To Sevenoaks!

Only three miles to Sevenoaks, it always seems longer.

I remember once riding to the sign that read "Sevenoaks" and then turning back. The thing is, it's always bugged me, not riding into town, so at the weekend just past I decided, kind of on the hop, that I would ride all the way and stop for lunch. When I say 'kind of on the hop' I mean that when I set off, while a longer ride was sort of on the cards I was still thinking along the lines of riding into Oxted and chilling with a book at Caffe Nero, accompanied by an apricot croissant. It was, however, later than usual, gone 1030hrs when I left the house so when I reached the crucial point, just past Botley Hill (do I ride down the hill to Oxted or head in the direction of Westerham?) I hesitated for all of a few seconds and then headed towards Westerham; and as I sailed down Clarks Lane I remembered the Velobarn, so I hung a left on to Pilgrims Lane and rode straight there. Miraculously it was open, much to my surprise, so I decided to chill with a cup of tea and an almond croissant before continuing my journey, but where to? I couldn't very well ride into Westerham (all of 10 minutes) and then have ANOTHER tea. So I pondered my situation briefly and crossed the road into the continuation of Pilgrims Lane. It's rare, I have to admit, that I venture this way, normally to visit Longford Lake, and it did cross my mind to go there and possibly have lunch in the Harvey's pub facing the famous lake. But no, there was always Malabar in Dunton Green or perhaps I could ride all the way into Sevenoaks, past the sign and into town. After a while, as I rode along Pilgrims Lane and followed the country lanes that paralleled the motorway I knew I had to give Sevenoaks a chance. The ride from the sign into town wasn't at all bad, a hill, yes, but not a bad one and soon I found myself in the bustle of a fairly busy town, so busy that I'd have to dismount and walk myself and the bike to my destination, which was Soprano's, a cafe I know and love and a place I have visited many a time. I was a little worried about leaving the bike unattended, even if I did have a padlock, but fortunately there was a table outside and the weather was fine so I left the bike leaning, unpadlocked, against a wall opposite the cafe and enjoyed the sunshine. I ordered a glass of sparkling mineral water and something called a Jerzy Piadina (at Soprano's most things involve cheese and this was no exception, it was chicken and cheese between two flatbreads with a pleasant little salad. People passed by, young couples, older couples, humanity of all sorts and I decided to push the boat out until I realised that Soprano's doesn't do desserts, it offers cake in a few varieties and instead I ordered another sparkling mineral water and took in my surroundings. The sun was shining brightly, this was a summer's day in late April if ever there was one and I found myself remembering swimming in the sea at Lyme Regis back in April 1984. I also remember snow in April 2008, which I think is documented somewhere on this blog, it's certainly been mentioned before, but remember, the blog didn't start until September 2009, over a year later.

A Jerzy Piadina at Soprano's.

Now, for some, cycling a 35-mile round trip to Sevenoaks for lunch is excessive, although it was a decision I made on the hop; for others (like Andy) 35 miles is a piss in the ocean (he rode over 100 miles on the same day I was basking in the sunshine outside of Soprano's). For me, 35 miles was a good distance and the worst bit, of course, was the sudden realisation that I'd have to cycle home. I can't say I was looking forward to it and there was no way I would be taking the train home. I set off with a happy heart and rode downhill towards Riverhead and it was there that I decided to take the A25 rather than the country lanes on the other side of Dunton Green. It was certainly busier in terms of cars, but fairly straightforward and it wasn't long before I found myself in Westerham where people were sunning themselves on the green. I was thinking of making a stop to take on board water and possibly another cup of tea and I thought I'd head for the Velobarn as it was only around 1500hrs so I figured it had to be open: it wasn't. Next stop, Botley Hill and the Sheep Shed, but when I got there I thought it best to push on and get home and so I did, along the 269 all the way to Sanderstead and when I reached home nobody was there. I sat and watched television drinking tea and a large glass of water but I felt good and I'll certainly be doing it again soon.

The Velobarn around 1500hrs – closed! 

