Some of you may remember, I first ‘picked up’ a healthy obsession with cycling just under a year ago. Not that I didn’t ride a bicycle when I was younger but to properly cycle for longer distances than just a round trip to the shops was a new thing for me, and it hasn’t been an easy ride!

Since then, I’ve trained for some of the charity rides from London to Reading, to Brighton and have been round Richmond Park enough times that I know most of the bumps and pot holes on the loop; but what I enjoy the most, is going on my group rides with Kingston Cycling Campaign (KCC), which gave me opportunities to explore beautiful Surrey countryside as well as eaten and drank at some wonderful country pubs!

Surrey is cycling heaven

Ok, so it’s not Tour de Yorkshire, but Surrey had its claim to fame during the 2012 London Olympics when the road race sped through Leith Hill and Box Hill making the area now favourites for cyclists from the surrounds to use this as a hill climb training ground. Today, the route is known for its part in the annual Prudential London race.

And what a beautiful place it is for training. I recently went with a friend up the twist and turns of Box Hill (aptly named the Zig Zag road) and at the top of the hill – after a long 13 minute drag behind all the other cool cyclists who all do it in about 5-7 mins – the view was glorious.

This is what I ride for! Cycling in Surrey really is as good as it looks.

Why I ride in a group

Well, most of you know that I am the queen of falling off. I am also know to get very nervous around traffic as well as getting lost!

So I was really glad to have found the KCC, because it means I will have support and guidance when I fall off or get a puncture…

Because I haven’t learned how to fix things yet.

I do go out there by myself sometimes, as the group doesn’t ride every week and I don’t want to waste the long summer days after work, so I would often get home, check my council supplied road map (I know, how good is Kingston Council eh?), draw a route and go for a ride.

This gave me a chance to check out the neighhourhood, to gain confidence in riding with traffic and keep active from having a desk job.

Or I go to Richmond Park with a mate – do the rounds, train my legs in the hopes of getting just that little better and faster.

What I’ve seen around Surrey on two wheels

Every KCC ride is around 30 miles. An easy 30 miles, for we always stop at a pub for lunch, and then another stop for afternoon tea. Our ride leader seem to know every side street, every shortcut and every corner around Surrey (and outside Surrey, for we did venture out to Peckham once!) so these rides have become my way of experiencing this beautiful county.

I’ve been surprised at some of the places we pass. Places along the rivers like Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge, all the way down to the green surrounds of Surrey Hills passing leafy park lands and farms (there is an alpaca farm around Chessington!).

Of course, there are the pubs. What I love about pubs here is that a lot of them dates back to the 15-16th Century. When you step into them to order your fish and chips (or steak and ale pie, or scampi, or a big fat juicy burger – yes I am *that* eater), it still feels like a step back in time!

I don’t always know where we ride through, because I’ve learned to just follow. Without having to concentrate on the route I am able to gaze out and see things like windmills, heritage houses and viaducts, scenes that I wish I could just stop and take a photo of.

That is the one unfortunate disadvantage of cycling, it isn’t always easy to stop. However, it has also taught me how to appreciate my surrounds without the pressure of getting that perfect photograph, something I think travellers these days are often too engrossed in and forget to actually enjoy the experience themselves.

Oh, Surrey is great for walking too

I know it seems like I am glued to my bike, but in reality, I do enjoy walking too, and on some weekends (when I am not riding) you’ll find me strapping on my hiking boots and heading into the wilds.

I have done some walking around Guildford and Dorking, and living in Kingston upon Thames there are some great parks that I often go walking in too, not to mention the tranquil Thames Path!

What I would like to do next, now that I’ve conquered Box Hill on my bike, is to conquer it by foot. There are some beautiful trails around the Surrey Hills that I very much would like to visit at a slower pace and actually take some photographs along the way.

Beyond Surrey

I do want to ride a bit more outside Surrey when the opportunity comes. Back in February I missed out on the cycling activities in the New Forest at the Annual General Meeting of the British Guild of Travel Writers. I was working full time then and could only attend the dinners, but now that I’ll be spending a bit of time back down in Southampton I’d like to explore that area a little bit more and I am looking forward to joining a similar cycling group locally, get to know the routes and make some friends.

At the end of September, my riding buddy have suggested we do part of the South Downs Way cycling route, which will take us from Winchester to Chichester (the full route links Dover to St Austell in Cornwall!). It’ll be off road, he says, and I will probably need to get a bike that isn’t just suitable for the tarmac.

Excellent. That means bike shopping :)

MORE INFORMATION

All London boroughs offer cycling support for all levels of cyclists, including free cycle safety training and route planning services to those who live in their borough. Visit London Cycling Campaign for more details.

If you are getting a bit bored of just riding to and from work/shops, get on to the Let’s Ride website and find a local guided ride near you. These rides are free and often suitable for beginner cyclists as a way to promote cycling.