Blog - Ride Reports
- Jan 14, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Apr 29, 2025
Meridian members can make new entries having logged on to the site.
Sale/Wanted entries are OK. Don't abuse and include a '//' in the body of the entry so that they don't trigger excessive emails.
Non-members can read the Blog - but not post new entries.
The identity of the author is only showed for logged in members.
If you wish to stop receiving Blog emails there's an unsubscribe facility within each email.
The away days ride on Wednesday 26 from Headcorn round 31 miles, departing Headcorn at 11:00 , lunch at Tenterten and tea stop at Headcorn airfield. The route is on ridewithgps named as Headcorn round . Train times Departing Orpington 09:52, Sevenoaks 10:07, Tonbridge 10:17
Assemble at Betty cafe.
Hope to see you there.
A1 19th August. Winchelsea to Biddenden. Riders Ian, Martin, Ray and Simon. We all enjoyed a good lunch at the New Inn PH Winchelsea, dried out and refreshed we made plans for the return ride back to Biddenden. The weather had taken a turn for the worst, steady rain as we left the pub. We all headed down hill to Winchelsea beach for the usual photo on the beach. The sea mist was rolling in and the GoreTex was proving its weight in gold.
The route followed a nice cycle road along the sea front, not that there was much to see in the low cloud. Arriving at Rye, we headed to Playden and along the Military Road going east…
A1 19th August. Awayday to Winchelsea. The day started as drizzly with no need for waterproofs. While we were in the cafe at Biddenden it started to rain properly and the forecast had got worse. It seems the bad weather tracked to the south of where expected. By the time 4 of us (Ray H, Simon L, Ian Marsh and I) decided to continue the ride it was 45 minutes later than planned. In order to get to the pub at 1pm we took a direct route to Rolvenden Layne and then followed the route planned by Chris Simms. The rain wasn’t hard enough for us not to enjoy riding along the attractive lanes and it stopped completely…
Prems 19th Aug
As our start was scheduled from Westerham brewery, it seemed a good opportunity to head west to The Surrey Hills.
Five of us gathered debating whether rain jackets would be required. Thankfully not as I hadn’t brought one.
This was a well trodden (cycled) route originally devised by Martin Gill but for our purposes I had avoided the off road sections across Walton Heath GC and Denbies vineyard.
So a faster route but no less arduous.
First climb of the day was Clarks lane then on to Caterham on the Hill.
On through Kingswood to Box Hill and down the Zig Zags.
On the steep climb up to Ranmore Common Nick pulled up sharply as his crank…
A2 ride, Wed 19 Aug
Much better riding weather after last week’s heat; cloudy but dry. We reverted to Kent roads after our Surrey adventure, leaving the Olympic for Chelsfield, down Polhill, Chipstead, Otford, onto the Pilgrims Way, through St Clere, and to the 5 Bells in Seal, where the sun came out. 24 miles and 1480 ft of climb in a smidgeon over 2 hours.
The roads were remarkably empty of traffic, apart from Pilgrims, which was chock a block for some reason. There a woman in a car overtook us, cursing away at us for holding her up for a few seconds. We passed her when she reached the traffic jam a little bit later, and helpfully offere…