Lord Chatham's ride: a big disappointment

Having studied my maps and discovered Lord Chatham's Ride, I've been champing at the bit for some time, fired up with the thought of experiencing what looks like a great ride through the woods. So, while I've had a couple of false starts over the past few weeks, yesterday (Saturday) I took the plunge after a pretty piss poor week, managing to miss my target of a respectable 70 miles by around three miles. I even considered going out and doing one lap of the Norfolk Nobbler just to knock me across the line, but then I thought no, what's the point? Just accept you've not been as fortunate this week when compared to last and crack on. The chances are that next week's rides will be good as the bank holiday Monday gives me the chance to get out there on a day when I would normally be going to work. In other words, I reckon I'll make the 80-mile marker at the end of the coming week, who knows?

Will I find Lord Chatham's Ride?

It's important to point out that while I didn't cycle until Friday (giving me a Sunday/Friday/Saturday scenario that totalled just over 67 miles) I did engage in other forms of exercise, namely walking, which is really exhausting. I was clocking up five miles per day, so 15 in total between Monday and Wednesday. On Thursday, rather than ride the Washpond Weeble (which was the plan) I mowed the lawn with my new Mountfield Princess 42-inch Rotary Mower (with rear roller). The grass looks amazing and once again I must take my hat off to my dear old dad, God rest his soul, for telling me once, many years ago, that my garden was my gym; he was right, it gave me a good work-out on Thursday afternoon as I mowed the front and back lawns and got the shears out to trim the edges, and don't forget, the grass hadn't been cut for a while so I was up and down the lawn like a yo-yo. I tell you what, though, it looks fantastic and afterwards I was whacked out. So, walking, lawn mowing and then on Friday a Washpond Weeble - during which I spotted some weird-looking stuffed scarecrows - saw me in reasonable shape for Saturday's ride.

This ain't Lord Chatham's Ride...

I left the house at 0905hrs and there was no rain, it was warm and fairly bright, although cooler than of late to be fair. I followed the slow way route to Westerham, along Beddlestead Lane, and then down Clarks Lane, but not riding down the hill towards Pilgrims Lane as usual. I had to go via Knockholt. Andy and my only recollection of riding to Knockholt (in pre-blog days, pre-2009) was driving rain and a punishing hill as we followed Sundridge Lane to Main Road, having riden along Pilgrims Lane from the bottom of Clarks Lane as it turns towards Westerham. There is only a village hall and a general stores in Knockholt. Oddly, the last time I was there (a couple of weeks ago, alone) there was more driving rain and I was soaked through, with only a Snickers bar and bottle of mineral water to keep me company. I remember standing in the pouring rain munching on the Snickers bar (I prefer to call them Marathon bars). While it was raining hard (and didn't really stop) it wasn't cold so it was little bother. Somewhere along the line I've digressed and lost my thread, all I'm really trying to say is that there's no need to encounter hills on a ride to Knockholt from where I live; not if I follow the wooded road that leads to the Park Wood Golf Course from close to the Tatsfield churchyard and then take the left fork and follow it until it meets Westerham Hill. I then cross the road and follow Grays Road or Grays Lane, can't remember it's exact name, towards the beginning of Main Road and then I kind of roll into town, well, Knockholt. 

...nor is this

Unfortunately, there's no caff in Knockholt or Knockholt Pound, for that matter, although they are really one and the same, but it's in the latter that I found Chevening Lane. I knew it would lead me to Lord Chatham's Ride, but I was to be disappointed. Chevening Lane was a No Through Road and for good reason: at the end of it there was Chevening House which, if I recall, is the country seat of the Foreign Secretary (currently Dominic Raab). So when I reached the end of the road where I was expecting to find a big sign proclaiming (in neon lights) 'Lord Chatham's Ride', all I found was a gate saying 'private, no entry' or words to that effect. It was very disappointing as I was hoping I'd have a story to tell Andy, but it wasn't to be. There was, however, a footpath that was probably not open to cyclists as it proved very hard to get the bike through the initial gate (and subsequent gates). Once through I was initially riding on a track with corn fields on one side and woods on the other. I met a few walkers on the way, none of whom seem bothered by my presence. Could this be the way to Lord Chatham's Ride? No, but it was the beginning of a complex network of bumpy, root-laden tracks through thick, dark woods. Some of the tracks were dead ends and others led me round in circles. The bike took a bit of a beating if I'm honest and eventually, fed up with the whole thing and realising that if Lord Chatham's Ride existed at all it was behind the locked gates and within the grounds of Chevening House, I decided to give up, which wasn't easy. There was a tall metal gate that I heaved my bike over, but I had to leave it hanging by it's front wheel until I used the adjoining walkers' gate to escape the depressing wood. I unhooked the bike from the larger gate and rode into Knockholt for a second time (why I don't know) and decided - after considering a further two-mile ride into Dunton Green - to go home instead. I had contemplated Bojangles for tea and cake, but the misery of not being able to tackle Lord Chatham's ride had depressed me somewhat and I preferred the idea of just going home and forgetting about it. 

