My Sunday in the sticks: 30 miles over 4½ hours (including lunch). Hardly an astonishing pace, but what a ride. The clinging morning drizzle had burned out to sunshine, leaving the trails in perfect condition.
We rode up Leith, played around on the drop-offs and headed down the Step Mother for the first time in ages; it was as fast and furious as I’ve seen it.
Next was Holmbury, up the back way via some great Parklife-like whoops, which were new to me. Down the other side via Golden Birdies (mint, absolutely mint technical singletrack) into Peaslake for samosas, bananas and Ribena.
Then up Pitch and around the perimeter path – what a view to the South Downs, returning to Peaslake. Back up the side of Holmbury and down a steep winder through the trees. Past the Volunteer, past Kevin Spacey, up and over Abinger Roughs (pausing to pat the goats) and back for a cuppa and to order a spanking new £1900 bike.
Kevin Spacey! Yep the man himself, sauntering along a bridleway. Not something you see everyday, to be sure, especially in the middle of the Surrey countryside. (I believe Mr Spacey is in the country in his capacity as artistic director of the Old Vic theatre).
And the new bike. Ooh the new bike. I’ll come back to that subject on Sunday when I hope to take possession of said sex on wheels.
Simon Jessey wrote:
Ahhh. It is good to hear about my old stomping ground. It has been over two years since I moved to the USA, and I miss Surrey very much. When I was a kid, my father used to take me up Leith Hill to make lunch on a little barbeque thingy he had. I did the same thing on Box Hill and Headly Heath (both near Dorking).
My family still live in Surrey (Fetcham and Cobham), and the next time I visit them I will be sure to vist Leith Hill again.
Other places I miss: Shere, Gomshall, Abinger, Ranmore, and Wisley. I miss my old motorbike too.
Rich wrote:
Simon – glad to oblige. It really is a beautiful part of the country; of the world IMO. I used to live in Guildford so it’s pretty much my old stomping ground too.
Of course, you won’t have recognised ‘Step Mother’, ‘Parklife’ or ‘Golden Birdies’. There are so many trails around that we’ve taken to naming them after albums (with a few exceptions) so we all know what we’re talking about.
And when I say we I mean the guys & girls who ride out of Nirvana in Westcott.
Pete Barr-Watson wrote:
Leith Hill is on my list of ‘out of town’ rides for sure. Been hearing too much about it recently not to go soon…
Am I right in saying that you could ride there a fair bit and then hook up with the Downs Link cycle path and ride back to Shoreham? (I bet getting there by train is an arse tho)
Rich, anytime you wanna come see some of the singletrack around here give me a shout… There isn’t much, but that makes it all the more sweeter ;)