Ride Report - Sunday 22 February 2026

Our relationship with the weather is one sided... it dictates we compromise. This morning it decided to rain, why, no reason... it just wanted to. But hey, Garmi was down to lead a ride today and I couldn’t let him down and so out from under the warm blankets I rolled. The aroma of the filtered coffee on the stove got me down to the kitchen and seeing Sabina on her bike and ready to go installed a certain pep in my step and still yawning there I was sitting behind Garmi on my bike.

We were on the tarmac... but with hardly a mile done we were sodden with another 20 miles of drench filled bucket loads to ride. We were on track to elevenses and weighing up the joys of kayaking on a bike. On arrival at Knights Garden Centre in Betchworth it was high fives (metaphorically for Garmi of course): We had made it through river like roads and up and down squisshy squasshy hills.

We walked through the ‘delicate’ plant section; so many of them, needing sensitive handling and protection from nasty winter weather.... kind souls tendered their needs ensuring that everything was just so (basically all nicely tucked under warm covers in comfy beds, oblivious to winter’s lashings, metaphorically speaking of course}. Then we came upon the ‘hardy perennials’, plants that were out all year round, capable of withstanding the depths of minus temperatures and the highs of the severest of frosts. And there on the other side of some very hardy looking evergreens were a couple of seasoned C&M'ers ready and waiting for this delicate to lead them out into the wettest of winters. I felt a shudder.

If it weren’t for Sabina holding me upright and gently ushering me forward I would have crouched and hid behind one of the extra large perrenial hardies and texted one of my fellow C&M'ers, “sorry... can’t make it... got a cold.... “ pinged them the route and let them get on with it. Then with grace and dignity I would have made a retreat and swiftly to the train station back to a warm bed where I naturally belonged. But before I could put this very sensible plan into action Sabina introduced herself to our fellow cyclists and said “Bernard is really looking forward to leading you today!”

So on our bikes we got... aiming for a lovely piece of Art Deco architecture, the Jack Fairman Whetherspoon in Horley. They recently spent a bob or two sprucing it up and they’ve done a wonderful job. It has those iconic straight lines for decoration, in fact the building has a wonderfully understated symmetry and balance with not a curve in sight. Its frontal is painted in low key white and blue. It really is a gem of early 1930’s architecture. The one shame is that I couldn’t find out who the architect was and I really do think his or her name should be sited somewhere as just recognition for their excellent work. Anyway, with these musings Garmi led us to Charlwood from where we headed straight to Horley cutting out the Gatwick chunk of our ride. I was grateful for this because when we did the reccie on an even wetter day than today it had felt like a war zone; the bellowing of airplane engines skimming our scalps as they took off and came in to land, stressed to the eyeballs drivers speeding to who knows where on single lane roads, pot holes and crater scars to avoid, mud ditches just to the side and not least Russian-roulette styled roundabouts.

Tummies nicely fed and watered we were soon back on gleaming snake-skin roads. We were all in positive mood for above us we could see yonder the hovering dark cloud Spring blue sky. It beckoned to us and we all rode like the wind heading for tea and cake in Leatherhead. The sun was out and the flat green lands of the countryside had a golden hue. Amidst the purples and yellows of the daffodils and crocuses wrens flitted in and out of the hedgerows. There were snow drops too. Spring was saying hello!

We finished our ride in Leatherhead where we enjoyed coffee and cake in Charlie and Gingers.

Thanks to Andy C for the allusions and to David W for the route!

I was led by Garmi and escorted safely around the route by Sabina, Jenny, Gina, David W and Andy C with Terry joining us for elevenses in case extra help was needed in making sure I made the course.

I finally did make it back to my warm bed and I’m writing this under the covers safely tucked away out of reach of the pesky rain!