Escaping the woods!

Tea and cake at Sheree's Tearoom made things a lot better

Instead of retracing my steps along the private road that led to the Park Wood Golf Club, I followed road signs on a parallel road to Tatsfield and found myself on a hilly up and down country lane that plonked me bang in the centre of the village, which was bustling with cyclists and villagers. Andy and I are normally in the village early in the morning, back in the day, sitting inside the wooden bus shelter munching biscuits and drinking tea from a flask. Sheree's Tearoom is normally closed, but now, at around noon, it was busy with cyclists some of whom sat on the wooden tables on the green while others sat outside the tearoom, their bikes parked in front of it. It all seemed very agreeable so I stopped for tea and lemon cake and sat at a wooden table overlooking the lake. I phoned home to let them know where I was and then, after eating the cake and drinking the tea I rode out of Tatsfield following the usual route towards Botley Hill, but turned left on to The Ridge and followed the road into Woldingham, not looking forward to the steep but manageable hill at the far end of Slines Oak Road. I was home around 1300hrs.

One of many sinister roadside figures

On Friday, incidentally, I managed a Washpond Weeble in the morning, leaving the house at 1037hrs and getting home just before noon. I had made a snap decision to take the day off and that meant I could get the ride out of the way early and not feel tired and weary and demotivated, as I tend to feel around 4pm when a ride looms. I'm not saying I don't like cycling (I love it) but the Washpond Weeble, while pleasant, is a fitness ride, not so much a leisure ride (like riding to Westerham to meet Andy). While out I noticed that some people had made these strangely sinister stuffed figures and left them outside their houses or in fields. It was like something out of a horror movie (see photos for evidence).

Why was the road closed? Flytippers, that's why. But bikes not affected.

The Washpond Weeble is far better than doing the Norfolk Nobbler, which is restricted to suburban streets, but that extra 2.5 miles often makes me think (certainly if it's late in the day) that perhaps I'll just do five miles or, better still, nothing whatsover; instead I'll take a drive to Oxted and have a Millionaire's Shortbread in Caffe Nero or Costa. There's nothing worse than feeling tired and weary because it lurches towards despairing, feeling pointless and trapped and worthless and when I feel like that the last thing I want to do is jump on the bike. Ironically, however, jumping on the bike and riding for roughly one hour cures me so it's worth pushing myself when feeling down and getting out there.

Dunton Green? No, I'll go home...

And now it's bank holiday Monday and while it's looking a little overcast outside and I remember hearing heavy winds last night while I lay in bed, there doesn't appear to be any sign of rain, which is good as Andy and I are meeting again at Westerham and it's all seriously good news for this coming week's mileage. Yes, I missed my respectable 70 miles last week, but with today's ride I'm a good position to push things into the 90 miles bracket, and one more Westerham would take me over 100 miles, so here's hoping.

It's now Tuesday evening and I'm contemplating riding to work tomorrow. I don't know why I'm thinking about it because it ain't going to happen. I've yet to kick myself into gear on cycling to work and soon the clocks will go back, the nights will draw in and the time available to go cycling will be limited, which is very depressing. Winter will be winging it's way and soon there will be cheap tinsel Christmas trees in shop windows and people will be counting the shopping days until Christmas and all the greedy bastards will be ordering huge turkeys from the supermarket and stockpiling Paxo and then toilet rolls when it becomes obvious that Boris Johnson's gamble with the public's health was just that, a gamble. We'll all be in lockdown again and our mop-topped nutter of a Prime Minister will be stuttering out his excuses to a gullible public who will quite happily vote the nutter into office for another five years, whenever the next General Election is due. It's a long way off, but that makes it all even more depressing.

A view of Tatsfield pond while munching lemon cake and drinking tea

64 miles, thanks to the Dunton Green Growler...

 A poor week of cycling redeemed itself on Saturday with a ride to Dunton Green in Kent. The weather was wonderful and it felt great riding along Pilgrim's Lane. I ended up in Bojangles where a cup of tea and a slice of coffee cake made things even better, although my cake addiction is worrying and needs to be stopped. I sat on the green opposite the cafe, which is takeaway only at the moment and has been for some time, thanks to the pandemic.

