Hospice to Hospice Charity Event.

Thursday 26th September.To complete my warm up for the main event of the week, the Hospice to Hospice ride,  I planned to ride with Simon to join the HCMF meet at the Rose & Crown, Upper Farringdon. 

However the best laid plans are often thwarted and so it was on this occasion. Simon was unable to come due to other matters, we did however have a practice at loading both of our bikes into the back of Simon's car in preparation for Sunday. Happily they fitted without much hassle.

I left Shepherd's Down at 11.30 and climbed over White Hill to Bishop's Sutton. First test of the day! The route to the meet was very straightforward through Ropley and Four Marks and down Brightstone Lane to cross the A32 and so into the village. As I rode through Four Marks I spotted two riders ahead but try as hard as I could I was unable to catch them. At the pub I discovered it was Geoff and Alan I'd been chasing, no wonder I couldn't catch up.

Another fairly modest number present, but as always very good craic. However an unfortunate incident occurred when the landlady of the pub asked one of our members to leave for abusing her hospitality by eating his own sandwiches in the garden. Self Caterers beware! We should of course eat somewhere nearby either before or after the meet. I think the Landlady was a bit suspicious of me as I did not order any food either, not really fancying anything that was readily available. I bought a sandwich in Selbourne after I'd left the others.

My route home was another ride of discovery. First I investigated Gracious Street from Selbourne and discovered it led to Newton Valence by a much nicer hill than that we had used when we joined the BBQ earlier in the summer. 

I visited the dear little St Mary Church and admired the colossal yew tree in the church yard. I think it might be even bigger and older than the very large one in Bentley. What do you think Diane?

The Massive Yew.

St Francis  Can you spot the  little Stoat?

St Mary Church, Newton Valence.

Not wanting to go directly home I headed towards Hawkley and then turned right to climb over two ridges through Dean to pass the Pub with no Name. I shudder to think what my friends Caroline & Christine would have thought of the state of the roads here, they were worse than the one near Colmore, with a lot of potholes, gravel, sand and other debris. It took almost as long to go down the hills as up them.

I crossed the Petersfield to Ropley road and thence to Privett where I discovered another little gem of a Dual Cabbageway. See picture below. 

My latest discovered Cabbage Way.

From here it was only a fairly short run home through West Tisted and Ropley. A tough day considering it was only 32.2 miles.
Map and data for the day:

Sunday 29th September 2013. The main event of the week. A ride in aid of the two Children's Hospices, Shooting Star and Christophers together known as Shooting Star Chase. This is the second year this event has been run and the second time I've ridden it. The organizer is Emma Willshire, known to many of you, as she used to work for Naomi House.

Simon took Sporty and loaded him into his car along with his Hetchins on saturday night so that when he arrived outside my door at 6.45 on Sunday morning all I had to do was jump into the car and we were off to Painshill Park near Cobham. We arrived there just after 7.30 and we registered, had a drink, unloaded the bikes and received a final briefing before setting off on our adventure just after 8.33 

The first ten miles was through a very urban landscape through Weybridge, Walton on Thames and Shepperton to Shooting Star House. We encountered many other cyclists on our way including another event riding in the opposite direction. We noticed that inside the M25 most cyclists did not greet one, too many others and too busy with traffic? Outside the M25 a large number did exchange greetings.

Refreshments at Shooting Star House.

We had a refreshment break at the House before continuing our Northern route through Bushey Park, a green lung in the urban environment. As it was cloudy and we couldn't see the sun I got disorientated and hadn't much idea which direction we were going.

We passed Sandown Park race course and through Esher before arriving back in Cobham. Here the route split with the 20 milers returning to Painshill Park. The marshall on the corner making sure we went the correct way was Emma's mother Wendy, an ex Naomi House carer. It was lovely to see her.

Our route to Guildford was through the Horseleys and East Clandon. The traffic was building up by now and we were glad that Emma had taken us round some back streets but not quite so glad they included some very steep ups and downs around Castle Hill. We were guided through a crafty short cut over a pedestrian bridge which avoided the very centre before arriving at Christophers having taken less than three hours for the 35 miles. (ONLY HALF WAY!)

Christophers with some of the riders on the 2012 event.

Serious refreshment stop here, bananas and cereal bars and two bottles of water. I sat on the only seat available as I was scared if I sat on the grass I would be unable to get up! 

From here the way was much more rural through the village of Albury to Shere. En route taking another sneaky short cut across a busy dual carriage way. Very well marshalled. 

Our toughest test of the day was climbing to the top of the ridge via Combe Lane. (12.3%). I just managed to ride it by taking the outside lane on the very steep and sharp hairpin bend near the top. I was going so slowly that my Garmin auto paused thinking I'd stopped.  Once over the top I stopped for a cereal bar and for Simon to catch up. (He had walked the steepest part as his bike does not have low enough gears for that type of climb).

From there we had a fast descent down Green Dene where the 50 milers peeled off to return to Painshill. We took a very sharp right and climbed another very steep hill, Crocknorth Road, this is only recorded at 9% but it seemed steeper than that. 

We had a most enjoyable switch back ride through a very wooded area along the top of the ridge. We passed a group of youngsters who were helping the National Trust clear scrub and another group who seemed to be on a Duke of Edinburgh hike.

We then had another super fast downhill section passing a number of riders struggling up. Another short break at the bottom to refuel before heading for Boxhill. Zig Zag Hill was somewhat of an anti climax as we found it much easier than we expected and nowhere near as hard as Shere Hill. The maximum gradient was 7.5% and most of it only 5%. The views however were spectacular. 

View from halfway up, spot the first hair pin of the climb.

There were a lot of other people about enjoying what had now become a lovely sunny day and we were greeted at the top by the support team dispensing water and gel bars to energise us for the last 16 miles to Painshill.

The hard work of climbing is often rewarded by a fast downhill section and this was once more the case and we were soon back down in the valley only a couple of miles north of where we started the Boxhill climb. We crossed the busy A24 and took another well marshalled short cut. This was a bit gravelly and half way along it we came to a temporary barrier across the road. Put there to marshall the cows from the field into the milking parlour. Fortunately we negotiated this easily and did not actually meet the cows. 

The temporary barrier.

Our final ten miles were largely reasonably flat but as we had discovered earlier the quality of the surface was pretty poor in many places with numerous patches and pot holes and very rough tarmac. 

We arrived back at the finish line quite tired but very happy to receive our medals and enjoy a cup of coffee and more refreshments. 

We chatted with some of the other riders and I had the opportunity of talking to Wendy and her husband about the day and Wendy's running.

A fantastically enjoyable day which we hope has contributed to the coffers of Shooting Staf Chase. 

Well done Emma and your team, it must have taken a lot of hard work to produce such a well run and well marshalled event. Thanks!

Thanks also to Simon for doing the driving, it was lovely being driven in his very nice car, and for being such a good companion on the ride.

A very happy guy with his two Shooting Star Chase Medals.

For those who are still interested here is the map and summary for the day.

Gridironman