The View From Here - a blog

08/07/2024 - Forest, freewheeling and fettling

We’re into July now and it’s hard to think of a week when it hasn’t rained at least half of the time. However, about 10 days ago we had a nice little warm and dry spell. I’d booked a couple of days off for a gravel excursion and weatherwise, I lucked out. Last year I took myself on a two-day bikepacking ride on the South Downs Way (SDW) and no sooner had I finished the SDW, I got to thinking about the North Downs Way (NDW) and these two days seemed as good a time as any to ride it.

My plan was to take the train to Farnham, ride 50 miles to Oxted and stay over in a guest house, then another 50 miles to Hollingbourne and a train home. You can do another day down to Canterbury and then Dover, picking up the Cantii Way (which I’d ridden a couple of year ago). Two days would do me. Luggage check shakedown ride completed, I headed down to Waterloo early doors for my mini break.

I’d made a few changes to the set up I used for the SDW. I had bought some 40mm deep carbon wheels, thanks to my 60th birthday fund, I had fitted slightly lower gears (10-44T cassette rather than 9-42T), I took an extra bag (sheer mechanical failure anxiety here) and did not bring a jacket or rain cape (the weather was that nice). I kept the same 45mm hardpack-friendly Pirelli tyres as it had been so warm all week I thought the trails would be mud free.

Farnham station is near many good cafes

Arriving at Farnham, I knew my priorities well. I headed straight to a café for second breakfast. An americano and a pain au chocolate later and I headed off on the NDW. And you are on it in minutes. Then in 4 miles you are into forest and many holloways. I find holloways both intriguing and sometimes technically challenging to ride.

The first of many holloways

The trail is wooded most of the time

The overhead canopy was welcome in the heat. My temperature soared as I headed through a golf course on a smooth downhill gravel section at pace only to have a huge John Deere ride-on mower heading up the hill at a similar pace and taking the full width of the trail. Luckily, I was on the ball at that moment and found a line to take me safely past the bladed vehicle.

As I rode, I tried to keep a recent conversation with +AndrewCass in mind. He expounded the joys of freewheeling. I said I knew that I pedalled too much, especially on solo rides. I reflected this was because I had ridden fixed-gear for many years. It’s good for time trialling, good for, well, riding fixed-gear, but less good for conserving energy. I consciously reminded myself to freewheel at any opportunity.

A rare flat section along the River Wey

One thing I seemed to be doing all the time was fettling with the indexing of my gears. There was just a slight reluctance to shift when changing down. I found myself on a slippery slope of tweaking the barrel adjuster a quarter turn one way, an eighth of turn the other and never getting it perfect. Close, but not quite exact.

There was a slippery slope of another kind when I went up the Newlands Corner climb. The trail version of an ascent that featured in the London-Surrey editions of Ride London is pretty good. Except for one a quite long section of it, the steeper part, which has quite deep sand. I found it annoyingly impossible to pedal on. A bit of hike and a bit of bike later I reached the top and got my lunch at the Newlands Corner Cafe.

The view from Newlands Corner

A bit further on, you get to take on the trail version of another Ride London climb, Box Hill. The trail version is also very pleasant, but set my mechanical failure anxiety off as there was a lot of sharp looking stones embedded in the path. I really didn’t want a long sliced cut in my tyre’s sidewall. I made it on to the top and on to Oxted, fettling as I went.

I stayed at Meads guest house, run by Helen and Rick. A really lovely elderly couple, with a lovely big house and they came up with a lovely big breakfast, too. Before I crashed out, I walked a mile to the Bull pub and treated myself to a fish and chips supper and some Neck Oil beer. The walk was good for me to keep loose.

The Bull served me what felt like the best meal and beer ever

Day 2 and you’re again, straight onto the trails in 2 minutes. And straight into a bit of fettling. As you ride through the forest covered hills of the NDW, you don’t get many views. Very different from the SDW, in that respect, but no less challenging or pretty. The trail is up and down, up and down and there are some very steep ramps and rough old descents on the other side.

There are a few nice views on the NDW, not many though, so stop and take them in

Rooks Hill starts with tarmac and shifts to trail halfway and made me sweat buckets. While I was dragging myself up a lady and her dog were coming down and the dog was very nervous. I stopped (to be polite, not because I was knackered). Honest. And we had a nice long chat (to be polite, not because I was knackered). I had thought her dog was a Labrador, but it was a Lab-Collie mix. He was 14 years old and had arthritis, but was out having a stroll and enjoying life still. I felt a bit like that old doggy as I gritted my teeth and ploughed on.

One of those trail climbs that tops out at 20-25% - ouch!

I passed a lovely-looking vineyard. I hadn’t know that it was on the trail, nor that it had multiple eateries. I looked that up after my ride. If I go back that way, I’ll definitely stop of at Denbies Wine Estate. I happened on another interesting estate and manor house, Ightham Mote, a National Trust site now, which had, as you’d expect, a decent café. I refuelled with a sandwich and the best lemon drizzle cake I’ve had in an age.

Descending through Denbies vineyard

As I hit the last descent, I realise that my fettling had finally got my indexing to the point of perfection. Better late than never, I guess. I had 45 mins before my train back to London, so I made for a nearby pub and enjoyed a cool IPA and reflected on my ride and that I was probably somewhat underbiked, even with 45mm tyres. I hadn’t seen many cyclists on the NDW, but all were on MTBs. Still, I enjoy the challenge of being a little underbiked and the technical terrain.

The trip wasn’t super expensive, £37 on trains, £95 on the B&B, £25 on lunches and £30 on dinner. Not quite free-wheeling, but I certainly felt a little freer on the trails.

• The Cycling UK route
  
• Route options on National Trails
  
• Meads bed and breakfast in Oxted
  
  

My set up and obligatory log shot