The Washpond Weeble...

During the week I didn't start riding until Wednesday, but after two rides, the last one on Thursday, the rain fell from the skies for the whole of Friday, putting any thoughts of a ride out of the question. I managed a Washpond Weeble and a ride along Beddlestead Lane and then along The Ridge and home, total mileage was around 29 miles, giving me little to redeem myself. In a way I felt a little guilty for not kicking myself into gear, but then it was my first week back at work having enjoyed a week off. So, 35.90 miles did the trick, add the 12 miles for the Weeble and the 17 miles for the Beddlestead run and it added up to what? Around 64 miles, I can't remember exactly. If you read last week's post you'll know that nothing over 70 miles can be considered respectable in my book, but then I tend to fret about stuff like this when I shouldn't really worry about it. Sixty four miles is alright and I'll have to try to do better this coming week. I've got work on Monday and Tuesday this week, and by that I mean actually going into the office. I could ride in, but I won't, it's too much of a faff and I'd have to leave the house at an ungodly hour, ie 0630hrs and that would mean missing a mammoth breakfast, which has become a regular habit. I like nothing more than getting up early and eating a hearty brekkie, but now I think about it, I have to leave the house early so it won't be that mammoth and I won't have time to really enjoy it, less if I ride in. I'll just have to ensure I get a few shorter rides in from Wednesday through to Friday and then, adding a ride to Westerham next Saturday should give me a respectable mileage. It's all about a respectable mileage.

The Rockhopper on Washpond Lane

I love the summer, it's the best season of the year. No need to wrap up and wear a balaclava, no need for layers of clothing and no need for gloves either. I love it! And there's nothing nicer than riding through the countryside on narrow lanes smelling the passing cow parsley and the last few days of the bluebells that shimmer in the woods on either side of the road.

Summer 2021 is not as good as last year, but there's still time so let's not get too pessimistic. Last Friday's rain was a bit depressing, it drizzled all day long and while I thought it would brighten up in the late afternoon there was no chance; it rained into the night. But Saturday morning started with mist and gradually brightened up. Sitting across the road from Bojangles on the white plastic seats provided I lapped up the sunshine eating the aforementioned slice of coffee cake with my tea. The ride back wasn't half as wearisome as I thought it would be and soon I found myself on the hill leading up to the Botley roundabout. There was traffic on the Slines Oak Road that might have slowed me down, but even though the hill is steep I somehow weaved around the cars that were stacking up on their approach to the 269. I'm amazed I kept the bike on two wheels in such a low gear, but I managed it and then sailed home along the Limpsfield Road towards home.

On The Ridge...

On Sunday morning I left around 0800hrs and when I reached Westerham there was no sign of Andy. For a short while I thought I'd missed a message and that he'd rescheduled, but no, he was on his way. Soon enough he arrived and told me all about his 162-mile jaunt to Rye, Dungeness and the surrounding area. I felt tired for him, but what an achievement. Andy, if you're reading this, take a couple of days off, you don't want to overdo things, it's not good for you. We sat on our favourite table, me with an almond croissant and a paper cup of English breakfast, Andy with a fruit drink, a cookie, a chocolate cakey thing given to him by mistake and, well, it doubled as a kind of second breakfast and rightly deserved after all the cycling. We chatted about his mammoth ride and eventually headed for home. I decided not to ride along The Ridge as I had stuff to do, like mowing the lawn, so I rode the 269, keeping a weather eye on the traffic.

Woods along The Ridge

I've got my second jab this week, can't say I'm looking forward to it, but needs must and all that.

A short break on Pilgrims Lane on last Saturday

It's worth pointing out, incidentally, that this blogpost has been waiting all week to be posted as, for some reason unknown to man, the images you see never uploaded to Google Photos for an entire week. Today, as I write this, Thursday 10 June, the day of my second jab, I found them on the site and now I can press the 'publish' button.

The bike on Pilgrims Lane last Saturday

It was a good week on the bike, that redeemed itself with the Dunton Green Growler. This week is looking a bit dodgy. The weather yesterday was amazing but I was feeling down, demoralised, I don't know, and I left the house without wearing a crash helmet. I didn't realise until I reached Church Way and was halfway up the hill. I thought about turning back or pressing on and decided on the latter. When I reached home I'd travelled all of 1.79 miles.

