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@Skülly
… and then four made it out. Glad we did it, lovely day. Alex_B, SteadyCam, Zebra_cyclist & me.
Grim-ish meeting at Dorking, not exactly raining but a light sprinkling was ominous. Very quickly we were riding great tracks, passed a blue plaque at Leslie Phillips’ former residence (a really gorgeous Jacobean pile), enjoyed our first 15? miles, almost completely off road, immensely. We stopped for coffee at Shamley’s answer to Harrods. Rode the Downs Link north for a bit, then a lovely stretch on a canal/navigation (slow for lots of peds & dogs), some more great bridles & tracks, the muddiest permissive byway in Albion, endless off road fun with perhaps 10% tarmac up to Frensham Great Pond.
The sun had properly come out just as we stopped for some beer at a brewery just before, managed to get in the lake before the sun got hidden again, ominous skies to the north but thankfully missing us at that point.
Beer and lunch after a pleasant plunge, during which a large party of Charedi arrive at the beach and proceeded to paddle and play, fully clothed. Picaresque.
Rode an improvised homebound route to Farnham, our comrade SteadyCam leaving us there heading for home. Remaining three discovered the Dreaded Rail Replacement in operation. Cue more improv, some busy B roads to Aldershot, up the roman road past the Garrison. As we reached the approches to Farnborough (where trains commenced), the heavens truly opened on us. 10 minutes under some modest canopies outside a closed pizzeria.
Train caught after the deluge, I had a flask of hot oolong tea as we sailed back to Clapham J before wending our ways home.
Reckon I did about 95km, 50+ of which off tarmac. Great day.
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