Rough Stuff rides for LFGSS folk, join regular rides that avoid tarmac

How are you doing and how's the hip?

@Skülly do you want to send me your draft route and I'll see if I can match it up to Strava records etc. and see if I've ridden it before?

@Skülly do want Sunday post as a ride in its own right instead of being hidden in this thread?

@hoefla my hip is doing alright had a appointment with the consultant yesterday and they are very pleased with how it has healed. I still get pain but know I can do 50k pretty comfortably

Nah. Small is beautiful.

Cheers for nudge.
I have no custom route yet, been a bit busy… was looking at default route on cycle.travel delivered for
Dorking Station > Frensham Gt Pond

Here's my attempt. Follows route 22 all the way to just beyond Bramley, then onto the Wey Navigation for 5km ish. Then some trails through Shackleford and Tilford, coming in at almost exactly 100m climbing for every 10km which is remarkably common for my rides round here. Absolutely no worries if it's not suitable. I'll probably ride on home from Frensham so not sure if you'd do an out and back or what?

FYI Frensham Ponds can be busy and there's only a small area sectioned off for swimming. Can probably ride to the far end of the lake though and renegade it. The Barley Mow at Tilford could be a good back-up option as there's a river for paddling and often a game of cricket on.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36942187

@SteadyCam that route makes a lot of sense up to about Milford, just past Dorking. Your route goes north on the road, whereas I've chosen a more southerly off-road route south of Elstead. Does local knowledge come into play here, or is this a viable route?

1 Attachment

My route for comparison (from Dorking): https://cycle.travel/map/journey/242937

For anyone wanting to ride from London, I'd propose from South London, following route 21 and then heading directly West from Redhill to Dorking via Woodhatch and Brocking.

Frensham Ponds can be busy and there's only a small area sectioned off for swimming.

I’d avoid it as the sand can wreck havoc on your drivetrain.

what time you setting off from se london if we are meeting at 9am at dorking station?

Alex B and Steady C … thanks. Work’s gone mental. Will see where you’re at on Saturday

what time you setting off from se london if we are meeting at 9am at dorking station?

Hey … happt to adjust meet point time if my penchant for early mornings is a PITA!

Great news!

Both routes look fine to me, the only real bit of road on mine is through Tilford, I think it's mostly byways and forest tracks. For a ride like this I like to make good use of the orange highlighted routes on OSM cycle maps via RWGPS (of which this is one), these always seem to be specifically chosen and uploaded by cyclists.

I did consider going south through Thursley and Hankley but it can get pretty sandy as Ed mentions as well as busy with walkers. There is a really cool route round there though, round the bottom of Hankley Common. The whole place is a big crater looking thing where I think they filmed skyfall. Just a bit sandy though.

OK, then let's take advantage of your local knowledge and follow your route.

I'm thinking it would take me about 3 hours to get to Dorking, so I would aim to meet you there, or catch up to you on the way. How does that seem?

does anyone else want to meet me from South London (Norbury)?

Just a note to say again: happy to push the Dorking dep back a little while to accomodate any longer distance peeps if you want. No doubt you’d catch us any way if not.

OK, so here's my longer version of the route for anyone who wants to ride it from South London. The mapped route starts from Kent Gate.
If there are no takers, then I'll probably just jump on a train to Dorking.

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/245861

I am out

OK, then let's take advantage of your local knowledge and follow your route.

I think this is well said.

@SteadyCam Thanks a lot for working on this. Are you meeting us at Dorking?

@Thrasher
@Qebrus
@SteadyCam
@AlexB
@ElGonzo
@Zebra_Cyclist

Hi all. About to make a Whatsapp Gp to help us all meet up.

Leaving c. 09:15 from Dorking Station. I gather there are other Dorking stations called various things. Not them.

No need to confirm or bail now, just let me know about 9 tomorrow if you're not going to make it (or need us to wait a bit or something).

I will be aiming to catch train from Clapham Jnc at 0747, it's a Victoria train.
there seem to be two more leaving town after that (Waterloo 0802, Vic 0810) that will arrive in good time.

If anyone fancies getting the early one with me let me know? Adam? Qebrus?

Vague plan is to do the same route in reverse in the afternoon. No reason why we HAVE to stick to this obvs. However I will be buying a return to Dorking I think, price appears to be 10p difference for return leg.

@ElGonzo and @Steadycam can you PM me your phone contacts? I have everyone else already. Will send a Hello! message when I've caught my train, reply as you see fit or just rock up and ride.

PS we're going to go with SteadyCam's route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36942187

All good. I'll train it to Dorking as well. I'll be getting on at Mitcham Eastfields.

Looking a bit wet in the afternoon according to Met Office forecast, so might conspire to catch a train back nearer Frensham if it looks like it’s going to be torrential.

Qebrus, Alex & I LOVE rain.

Sorry folks, I'm going to be a DNS. Sciatica rears it's ugly head again but hope to make the next one. Have a great ride!