On what looked like it could be a wet morning 6 riders (Tony, Diesel Dave, DaveW (DoMTB), Jem, Ian, Darren) met up at Bocketts farm car park for the usual Muddymoles ride. As normal there was a fair bit of, chat, visual bike fondling of the new machinery – Jem’s eBay special full susser – and discussion of routes before we set off. Dave had “something different” in mind. Gulp.

We set off down Bocketts farm, across Leatherhead and up Alsation. Diesel Dave bringing up the rear, we regrouped at the top and heading along Staine Street to Mickleham Downs. As I got to Staine Street the conversation was in full flow with double entendres which would of made Lee proud seeming to be the norm.

Then it was down Chainbreaker which was about perfect, not too dusty and not too slippy. Although I seemed to have DaveW (DoMTB), not for the last time for that day, on my back wheel pushing me along. Then it was straight across and up to High Ashurst.

I led the way and all the riding I’ve been doing lately seemed to be paying off as I rode up without too much difficultly. Just as I thought I’d cleaned everything and passed the last of the roots the chain jumped off the top sprocket. I blame the second hand mech that I just got from an anonymous mole, rather than my set-up incompetence!

The Dave’s held up the pride of the Muddymoles by cleaning it all, although Diesel Dave sounded like he was going to require a defibrillator soon. Instead of following up the hill to the Youth Activity centre Dave’s “something different” kicked in.

Down off the high Ashurst track down a tricky little descent with a seriously deep rain gully. Really you had no choice but to ride in it and go with the flow. Next it was round the corner and it was up the climb to the Headley view point. This is an interesting climb, certainly fairly steep and quite long, although normally it wouldn’t be too much of a lung buster it’s covered in loose peebles which rob your momentum and make it hard to keep your line. There was quite a bit of walking going on in the group.

Next it was back across the Headley Heath dips and a road blast to Boxhill for a quick tea and cake (DaveC and Jem appear to be on first name terms with the lady running the Tea Shop – is this a worrying sign of too much time spent there or as I suspect, she’s a friend). We sat eating our cake and admired the view – ahemmm.

Retracing our steps it was over to China Pig where the first rider down gave us a practical demonstration of the value of wearing knee pads. Out of Juniper Bottom and through Mickleham it was over to Norbury Park. In the spirit of this ride, instead of taking one of the gentle road climbs, we rode straight up Telegraph Hill. Finally it was round Norbury park and down Infestation.

The ride split up at Infestation and I rode past Bocketts and off home. A great morning out was finished off as I got home missing the rain that had been threatening all morning. It was a shorter ride, I was home before midday, but there was nothing was easy about the ride. The only flat bit was the car park!

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