Bojangles in Dunton Green, time for some cake!

I must go out today, I keep telling myself, but it's jab day and I think you're supposed to take things easy, we'll see.

Tea and coffee cake, Dunton Green

The cake must stop, it just must.

Non-stop to and from Dunton Green - a good way to end the week!

Cycling around the burbs as I have been this week, I'm conscious of the human condition hiding behind parked cars and occasionally stepping out from behind trees. It's hard sometimes for me to take my mind off of it, but often I turn to license plates as a form of distraction and a way of thinking about something else other than the passing of time and not really achieving anything. I play this silly game where I have to work out what the last three letters of a particular number plate stand for; today, for instance, I passed a parked car with a plate ending OOF, which sounds like the noise I would make if I ran into somebody at speed. OOF! OOF should have an exclamation mark after it, OOF! But what else could it stand for? Well, how about 'Ordinary Orange Face', something you might attribute to Donald Trump as he has what you might describe as an ordinary orange face. Anyway, you get the gist of what I'm saying, anything to stop me thinking about hour glasses and what I'm doing (or not doing) with my life.

Everybody's getting a little pissed off. It's the fucking virus. Certain parts of the country have gone into so-called Tier 3 'measures', which is the same, almost, as being in lockdown. The Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, is putting up a fight and as a friend of mine suggested on Twitter recently, has become a kind of Prime Minister for the North.

Here in London we're now in Tier 2 'measures' and I'm guessing that sooner or later there will be a 'circuit breaker' lockdown that will probably last a fortnight and keep us all indoors, like we were back in the period March to September this year, give or take. I've written a lot about my lockdown experiences, 42 posts in total, and you can find them by scrolling back.

Lockdown hasn't really bothered me if I'm honest. I've made the most of my bicycle and have at times reached the dizzying heights of 100 miles/week, some feat! Well, it hasn't been that easy. Motivation when you're riding alone is hard to come by, that's what's good about Andy and I cycling together at weekends, we motivate each other. For a while now we've been meeting on Sunday mornings and we both agree that it's the best day of our cycling week, especially now that Phil has returned. And Geoff's been coming too, but neither he nor Phil have arrived on pushbikes, they've arrived by car or motorcycle. Not that it's a problem, we enjoy their company and the chat. In fact, the Sunday ride has become an important event, the one nobody wants to miss, and even now, as I write this, I must admit to being a little bit excited at the prospect of Sunday's ride as it draws closer.

I'm also enjoying my solo trips to the Velo Barn for a cappuccino and a slice of lemon cake. I'll probably head there on Saturday as it's a pleasant 20-miler, roughly, and there's a prize at the end of it (coffee and cake); and yes, coffee. I go through phases now and then when I fancy a cappuccino and a slice of cake, although the latter has been a habit for some time, and now that mum's back in hibernation, it looks as if the Velo Barn's cake selection is my only hope. This week I'll probably take a book with me and simply chill. I can't think of anything better: a ride on the bike, punctuated by coffee, cake and a decent read. Perhaps a newspaper, who knows? Anyway, there follows a day-by-day account of my cycling week, which culminated in a non-stop ride to and from Dunton Green in Kent.

Sunday 18 October 2020

I must try and do better this week. Last week, I managed 38 miles in total, not good. The week before I think it was 45 miles and the weeks before that the mileage was perfectly acceptable, ie well over 60 miles. It's got a lot to do with the change in the weather. Gone are the balmy summer days of 2020, which saw me out on the bike most days riding a fair distance on each occasion. It's now the autumn, mid-October, and there are cloudy skies. Everythng is dull and boring, just like those awful Saturday afternoons when I was a kid with nothing to look forward to other than Songs of Praise and school on Monday.

Excellent cakes, two each!

Perhaps this week I should adopt the principle of shorter rides, cycle for 10 miles per day so that by the end of the week I'd have put in around 50 miles, plus today's 18 miles, that's 68 and then a ride to the Velo Barn would bring my total to 88 miles. That's going to be my aim. All I have to do this week is put my new saddle in place.

Today, Sunday, I rode to the Tatsfield Bus Stop to meet Andy and Phil, both of whom were there when I arrived. I'd been dallying in the garage trying to fix my Wild Man crossbar bag onto the bike. Nothing's easy so in the end I got it half on and then headed off for Tatsfield village. I left at 0723hrs and got there around 0810hrs. Phil had brought some nice cakes, made by his daughter (see photo). We had two each and chatted about this and that. Andy says our pal Dave is moving to Wales.

For Saturday and Sunday's ride I've been wearing my new cycling shorts. They make a huge difference. Currently I have my bike's original saddle in place, and with the new shorts, there's no problems with pain or numbness or anything, so clearly the big issue for me was not wearing cycling shorts. I'm still going to fix the new saddle on the bike, but I'll leave it until Tuesday.

The pond at the top of Slines Oak Road...

Monday 19 October 2020

I should have taken the bike to work this morning, but I didn't because I was so tired. I've been getting quite a few late nights, but managed to hit the sack around 2200hrs last night. I awoke around 0430 but drifted off and didn't really want to get out of bed, which is strange as I'm always bright-eyed and bushy tailed and ready to rock well before 0600hrs normally. It's a clear sign that winter is well and truly on the way. I should have been on the bike at 0630hrs. The weather was great and still is as I write this now, but instead I left the bike at home, which is a real shame as the iphone is suggesting rain for the rest of the week. I might have to get used to riding in the rain. My aim is 10-milers daily Tuesday through Friday and then a ride to the Velo Barn on Saturday, meaning I should be riding around 60 miles this week, possibly more if the rain holds off and I boost my mileage, but let's see. Right now it's 1614hrs and I ought to be heading home.

Tuesday 20 October 2020

I was expecting rain, but the weather turned out to be fine so I headed out on a lunch time ride of 10.53 miles. My plan is to ride short distances all week and if I keep up the 10.53 miles daily then I'll have covered 40 miles by the close of play Friday. A ride to the Velo Barn on Saturday is roughly 20 miles or, if I'm really adventurous and head for Dunton Green, that could boost my weekly mileage to over 70 miles. 

My lunch time ride today took me on two laps of my local route, the one that incorporates the Norfolk Nobbler and a little bit more. One lap is just under five miles so when I finished my second lap I continued up West Hill, rode the length of the Ridgeway, turned left on Arkwright, left again into the other part of Arkwright and then left on Morley, right on Elmfield, left into Southcote, right on Ellenbridge and home. A 10-miler. Perfect. Now to keep it up all week. The shorter rides should mean I get a ride in even if it's raining, or between rain showers. Ideally I should head for the lakes or Dunton Green on Saturday, or Redhill with Bon perhaps. Throwing in a ride to Redhill would make the weekly total 64 miles, far better than last week's total, but not a patch on my summer riding, unless I throw in a ride to Tatsfield in the late afternoon/early evening. 

I managed to fix my new saddle on the bike, something I thought would prove impossible, but it's on and it's fine.

Wednesday 21 October 2020

It rained all day. A ride was looking highly unlikely. After work I watched and waited. The plan was to complete another 10-miler, staying close to the house. Eventually, around 5pm, the weather settled a little bit so off I went. As I rode the route I realised that I'm going to need a new seat post. It's all very annoying, but my existing post is long and it hits something inside the frame that prevents it from going down further than its current position, which is still too high. I've considered buying a hacksaw and shaving off around two inches, but perhaps it'll be easier to buy a shorter post. If I buy a new post I'll have to fix the saddle on it, meaning that I've been messing around for weeks taking saddles on and off only to discover that the addition of a new saddle has fucked up the riding position. Still, I've now got 38 miles under my belt and the weather is looking promising for the rest of the week.

Thursday 22 October 2020

The weather today was fantastic, not a drop of rain and most of the day plenty of sunshine too, although the winter is coming, my friends, the temperatures are dropping and the nights are closing in. I was going to ride further than just my two laps of the burbs, but by the time I got out there I started thinking about being caught out in the dark, which wouldn't have been a problem as I have lights, but all the same, who wants to be riding at night time? Not me. So around a quarter to five I headed off for two laps and around 10.5 miles. It's fine, but it's boring, laps always are, but two laps is just about acceptable, although I'll admit to being glad to get home. My cumulative weekly total so far is 48 miles, give or take, possibly 49 miles, so a ride to the Velo Barn on Saturday will give me a respectable end-of-week total, certainly when compared to last week's poor show. I've still got bike hassles, by the way. In fact, I've realised that cycling really is a balancing act in more ways than one. If you mess about with one aspect of the bike, it messes up something else. Last week I was messing around with saddles and now I've got a new one, but guess what? The seat makes it impossible for my feet to touch the ground and the problem is the seat post. I might buy another one or simply swap it with the Truvativ seat post on the Kona, although I don't want to start cannibalising the Kona, so perhaps just buying a new seat post will do. Either that or hacksawing around two inches off the bottom of the existing post. Somehow I think the cheaper option is buying a new one or nicking the Kona's.

