Round to mum's on Saturday and the fast way to the bus stop on Sunday (we got soaked)

It's great riding to mum's for so many reasons: first, of course, is seeing mum, who is 90 in November. Mum's looking extremely good for her age and she's as bright as a button, according to Bon. I was hoping he would join me on the ride, but he had stuff to do. Mum reads a lot, she eats well, sleeps well and most importantly, she's chilled. You've got to be chilled, that's half the battle. Mum is chilled because of her garden; she's out there most days and it's immaculate (as I'm sure I've said before). I must have arrived just before 0900hrs having left the house around 0810hrs. The weather was perfect and the ride was good, although there's always a bit of traffic as I travel west through the burbs. A lot depends on the time I set out; if I leave earlier, there's less in the way of cars and vans, but once beyond 0800hrs it starts to build up, until I reach Carshalton Beeches, which is when I enter the magical world of mum and fruit cake and Brambly Hedge and Mrs Tittlemouse.

Nice weather Saturday en route to mum's

Sitting in 'the lounge' by the patio window, looking out on the garden, we engage in small talk about forthcoming weddings, what my brother and sister have been up to, how Marion from 'across the road' had her operation and came out of hospital the same day as the op, the woman in the bungalow opposite is a chartered accountant, don't you know, and, of course, we talk about dad, who died on 15 May 2011, but leaves behind a legacy of history books, like Trevelayan's History of England, a red hard back that has seen better days and is held together by red sticky tape. I daren't say I'd like to read it because it would mean taking the hefty tome home on the bike and then not reading it and having nowhere to put it. On the same shelf is the dictionary I presented to dad just a few days before he died. Inside, I had written 'Just in case you're lost for words', which was a pun on the fact that he was never lost for words and the book I had bought him was full of words.

I cut myself a couple of slices of mum's fruit cake, another reason for riding over. There's always fruit cake at mum's and there's always KitKats in the biscuit 'tin'. It's not really a tin, it's a piece of porcelain shaped like a house, which I bought her for Christmas a few years ago. The lid is the roof and when I lift it, there's always KitKats or Penguin bars or something of interest. I stuck with the cake.

Keeping the saddle out of the rain...

I rode back exactly the way I rode out, but the traffic was heavy and I regretted not taking the slightly longer off-road route, but all was well.

On Sunday I heard rain on the conservatory roof and almost aborted the ride, but stopped short of doing so. Instead I wrote "Pissing down here. Thoughts?" God knows what I was expecting, but I followed up with "Might leave it 30 mins and see" followed by "Or 15 minutes". Andy suggested meeting at 0745hrs and we did – and got a bit of a soaking, but it was warm so it didn't matter. In fact, the rain stopped for my ride to the green, but returned as we headed past Knight's Garden Centre en route to our chosen destination, the Tatsfield Bus Stop. It made sense to ride 'the fast way' rather than dawdle along Beddlestead Lane in the pouring rain, and soon we found ourselves under cover and drinking tea.

Next week this blog is 10 years old. Well, the exact birthday is Friday 27 September, but we'll be celebrating (if that's the right word) with a ride to Westerham on Saturday 28th September. Westerham was our first ever destination, but our cycling predates this blog by three or four years as I think we started in 2006 – or was it 2007? I'll have to check it out. Andy said the weather for next Saturday is not looking good, but let's see.

I considered riding back with Andy along the Ridge, but was put off by the hill at the Warlingham end of Slines Oak Road and decided instead to risk the 269. I always risk the 269. The rain had stopped, but when I reached home I was still soaked through and so changed into drier clothing.

The ride is nearly over as I arrive at Sanderstead's village pond...

The weather has changed, the light needs to be switched on when I come down in the morning and it's clear that winter is coming. In a month from now the clocks go back and we enter what I always describe as 'our weather'. I don't know why dull and overcast weather characterises our rides, but it does. I woke up this morning, for example, to the sound of rain, meaning I won't be able to ride around the block, although it's all gone quiet so perhaps it will be possible.

All-in-all, a good weekend of cycling, probably around 28 miles in total. Yesterday (Monday) I rode around the block and I was hoping today too, but the weather dictates otherwise.