We are working on a new fresh Dittons Velo site for 2021. All our resources are still available on this temporary site.
CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19
UPDATE JANUARY 2021.
Following the recent British Cycling guidance Dittons Velo has restricted group rides.
- No more than 2 riders.
- Observe social distancing of 2m while riding.
- Social distancing is observed when at coffee stops and meeting up.
- No congregations of riders before or after rides.
Specifically to Dittons Velo rides.
- With the closure of Café Rouge there is currently no official meeting point.
- All rides to be organised in advance via FB events so you can’t just turn up for a ride.
- Rides to start from different locations or at different times.
- This means we need more people to volunteer to lead rides.
- Please double check that you have enough spares to cope with more than one puncture. We advise carrying disposable gloves in case you do need to help someone else as well (and keep your hands clean!).
- Try to avoid cycling to popular, crowded destinations and on busy roads.
British Cycling – link – https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20200512-about-bc-news-British-Cycling-Updated-Coronavirus-Guidance-0
Cycling UK- Is it safe to cycle (19 June). link – https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/coronavirus-qa-it-safe-cycle
#dvcoffee
New for 2021. As a way of encouraging more variety of routes and distance, is our list of coffee stops. The challenge is to visit as many as possible over the year. Take a photo and upload to our Facebook page with the tag #dvcoffee.
Coffee Active, 5B Rectory Ln, Ashtead KT21 2BA (limited hours) (B) 8mi/13km
Reading Room, Brockham Village Hall, Brockham, RH3 7JJ (B) 12mi/22.5km
Abinger Tea Rooms, Guildford Road, Dorking RH5 6RX (B) 13mi/21km
Basil & Blue Café, 88 High St, Chobham, Woking GU24 8LZ (B) 13mi/21km
The Plough Inn, Abinger Road, Coldharbour, Dorking RH5 6HD (B) 15mi/24
Henfold Lakes Café, Henfold Lane, Dorking RH5 4RW (B) 15mi/24km
Cinnamon Café, Windsor Royal Station, Windsor SL4 1PJ (B) 16mi/25.5km
Earlswood Lake Café, Woodhatch Road, Reigate RH2 7QH (O) 20mi/32km
Cromwell Coffee House, 97 High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8AU (B) 22mi/35km
The Cwtch @ Willow Marina, Willow Marina, Willow Ln, Wargrave RG10 8LH (B) 29mi/46km
Sumners Ponds Fishery & Campsite, Chapel Road, Barns Green, West Sussex, RH13 0PR. Saturday and Sunday only, just a few outdoor seats (B) 30mi/48km
Whispers Café, Mill Way, Billingshurst RH14 9NY (B) 30mi/48km
Coughlans Bakery, 21 High St, Lingfield RH7 6AA (O) 31mi/50km
Kirdford Village Stores, Russett Place, Kirdford RH14 0QQ (B) 34mi/54km
The Countryman Inn, Countryman Lane, Shipley, RH13 8PZ (B) 34mi/54km
Grayshott Café & Restaurant, 1-2 Headley Rd, Grayshott, Hindhead GU26 6LQ (B) 35mi/56km
Java & Jazz Café, The Square, Lewes Road, Forest Row RH18 5ES (B) 35mi/56km
Kinsbrook Vineyard, Picketty Corner, West Chiltington Road, West Chiltington RH20 2LU (O) 36mi/57.5km
Lurgashall Village Shop, The Green, Lurgashall GU28 9ET (O) 36mi/57.5km
Tulip Tree Tea Room, The Village, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge TN8 7AH (B) 40mi/64km
Seating: B=both indoors and outdoors, O=outdoors only. Distance = miles/km from Esher
Dan’s Route into Road Biking
- Cycled to school on a red Raleigh “racing bike” as a teenager.
- Lots of mountain biking – to around “red run” standards. I wasn’t great but I liked the suffering of the uphill to earn the thrill and speed of the downhill.
- Huge fan of professional road biking since Channel 4 started covering it in the mid-1980’s. Initially this was just the TdF but over the years it has progressed to all races.
- In 2012 I discovered a safe-ish route for commuting 11 miles to work. For this pan-flat route I bought a single speed bike, although I wasn’t hipster enough to do the beard as well!
- Over Christmas 2013 I drunkenly agreed to ride the L’Eroica sportive (http://eroicabritannia.co.uk) around the hills of Bakewell the following summer with 3 friends. This is a modern “historic” event requiring a bike built before 1987, no clippy shoes and woollen jerseys. This is my 1984 Raleigh Royale with all of 10 gears! Not the red Team Raleigh TI replica unfortunately that I wanted.
Amazingly I made it around without climbing off on any hills with a time of 10 hours!
Dittons Velo Club
I joined in July 2014 virtually straight after the L’Eroica. I rode my Eroica bike with old trainers, baggy mountain bike shorts and flouro yellow commuting gear. You can probably see how I won the “Best Dressed” award at my first DV Christmas Dinner! After my first club ride I got home and slept for 2 hours, I was that knackered . . . but I was completely hooked. It was exactly what I was looking for: friendly but challenging.
My Cycling Words of Wisdom
- An expensive bike will make you feel better but you will be no faster than on a medium-priced bike.
- I can repair a puncture (sometimes!) but that’s about it. I have no idea when technical conversations go on.
- Lycra = Cycling, get over it!
- Lycra should always be as tight as possible.
- All distances/ascents are measured in km/m and never miles/feet, not because French is the language of cycling but because these numbers always sound larger!
- All cake/beer consumed on/after a ride do not count towards your daily allowance.
