Most of my rides out of London are done from memory. Routes I’ve learned way back from older relatives and riding friends. With maybe a few adjustments over the years that changes over time make necessary.

The ride I led for Lewisham Cyclists needed a bit more work than this though, as I’d decided I’d like to link up Trevereux Hill and Old Polhill to fill our shorter third Saturday ride slot. Both these hills were regulars in my riding once, but for some reason I’ve stopped using them. Another of our ride leaders reminded me about Old Polhill recently and it seemed to offer a pleasing kind of symmetry to do a couple of “roads that are no longer roads” ride.

Well, it’s not really possible to make that a shorter ride from Lewisham itself. To qualify as a shorter countryside ride for Lewisham Cyclists, it needs to be about 35 miles or less. But we’ve recently begun using trains to the edge of the Oyster zone and starting our rides from there. Losing 15 to 20 miles of busy city road means extra miles threading your way through those country lanes in Surrey and Kent, and made linking those two climbs easier.

So, train to Knockholt. Then off, no hill to climb before our first descent! That made a change. The train has already wound its way through a tunnel over the first climb we usually hit when riding out of London.

Star Hill was the descent I’d chosen. I’d recced the ride over the previous couple of weeks in sections on early evening rides with a friend who lives out here. We had descended Brasted on one version. But it’s surface is terrible, even by Kent councils country lanes standards, it’s narrow, has a very, very steep section and drivers use it much more than they used to. We climb it to get back over the North Downs quite often, but its descent is much less safe. So, I scrubbed that as an option.

Star Hill is wide, better surface, and although probably a bit busier with drivers, there’s much more room for them to pass safely. In fact, you can descend so fast, the sharp bend on the way down means most drivers actually don’t pass you anyway.

At the roundabout at the bottom we turn right to use this section of B road to get up to the Pilgrims Way. It can be busy, but you’re not on it long and soon heading up to the ever popular sweep along the North Downs ridge that is the Pilgrims Way.

It’s easy to see and feel why this stretch is so popular, and has been for generations, with cyclists. The views are beautiful, it’s still not too busy with motor traffic and it rises and falls just enough to make even the least fit of us feel we are flying along! And it gives you the pick of routes up or down to make any number of excellent ride choices back to or away from the city.

And there’s also the VeloBarn at Betsoms Farm, on the junction with Westerham Hill for excellent coffee. We were only a few miles into our ride at this point but it made a good necessary toilet stop!

Our choice of descent off the ridge was Clacket Lane, which delivers you to the A25, the big road which hogs the low valley run east to Sevenoaks round here. Cross that to Moorhouse Rd and a climb up to Limpsfield Chart. Tucked into the woods, a few houses, green, old church and access to the top of Trevereux Hill.

I’d never descended this before although had climbed it many times quite regularly until a decade or so ago. Although steep, a bit rough potholes and gravelly, the lack of motor traffic means you can easily pick a safe enough line down. Great for gravel bikes but even on my road bike with 23’s it was fine, if a bit bouncy here and there. All adds to the fun and adventure!

The middle section of this ride twists its way along fairly flat land along the northern edge of Sevenoaks Weald. We stopped by the pond at Four Elms for a quick picnic. I’ve often stopped here in the past before heading up Toys Hill. A last chance to fill up the energy stores. This time we were taking an easier climb up but less steep means longer and the Ide Hill climb is still tough. A couple more miles of gentle countryside then feel if the land under the wheels starts to slowly change until you’ve gradually clicked down through your gears and you’re definitely going up something a bit steep.

I’ve always thought Ide Hill gives you about a mile of climbing up about 300 ft but now there are websites that tell you that kind of stuff. You can discover the actual Climb stats here

Early morning. Dark as midnight in the city on these autumn into winter days. Rain soaked city roads, wheels rolling over a bright glittering sparkle of red, green and gold shimmering over black tarmac. Me and the bike moving on, the shower so heavy, it feels we are just wrapped in a sheet of rain.

I’d taken a waterproof jacket, but had stuffed it in my saddlebag and, kept thinking this rain might be a heavy shower. By the time I realised it was a torrential extended down pour I also realised I was completely saturated, 2 layers down. Seemed pointless now to put on the jacket. The riding would have to keep me warm.

Finally, as the sun rose, the rain eased a little and soon me and the bike were no longer in the city, but heading out on country lanes. The clouds were still dark and heavy, so not trusting that doubtful sky, I headed straight down to Dorking to test this new route of mine. Missed out Box Hill especially as the new route just turns round and heads back down. No need to recce that in the rain and heavy clouds leaving no chance of that sweeping view from the top that makes it worth it. I headed straight out through the centre of Dorking on the Reigate Rd to find Coldharbour Lane. 

This is the first climb on this shorter route and so felt a touch less challenging than usual. Approaching it from this direction, no Box Hill or those other little bumps and climbs south of Dorking on my usual route were in my legs, and I’d now reclassify this as one of the easiest climbs on the route. 

The sunken lanes were wet, the edges lost in deep puddles, piles and heaps of wet leaves. The clouds were now clearing quickly and even though the air was still chilly, where the sun streamed through the branches, you could catch its warmth. 

