Wednesday 1 August 2012

Westerham and Hosey Common

Westerham on Saturday followed by Hosey Common on Sunday. The original plan for the Sabbath had been Edenbridge, but we're always up against time and the fact that we both have families to be with at the weekends. Don't get me wrong, it's not that we couldn't have got there – to Edenbridge – but there were, surprisingly, some big hills. Turning right just past Westerham Green and up Hosey Hill wasn't easy, but we managed it. There were plenty of woods on either side of the road and, if anything, it was a little bit gloomy.

My Kona at Hosey Common near Westerham, Sunday 29 July 2012.
We'd met on Warlingham Green at 7am instead of 7.30am, which gave us 30 minutes to play with, but when we hit what would have been an amazing downhill ride, the prospect of coming back up didn't appeal, not because we couldn't do it, but because of the time it would take. So we stopped, turned the bikes around and headed back towards Westerham. We had our tea on Hosey Common, in the sun, but both agreed that the green, which was really a car park for the woods, would have been far better with a wooden bus stop like the one at Tatsfield. Still, the weather was good so it didn't really matter.

Going that extra mile or so out of Westerham to Hosey Common was good; much more of a work-out than just going to Westerham and sitting behind the statue of Churchill. But no bench, no bus stop, no cover from the weather would mark it down as a final destination.

Andy said we'd travelled an additional 4.5 miles, making the total journey around 15 miles one way and then 10 back: a total of around 25 miles instead of the usual 22.

It was a good day and a good weekend for cycling and now we're looking forward to next weekend.

• Bradley Wiggins won Gold in the time trials today (1st August 2012). He is now the most decorated British Olympian, with four Golds, one less than Sir Steve Redgrave, but overall the Wigster has more medals. There was also gold for British rowers too.