- Strava will one-day take over the world.
- Ralph still rides in our hearts.
Palmares (>150k distance or >1500m vertical ascent)
June 2014 – L’Eroica (long route): 160k / 2400m
July 2015 – Alpine 3 summits incl Col du Joux Plane: 65k / 2868m
August 2015 – Prudential London Ride100: 186k / 1354m
September 2015 – ASO London L’Etape: 211k / 1273m
October 2015 – Non-DV ride around Buxton incl Goyt and Mam Nick summits: 101k / 1699m
March 2016 – Twickenham CC Surrey Rumble (Long): 150k / 1191m
March 2016 – Cycling Weekly Surrey Cyclone (Epic): 139k / 1533m
2016 Objective – ASO L’Etape du Tour: 146k / 3335m
DV coffee stops known to be open during Lockdown 2 (Nov 2020)
Thank you to DV members for compiling this list.
In no particular order….
- Tanhouse Farm shop, Newdigate
- Peaslake Village Stores
- Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking
- G!ro, Esher
- Ockham Bites, Old Ln, Cobham
- Shere Delights, Shere
- Dabbling Duck, Shere
- Cinnamon Café, Windsor
- Forest Green farm shop
- The Bakery, Ripley
- Coffee Van in Staple Lane (weekends)
- Nest Café, Ripley
- Windsor Park – Potting Shed and mobile van
- Virginia Water – mobile van
- Rusper Village Stores
- General Store Abinger Hammer/B216 junction
- The Plough Inn, Coldharbour
- The Snooty Fox, Shalford
- Hilly’s Teashop, Shere (closed Monday)
- Headley Village Stores & Tea Room (closed Friday)
- Coffee Active, Ashtead (limited hours)
- Crossroad Stores, West Horsley
- Café La Crème, Ranmore Common Road car park. (Sundays only)
Lakeview Café
Hidden away near the Drift Road in Cranbourne not that far from Legoland it is situated by fishing lakes.
Dan says, “Lake Side was proper old school caff, excellent for bacon sandwiches on white sliced. Catering to fisherman and builders predominantly. Babs begins the counter serving. Constant queue of people. No matching crockery. Mustard jars with little spoons. Huge slabs of cake. Big cafetière for the 4 of us to share. Safe bike parking. Worth booking via FB as only a few small tables. A favourite of Chiswick CC who we met. Menu over the counter. Fridge with padlock. All-round it was a very enjoyable blast from the past. View was of fishing ponds!”
North St, Cranbourne, Windsor SL4 4TE
High Beeches Tea Room
Situated south of Crawley at Handcross, West Sussex.
Clashcity says, “Very friendly and well organised, loads of space to park your bikes up, plenty of room inside for social distancing. Coffee pretty decent but not exceptional, option for wine and beer (!) Toasted sandwiches great, cake choice limited but nice. Overall a really good option, especially in winter, not far from Faygate”.
Claire’s comment “Tasty and moist lemon drizzle and a nice toastie too!”
https://highbeechestearoom.co.uk/ High Beeches Lane, Handcross, West Sussex RH17 6HQ
The North Downs Stegosaurus
If you’ve done the Leith Hill Octopus and fancy another “beast” then this dinosaur is for you!
This is a challenging ride of a dozen climbs including 6 with sections over 13.5%. It includes classics such as Toys Hill and Chalkpit Lane.
Take in the great views from the top of the downs. Popular cafe stops options are in Brasted, Oxted and Godstone.
Download gpx file
DV Summer Loop Official TT (2020)
This is the new mid week TT. A 22 mile dash from just past Waitrose in Esher to Shere Road (climb) and back past the Duke of Wellington to Esher. Usually occurs on a Wednesday evening.
As fitness levels improve this ride gets very competitive!
John’s Penny Farthing route
Having driven up Farthing Downs, John Scarth decided it would be nice to cycle there to take in the views and the history.
Neolithic origins – The beginnings of the pastoral landscape we know today as Farthing Downs very likely began when, over 2000 years ago, visitors brought animals with them to graze the meadows within the woodland. An ancient trackway still exists today which predates the Celtic field boundaries created by farmers on the Downs 2000 years ago. The trackway was used by the Neolithic visitors. Neolithic pottery and archaeology has been found on the Downs and in nearby gardens and is evidence of early human occupation of the Downs.
Link to Friends of Farthing Downs & Happy Valley https://www.friendsoffarthingdowns.co.uk/
The route involves a lot of climbing and steep descents. Head out to Banstead via Ewell. Descend Chipstead Valley to Coulsdon. Pass under the A23 and two railway bridges and filter right up Farthing Downs.
The return route is via Merstham, Reigate and Betchworth. The route is 40 miles in total.
Suggested cake stop The Tea House, Reigate http://teahousereigate.com/
gpx file
DV Surrey Circumnavigation
A DV mega ride!
The route follows the outline of the Surrey County electoral boundary as near as is possible (and sensible) using roads.
I could have cut off some chunks but then it wouldn’t be true to the concept.
- Distance 158.5 miles / 252 km
- Climbing 8600 ft / 2620 m
- Estimated ride rime 9+ hours plus breaks
This is a challenging endurance ride requiring fitness, concentration and good navigation.
Regular food and fluid stops are essential. Stop every 2-3 hours. Drink plenty.
Be prepared for a puncture. Ensure your bike is in good condition. You will be a long way from home!
Probable stops would be Tatsfield, Edenbridge, Charlwood/Rusper, Haslemere/Hindhead, Aldershot/Ash, and Staines.
Strava route link- https://www.strava.com/routes/2721119152447376600