Hell of the Surrey Hills

The forecasts were for a Siberian Armageddon -- knee-deep snowdrifts and temperatures down to minus 17.  Well, some of the forecasts - mainly those used by some of the online news services. The Met Office, which supplies the BBC, was more cautious -- but there would definitely be snow.

Which wasn't an auspicious start to the first serious ride of the year - a planned 50 miles through the hills of Surrey.  

We were following a Cycling Plus route which shared some of the same terrain as the excellent Serpentine Three Hills Ride.  

I had visions of us ending the ride looking like Andy Hampsten in the '88 Giro.

Out of the car-park at Westhumble station, low grey skies but no sign of the impending blizzards. For the next 30 miles, not more than a few yards were flat.  Box Hill, Leith Hill, Ranmore Common -- I felt like I was pedaling squares up the hills.  When I dared look at the heart rate monitor, it was bouncing around the 160 mark -- so much for my training programme.

And it was cold.  Bitter, soul-sapping cold through two thermal vests, and two jackets.  Only briefly helped by a corned-beef sandwich and mug of coffee outside the cyclist-friendly Peaslake Village Stores.

We cut short the ride at under 40 miles just as a light snow began to fall.  By the time we reached the station again, it had turned to drizzle.

January can be a hard month to be a cyclist.