Having started the New Year with some great rides and with vigour us Femoles had tried to organise an event away to Wales but it wasn’t to be with different commitments. So we agreed on a date where we would be free to take as long as we liked, to do a long ride and have time for a mid ride cake stop, strangely enough not something us girls normally do (unlike those cake munching, coffee guzzling, natterboxing fellas).

The 26th March was agreed!

In which time since the new year we have been contacted by 7 new riders who are interested in joining us, 5 of whom have been out with us and very excited about joining us again “cos we are such a friendly bunch”

In the meantime of arranging the longer ride I was also contacted by my brother and my nephew if they could also join us.

And so on Saturday 7 of us met at Bocketts Farm, 2 new riders, 2 males and 3 Femoles heading off to Newlands corner. It was a glorious morning for the first time this year I had a sleeveless top and was pleased I had dressed for the sun.

We headed up Admirals track in the direction of Polesden Lacey and down my nightmare skinny downhill under the bridges, but although I haven’t cycled down it (only up it) in ages it didn’t seem as scarey as I remembered, with 3 riders new to this trail I was very impressed at them. Then up the rooty section and up past Yew Trees.

With only 5 hours sleep the night before I was feeling quite tired but soon picked up the pace, I often find the first 20 minutes of the ride really hard and after that my energy increases. I also didn’t have any breakfast also not helpful.

Up onto Ranmore we turned right and here we discussed whether to do “Collar bone and White Down” or not! I LURV Whitedown such a great downhill but collarbone can be hard when it’s been raining and we did have new riders with us and so we concluded they are a treat for another day!

So further along Ranmore and into a little trail I would have missed had I blinked and along a lovely open trail that would have led us all the way along to Newlands corner if we hadn’t decided that a detour looked like fun, we did some great swooping up and downs, realised we had gone the wrong way so did the same again but in reverse and got back onto the Newlands trail.

Here we enjoyed swapping positions in the group taking time to chat along the way, Dave’s nephew decided to do some knee stretches while cycling and nearly encountered a tree hugging experience as a result (I didn’t laugh – much)

At Newlands we discussed the chalky climb that we had avoided, we did look at it for a moment and then headed for foooooood!

The trail back was much faster – something to do with foooood I think except I was really wishing I hadn’t had onions with my burger, my brother did us proud managing tuna and a jacket  as a starter and a double cheeseburger as his main, fuelled up he was a demon on the way back adding encouragement to Debbie and Katharine that really isn’t required (says I jealous)

Back the way we came (without the detour) and up the nightmare hill under the bridges (having rescued new rider from going her own way) we regrouped at Polesden Lacey supping whatever drinks we had left. A really fab 26 miles in glorious weather and new riders.

I took my brother back to Bracknell (yup nr Swinley) and dropped him off at his local pub where he supped a pint of Spitfire and I had a diet coke, he had a post ride high for sure, I have seen that look on Dave many a time but I would describe my brother’s feeling as Euphoria, he (in my eyes) waltzed round the pub on air from the ride and can’t wait to join us again and he was really grateful that Dave loaned him one of his bikes this time and is now wanting to get one of his own and join us again.

Me in my cycling gear I looked a bit weird in a pub garden in Bracknell but I could get over that to see my brother that happy again.

On another note (girls huddle closer) I bought a dress yesterday, wore it today, fellas at work said “all that cycling certainly pays off your pins look fantastic”. Little do they know how my “pins” look is only a small bonus of the cycling.

Roll on Saturday when we can do it all again!

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About the author

Cathie was introduced to mountain biking by Dave about 9 years ago but only really been riding regularly since May 2008 when she invested in a new hard tail (a white On-One classic Inbred), a wise investment as a result of being able to trial different bikes at Cycle Works demo day at Holmbury-St-Mary. She also rides a full suspension Giant Cypher which was this year's treat and saw many miles during the summer of 2010.

Cathie has attended skills days with Dirt Divas at Swinley Forest, she would like to improve her skills on bomb holes and her favourite trails are the ride over to Newlands corner loving "Whitedown" and a favourite trail through Denbies.

Cathie loves meeting other female riders of all fitness levels and experience and is hoping for less punctures in 2011 now that both bikes are wearing tubeless tyres!