Sneaking in a quick one
Having missed Wednesday night’s ride because I didn’t get in from work until 9pm I was presented with the chance of a quick solo ride last night.
I was all ready for Wednesday’s ride. I had even got my bike ready, lights mounted and new helmet light fitted (Thanks Dave) on Tuesday evening, so I would need less time to get sorted on Wednesday. Imagine my surprise when the course at work I was helping run didn’t finish until 7.30, which all in all made it difficult to be at Highlands Garage at the same time – bugger!
Last night I went over to Epsom to see my Mum in hospital. As my wife had the car it was the perfect excuse to ride over. Going over I stuck to the road, trundling through Leatherhead, up Barnett Wood Lane and Craddocks Avenue, then up Epsom Hill and down Dorking Road to the hospital.
Coming home I was just going to do the reverse, when I thought “I could go out the back way, up on to the Downs, and then sneak back along Stane Street”, so I did!
I trundled along quite happily, up and down the long forgotten bits of Stane Street ending up at the top of Alsatian (or as I think of it ‘that trail where I got a branch through my front wheel, went over the handlebars and completely buckled the front wheel’ – not as snappy I know). I whizzed down Alsatian, avoiding a large number of suicidal bunnies, then crossed the by pass and carried on home.
All in all I guess I covered about 12 miles, most of it on the road, but I really needed to get a few miles in for my own sanity.
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Matt says:
Nice one Mark, glad you managed to get out as I sensed from your text you were a ‘bit miffed’ not to join us on Wednesday.
So now you know about solo night riding – did you spook yourself?
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Posted on May 1, 2009 at 10:13 am
Mark says:
Matt,
Maybe a bit. While I was getting ready to ride over I had removed my helmet light, as I thought I wouldn’t need it. Riding along Stane Street and down Alsatian I really missed it, especially under the trees.
Oddly I kept thinking “If I stuff this up, how am I going to explain where I am?”
Morbid or what!
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Posted on May 1, 2009 at 10:27 am
Easynow Nick says:
I went for a solo night ride a few weeks ago and scared the living bejesus out of myself 🙂
From Chessington I picked up the Thames Downs link and followed it through the back of Horton park, Ashtead stew ponds and then over the common towards the station.
Going through Horton was the start of the wierdness. Horses in the fields on the left had all gathered at the fence and the light from my MaxxD picked up thier eyes in the night as they all looked at me miles before I could actually see what the eyes were connected to.
There were all kinds of evil things watching me I tell you…
Then just past the stew ponds I had the same thing with some deer, only those buggers moved before you got to them, so all I ever saw were the eyes moving in the woods.
Following me…
Then on the common by the old roman settlement ruins I ran into a rather startled badger who stood his ground for a few seconds forcing me to brake hard.
I stopped and looked around in the pitch black with the light from my head torch picking out a couple more pairs of eyes. And the mist…
And then something moved in the undergrowth next to me and I was off.
I didnt stop pedalling like a steam train or look back till I got to the comfort of the street lights at Ashtead station.
And I rode the road all the way home again 🙂
Whatever it was in the bush in the dark, it woulod have eaten me Im telling you…
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Posted on May 1, 2009 at 11:24 am
Andy C says:
Most of my solo night rides are coming back from the pub through Richmond Park, somewhat the worse for wear. I can bore you with a few tales next time I’m out on a Sunday. Something to make a long ride seem even longer.
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Posted on May 1, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Muddymoles says:
Scaring yourself – a night riding confession
Night riding terrors from spectating cows, cold dark nights and solo adventures.
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Posted on May 5, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Related: Scaring yourself - a night riding confession | Mutterings, Lifestyle | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley