetherspoons pub. A bit longer than an average C&M ride at 43 miles, and a modest 2240 feet of climbing, but most of the hills (and some lovely scenery) are near Tunbridge Wells.
Trains from Tunbridge Wells return to London Bridge & Waterloo East; if you have an Oyster 60+ card you can get a ticket to Orpington in Zone 6. If you're feeling adventurous (Patrick?), then you also have the option of riding back along the Worth Way, an old railway line, which takes you to East Grinstead and Three Bridges in 23 'flat' miles.
The Met Office is currently forecasting good weather for Sunday, but if it begins to look terrible I might do a shorter ride. However, advance single tickets are currently about £4 from Tunbridge Wells to Orpington with a railcard, so you might want to take a gamble. Just bear in mind that the last bit of the ride is hilly so if we're running late, we will not be able to rush to the station, so I recommend a train after 18.00 to allow plenty of time for enjoying the sights.
The ride to Tunbridge Wells will be rescheduled.
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