breeding lilacs out of the dead land,
mixing memory and desire,
stirring dull roots with spring rain. T.S Eliot
What a difference to last week, my on bike thermometer reads 14'C at 10am as we set off. The trails have dried out a lot since last week, never the less we head toward the sandy areas of the North Downs.The forecast today is for sunshine and heavy showers coming in from the west. Out across the Roughs as before, but instead of snow it's bone dry. I keep a steady pace on the front, paul behind me and Jane at the back. Her Giant is in the shop for extensive refurbishment before the GTL, she's riding my Blur; doesn't like it very much and is a bit tentative on anything technical. We push on out to Abinger through Deerleap and the sky starts to darken in the West, but beyond it is blue sky. I decide to head west to try to get under the cloud and through to the other side before the impending deluge. Over the A25 and off-road around the back of Shere, picking up the pace a bit as the sky darkens. There is a flash of lightning off to the side of us followed by a deep roll of 'summertime' thunder, and we start to feel a few big drops of rain as we cross the blue sky/cloud interface. 'Here it comes'. I shout behind me. And suddenly it's hammering down and we can barely see the trail in front of us, my thermometer now reads 6'C. A change of 8'C in a few minutes.........'til April is dead, change not a thread'. My grandfather's voice says in my head. We push hard again and can see the tantalising blue sky ahead of us; just as it came it's gone! The bubble bursts and we break through into the sunshine. The trails are now sodden and so are we. I'm beginning to feel a bit cold as we drop down past the cricket club at Albury Heath at the top of the sandy climb, just as I'm warming up, I hear a shout. Paul has snapped his chain! I put my coat on and roll back to him, his quick link has sheared! Worringly it's quite a new chain.
What a difference to last week, my on bike thermometer reads 14'C at 10am as we set off. The trails have dried out a lot since last week, never the less we head toward the sandy areas of the North Downs.The forecast today is for sunshine and heavy showers coming in from the west. Out across the Roughs as before, but instead of snow it's bone dry. I keep a steady pace on the front, paul behind me and Jane at the back. Her Giant is in the shop for extensive refurbishment before the GTL, she's riding my Blur; doesn't like it very much and is a bit tentative on anything technical. We push on out to Abinger through Deerleap and the sky starts to darken in the West, but beyond it is blue sky. I decide to head west to try to get under the cloud and through to the other side before the impending deluge. Over the A25 and off-road around the back of Shere, picking up the pace a bit as the sky darkens. There is a flash of lightning off to the side of us followed by a deep roll of 'summertime' thunder, and we start to feel a few big drops of rain as we cross the blue sky/cloud interface. 'Here it comes'. I shout behind me. And suddenly it's hammering down and we can barely see the trail in front of us, my thermometer now reads 6'C. A change of 8'C in a few minutes.........'til April is dead, change not a thread'. My grandfather's voice says in my head. We push hard again and can see the tantalising blue sky ahead of us; just as it came it's gone! The bubble bursts and we break through into the sunshine. The trails are now sodden and so are we. I'm beginning to feel a bit cold as we drop down past the cricket club at Albury Heath at the top of the sandy climb, just as I'm warming up, I hear a shout. Paul has snapped his chain! I put my coat on and roll back to him, his quick link has sheared! Worringly it's quite a new chain.
Note to self: remember to put a couple of these in for the GTL.
Across Albury Heath we grind throught the damp sand. There's always very little mud here due to the sand, but impossible ride in the summer when the sand is dry. Albury Heath/Blackheath is a large sandy, fairly sparse flat woodland with a googleplex of wide sandy interlocking bridleways. Consequently, I always get lost here:-)
Two years ago an application to remove gas from this area was submitted. Apparently, there are 80 billion cubic feet of methane underneath here. The company wanted to draw it out, but also use the space as gas storage during times of low use. The locals were up in arms fearing the worst. But the company came in, built a small pumping station over a couple of weeks and I still haven't found it yet :-)
The 2nd left looks as good as any and I take it, I hear dissent behind so I know it's the wrong one :-) I press on, if I show any doubt then Paul and Jane will stop and discuss which is the right way for an age:-) My bluff works and we arrive at a place I know.... phew! Through little London and back off road to Dewdney's Well. This is a long steady climb up what is effectively a stream with a rocky bed at this time of year, at the top it kicks to the left up a steep rooty climb. I can see Jane's front wheel from the corner of my eye and she starts to half wheel me....interesting! Through the centre of Peaslake and up a short road climb to Holmbury Heath, we cut straight across here to do some rooty ups and downs. On the last descent I spot a new way down and flick to the left, Paul follows me. It's very steep and mined with wet roots and finally goes under a very low thick branch. I've got my chest on the saddle and I feel it bumping on every spinous process and removing the waterproofing from my jacket:-) Paul is too tall and can't get beneath it. Over Paddington Farm down the scary slippery drop, over the A25 up the muddy, strength sapping, hole in the wall climb and we're back to the Roughs heading towards Deerleap.
Someone aways attacks on the Deerleap, a 1km section of wide sandy bridleway with a couple of 90' turns, culminating in another 1km section of rough potholed track. Traditionally Jane attacks here, but this year me and Paul have been stronger. (we'd raced through the winter and Jane hadn't) So the last month or so it's been me that's attacked with Paul chasing me down, then we'd ease up for Jane.
As we approach I see Jane swallow a gel..... interesting! Paul enters the section 1st with me close behind. I decide to attack early and jump him on the left bend, I catch him completely by surprise and quickly get a 100m on him. I look back to see him giving chase and Jane is on his wheel....interesting. I ease a bit to let Paul close the gap, only a bit though :-) Just as he gets to my wheel Jane attacks hard on the left(a classic move, attack as soon as the group comes back together) I jump to get her wheel, I glance back and Paul's missed it, he can't get my wheel. I turn back to Jane's wheel and she's two lengths ahead! I close the gap and we're away. The old Jane is coming back. Hurrah!
Great fun.
ps in his defence Paul had done a track session the day before.
foto by lco
4 comments:
Had I dropped my camera on the floor or was I too lazy to get up from the horizontal?
You were lying on the floor outside the Kunterbunt, your underwear was hanging from the tree above you.
That's what I love about biking. We all look after each other, with spare bikes, kit wheels (to ride and sit on), and then when we've nursed each other miles from home the hammer goes down.... Bloody great!
I agree it achieves that sort of karmic balance of being able to look after one another, whilst attempting to kick seven bells out of each other too :-))
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