In autumn, the views from Leith Hill open up as the leaves drop and foliage thins. So I decided to take a trip up to the tower, having missed the Box Hill viewpoint. The clouds, almost gone, the sun, fully out and the clearing sky mostly a bright crisp blue. As I was on the road bike, I headed to the easy track up. However, it was so wet, muddy and buried in autumn leaves, it became harder and harder to keep the wheels turning. So, I hid it in the trees off the path and walked the last bit. I did finally put in my waterproof jacket, just for an extra layer in case it was cold on the top. My clothes weren’t dripping wet anymore but still very, very damp. 

The tower was fairly busy with mountain bikers, dogs and walkers. There are so many trails and paths around the hill that I had passed nobody on the way up. The little cafe was open so; hot chocolate time! The view was worth the scramble! 

I slipped back down to the bike. Or where I’d left it. A little moment of panic as I’d hidden it so well It wasn’t where I first thought! 

Then back, down, bumping and sliding a bit on those last few yards to the road.

Road conditions weren’t great either, too much water, mud and rotting leaves to ride anywhere but near the middle but there seemed to be fewer cars than usual on Leith Hill so not too much of an issue. Not as many road riders either. On Sundays the hill is usually busy, but it was the mountain bikers rustling through the undergrowth alongside who seemed to be out in greater numbers. Understandable. These kind of conditions can be fun on an mtb whereas road riders tend to prefer drier rides.

The Friday St turn was marked by a diversion sign directing cars that way and indicating road closed on the main lane. I decided to forego a trip to Friday St this time to check the extent of the closure. 

It was just passable by bike, as I informed the group heading towards me when I came out the other side. 

The rest of the route, was a classic autumn Surrey Hills ride, low sun sparkling through the trees, soft and golden, reflecting the colours of the leaves still clinging to the branches.  The fallen now deep drifts of russet, gold and warm brown, the woodland seemingly glows softly around you. The personal stresses of the week and the anxiety of the time seemed to drift behind me and disappear on the very gentle breeze that nudged me forward softly. 

The trip to Leith Tower had added at least half an hour to my trip so I was running short on time, and had to miss my usual Peaslake stores stop. The lanes, climbs and descents preceding it needed much more caution than I usually need to take, due to the mix of gravel, mud, piles of leaf litter hiding the ruts and potholes which seem to be increasing every time I visit. 

I headed for the last big climb up White Down, crossing the railway and passing the sign for NCN 21 which is essentially an off road track here and in my opinion, is not worthy of the NCN title. It does however lead to an off road ascent of White Down which is easier than the on road climb, following the contours of the hill in long steps up and at a lower point on the hill than the road climbs. But, today I was on road. 

However, White Down, like the Coldharbour climb, felt easier than when it’s the last climb on the much longer ride I usually do here. Not that I climbed it any faster! Still my usual slow pace, passed by five other riders heading the same way. But, even when that last kick up right at the end of the climb hit my wheels, I wasn’t gasping for breath at all. Getting too old for all that lungbusting stuff.

Ranmore Common was its usual lovely rolling reward, where pedalling hard means you get a glorious glide of a ride, spinning out along the route, big blue skies above. The little coffee van was in the car park so I stopped for a mocha and chatted to some mountain bikers about their route today.

A train was due at the tiny station in Westhumble. If Im not riding out and back, this is my preferred station to leave from. Especially after a glorious ride like I’d had, where I’d forgotten the city and felt a long way from the traffic, pollution, big roads. Riding back to Dorking along that awful main road destroys that feeling of calm and peace and brings you back to reality just a bit too quickly. Much better to pick up the train here, small station tucked into the side of the wooded hill, autumn sun streaming down on the platform.

I realised as I sat down on the train, that the ride I’d started almost immediately soaked to skin, I was finishing practically dry. The train pulled out of the station, the Surrey Hills behind us. Perfect autumn ride.

Below this post are Barry mason’s original FAQ’s for the ride. Most of it still holds true, apart form the details about the coaches, which wont run this year, too much uncertainty around level of Covid restrictions to organise, and the great Waldingfield feed stop. This no longer exists. But other pop up feed stops along the way. Check the Facebook group for these.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DunwichDynamo

Barry, along with Patrick Field from the London School of Cycling, was instrumental in keeping this ride going towards the end of the last century when it was almost dropped. It was pay to enter back then, and I believe costs were hard to cover, if I remember rightly. You didn’t get the huge numbers turning up back then. Barry’s solution, reduce the organisation to a minimum , make it a turn up and go ride with one feed stop, no other support, let folk sort themselves out. And they did just that. He also got the coaches organised, back then with Greenwich Cyclists and later with Southwark Cyclists. He was coordinator of both groups in his time as a cycling campaigner. He had terrific and infectious energy, a love of both the natural environment, and the city and a belief that if we try hard enough we can make our communities safe and healthy spaces to live for everyone, preserving the best in the them and creating better spaces where needed.

Ten years this month since he died, too young and too soon. The Dunwich Dynamo is now one of the most popular night rides in the country. And that original model has since been copied by others, notably the Ride to The Sun from Carlisle to Cramond and the Exmouth Exodus, from Bath to Bristol. If Barry was still with us, you can bet he would most likely have been riding those two this year, as well as the DunRun. I’ll be raising a glass to him at le depart this year. London Fields 24th July 2021

With respects to Barry Mason,  (5 January 1950 – 2 June 2011)