Friday 23 April 2020

The day started sunny but slowly deteriorated and then I found myself gassing on the phone to a work colleague and not really paying attention to the time. In the end it was gone 5pm and raining so no riding for me today. I can still redeem myself if I ride early to Dunton Green, a tall order, but might be possible if the weather holds out. Perhaps Redhill, or even the Velo Barn, but the latter will bring my total to just 70 miles. I know, I know, it's much more than last week's piss poor performance and at least I'll be on an upwards curve.

Non-stop to Dunton Green, Kent...

Saturday 24 April 2020

And so I reach the end of my week and, as usual, it's early in the morning and I'm sitting here at the table, everybody else is asleep upstairs and I'm on the lap top looking at Twitter and writing this rather long sentence. I'm contemplating what to do: ride to Velo Barn or ride over to Woodmansterne to see Bon? It's a tough choice, but I really need to put in the miles, hence the Velo Barn has a certain appeal, although I could always ride to Redhill, that would be just over 24 miles and there would be big climbs on the return ride. I've got time to think about it as my phone is charging and I'll need it if I'm going to ride to the Velo Barn for that coffee and cake I talked about earlier in this post. Just in case you're wondering, I've been writing this post on a day-by-day basis, I haven't written all of it this morning, even if I was up before 0600hrs stuffing my face with Alpen and drinking decaff tea. It's almost 0800hrs, and probably will be by the time I finish this sentence. Well, alright, it's still not 'on the hour' but it will be soon. The phone's on charge, the day is looking surprisingly grey and there might well be some rain, but I've got to get out there.

And I did get out! Far out! My intention was to ride to the Velo Barn, but then, as it drew near, I thought I'd crack on and aim for Dunton Green instead. I figured I could have a coffee and some caked at Bojangles. It's been a while since my last visit when it was takeaway-only, so surely it's reverted to a sit-down cafe. But then I was hit with devastating news as I rode along the last few yards of Pilgrims Lane: I didn't have a face mask! How fucking irritating. But later, as I approached the caff I noticed a queue of people outside, they were still offering takeaway only. The problem, of course, is that my last visit was in August when the sun was shining and those white plastic tables and chairs across the road behind the hedge were fine, some would say perfect. Now it is late October and there has been a drizzly rain falling. The idea of being exposed to the elements doesn't appeal at all so I rode past and down towards a mini roundabout at the top of Rye Lane. I turned around and rode home and while I was tempted to stop at the Velo Barn on the return journey, I pressed on and up towards Botley Hill and then home along the 269. The ride was 31.65 miles, giving me a healthy mileage for the week, roughly 80 miles, probably a bit over. I reached home at 1150hrs feeling good and looking forward to tomorrow's ride to Tatsfield village.

Lockdown, Pt. 38: The Dunton Green Growler...

I took a ride in the wind on Friday evening, the trees were swaying back and forth and when I moved out of suburbia and into the sticks I was greeted by fragrant hedgerows and the smell of cow parsley and hawthorn bushes. Tall hedges protected me from the gusty winds while riding the country lanes, but as soon as I emerged on to the 269, having riden leisurely around Beech Farm Road, the wind hit hard. I was on my last mid-week ride and I must say that I'd had a good week of cycling. First, there was my ride to the Tatsfield Churchyard on Sunday to see Andy, that was early. I left the house around 0700hrs and reached the green around an hour later. It's a time to chill and chat and it's a most welcomed break from the monotony of everything. As I write this, it's Saturday evening and I'll be meeting Andy again tomorrow at the usual place, I can't wait.

Just one mile to go before Bojangles...

On Monday last week I pushed the boat out and rode the slow way to Westerham, a bit adventurous for a Monday night, but all-in, a 22-miler and I was pleased with that, but baffled about the distance. I was convinced riding the slow way to Westerham would pile on the miles but no, it was only half a mile longer than heading straight along the 269, but who wants to do that? Not me.

On Tuesday I created a new ride, the Washpond Weeble, not as far as a Washpond Womble, but still a reasonably respectable 12-mile hoof along Beech Farm Road and hanging a right into Washpond Lane, then right on to Ledgers Road, left on to Church Lane and all the way round towards Warlingham Sainsbury's before joining the Limpsfield Road and heading home. After that I had two days off (Wednesday and Thursday). Sometimes I just can't face it: the thought of taking the bike up Church Way makes me feel tired and in the end I don't go, but I said to myself that I must do at least a 20-miler on Friday to put on the mileage before the Saturday ride. So I combined a Churchyard Chuffer with a Beech Farm Bastard and a Washpond Womble and covered just over 20 miles, putting me in a good position to hit the 100-mile mark for the week. In the end I rode a total of 103 miles as I decided today to head for Dunton Green in northern Kent, a place I haven't cycled to since the pre-blog days if I'm not mistaken. There might have been one ride, sometime in 2010/2011 but that would have been it. I used to work in Dunton Green and the office is now a housing estate. The route to Dunton Green is roughly the same, well, it IS the same as the ride to the lakes, except that you don't turn right to ride over the motorway and into the village of Chipstead (where the lakes are located), you simply keep riding and when you reach a roundabout you turn right and follow the road into the village. Having clocked up 70 miles during the week I needed a decent 30 + miles to ensure I made the planned 100 miles. Riding to Dunton Green made it 103 miles in total for the week and yes, I'm feeling proud of myself. 103 miles! It's a lockdown first!

Bojangles, Dunton Green: great food, nice people, I will return soon

Pilgrims Lane today was amazing. Wonderful cornfields, a vineyard, it's the best road in the world on a summer's morning, hardly any cars, perfect. Soon I reached Sundridge Hill and turned right and the road became Sundridge Road and then Ovenden Road and soon I was passing the turn-off for Chipstead village on the right and Chevening Church on the left. As I said, I continued straight, followed the road into Dunton Green, a sleepy little place, and then stopped at an excellent little coffee shop called Bojangles. Like a lot of hospitality industry operators, Bojangles has been having a hard time of it, but the good news is it will soon be re-opening as a sit-down operation having been a takeaway-only for a considerable time. When I got there I ordered a New York Deli sandwich, a slice of cake and a cup of tea and then sat across the road where they've set up a few tables. It was very pleasant and I enjoyed the lot, but especially the cake. Soon, however, it was time to ride home and I reckon that psychologically the return journey is the most gruelling. I must admit that as I made my way towards Sundridge Road I was beginning to feel a little daunted by the 16 miles I needed to cover to get home. It was made a lot easier by Pilgrims Lane being a pleasant experience, but when I reached the hill towards Botley, which Andy and I normally call the Westerham hill, I was beginning to feel it just a little bit, but took it in my stride and once I'd passed the Tatsfield Bus Stop on my right I realised that I'd almost cracked it and was on the home straight, just a short ride along the 269 and I'd be in Sanderstead. I decided to turn right on Beech Farm Road and follow it to Washpond Lane, turn left and then follow the twisting country lane to Ledgers Road where I turned right and basically headed for Warlingham Sainsbury's and the ride back along the Limpsfield Road. I was feeling good knowing that the ride was fizzling out and that I'd soon be home.

What great service at Bojangles, my sandwich, tea and cake...

I got back to an empty house around 1445hrs and then went shopping; and when I got back home it was Hot Cross Bun time! Perfect. The sun was out so I put up the parasol and chilled in the back garden reading the Guardian's Weekend magazine, a rare treat for me these days, but Tim Dowling is as good as ever. There were occasional gusts of wind that shook the parasol, but other than that the weather was warm and pleasant and I enjoyed sitting there doing virtually nothing until my wife and daughter returned and I made a chicken risotto.

This cake was absolutely perfect. I will return to Bojangles, Dunton Green

Right now, the light is fading, the wind has dropped and everything is still and cool. It's nights like these that I'd like to be camping out under the stars, but would I really do it, alone, in the back garden? I doubt it, not when there's a perfectly decent bed to sleep in. Or sleep on? Both perhaps.

I'm reading a great novel at the moment by Benjamin Myers called The Offing, it's the perfect book for an English summer. What to read after that I don't know, although there's a book by Sarah Moss that I might try.

Sanderstead to Dunton Green and back is 32.5 miles and the ride has been christened The Dunton Green Growler.