Cycling Club

This group gives all abilities of cyclists a chance to ride in a friendly, non-competitive environment. There are four rides in total across Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Minimum equipment: a well-maintained bike, cycle helmet, spare inner tube and pump. Additional equipment suggested: hi-vis jacket/tabard (u3a tabards available free to members), water bottle, money for coffee and cake. Cyclists with e-bikes are very welcome to join the rides.

 

Key details of the groups

Monday Riders

  • Group Leader Name: Andrew Melbourne, Maxine Dunn
  • Group Contact Name: Andrew Melbourne; Maxine Dunn
  • Email Address: cyclmon@farnhamu3a.org.uk

A fortnightly chance for a bit of exercise after the weekend, a circular ride starting at 10.00 am from The Bourne Green (parking available). Distance will be between 20 and 25 miles at about 10-12 miles an hour, inevitably with undulations! We will generally keep to roads with a chance for refreshments at the end of the ride. Places will be limited to 23 plus a leader so group members will need to sign up for each ride via our group email. Up to 3 sets of 8 will ride separately from each other so the third group can go at a slower pace if they wish.

Wednesday Riders

  • Group Contact Name: David Hepper; Bob Mercer

Wednesday Riders: There are two rides:

easy EASY ROCKERS – about 15 – 20 miles at an average speed of about 9 mph, with some tracks;

moderate MODS – about 25 – 35 miles, at an average speed of about 13 mph, all on roads.

Both groups will stop for refreshments in a local café. These two groups are limited to 15 riders so please advise the contacts below if you wish to attend.

Meets

See below.

Wednesday Mods

moderate MODS – about 25 – 35 miles, at an average speed of about 13 mph, all on roads.
Each group is limited to 15 riders so please advise Bob Mercer if you wish to attend. We have created a Whatsapp group for the MODS cycling group to keep in touch. To be added please email Bob Mercer.

Wednesday Easy Rockers

EASY ROCKERS – about 15 – 20 miles at an average speed of about 9 mph, with some tracks. Easy Rockers will stop for refreshments in a local café. Each group is limited to 15 riders so please advise the contact above if you wish to attend.

Thursday Riders

  • Group Leader Name: Ian Newman, Douglas and Jenny Gordon
  • Group Contact Name: Ian Newman, Douglas and Jenny Gordon
  • Email Address: cycthu@farnhamu3a.org.uk

Please note that although there may be vacancies in the other cycling groups the Thursday Riders group is still at capacity, running a waiting list, and currently cannot admit any new members. Any further new enquiries will be added to the waiting list. 

Circular cycle rides of around 15 to 18 miles at an average speed of 8 to 9 mph, organised and led by group members, from various locations in the wonderful Surrey-Hampshire countryside, mostly on-road (quiet country lanes) and some tracks.


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Some even more recent activities:

4 legs good, 2 wheels better? Near Liphook, Hants:

Off-road, coming over the hill @ Bourne Woods:

Hambledon (Hants not Surrey): not dressed in whites:

Puncture repair course: from in-bits to back-on-the-road:

 

Some recent activities:

    

 

Navigational challenge to find “somewhere else” and Coffee&cake recovery at “Somewhere Else” (Dabbling Duck @ Shere):

   

Overcoming water hazards near Hartley Wintney:

   

Overcoming mechanical issues: broken chain and a puncture (the takeaway “doggy bag of cakes” saved for later…)

   

 

And earlier in the year …..

The odd barrier to progress courtesy of the February storms, plus overcoming water obstacles:

Thursday Riders on tour, with a cultural diversion, on way to Chocolate Frog pit-stop:

 

Xmas summary 2025
This is our 5th year riding together as Thursday Riders.

In the 52 weeks since the last Xmas ride there have been:

47 completed rides, losing only 5 rides to wind/rain/ice & Storm Benjy, although Xmas & New Year are badly timed Thursdays for the next couple of weeks.

Again, we have had NO no-ride Thursdays, with no leaders available: once again a great collective group team effort & thanks to those who volunteered to lead.

We have again averaged ~16 riders per ride, but with some highly variable numbers, ranging from 8 to 25 (somehow!) but only been at capacity on a few occasions & I don’t think we’ve actually turned anyone away?

If anyone had “done” all 47 rides this year they would have totalled ~831 miles, averaging 17.6 miles per ride. But no-one has quite managed that this year…with a very poor attendance of 46!

We’ve used 21 different start/finish locations (but again NOT once the Maltings!): Chawton Woods was the most used, together with Crondall church & Canalside Odiham. New locations include Fawley Farm, Woolbeding Common, Trotton garden centre & Chinthurst.

We’ve visited 25 different café pit-stop venues, with Fawley Farm & Fountains Odiham the most visited, followed by The Yard Chilton Candover & Spires at Hartley Wintney. New venues include Fawley Farm, Cowdray Farm, Hazelbank & Trotton garden centres. We’ve re-visited Wild & Green Kitchen Cranleigh after a few years away and left it soaked! Does the new Lasham Gliding Club café count as a new venue? The summer bbq was again the most popular!

During 2025:

    1. a) Thursday Riders were reduced to Thursday Ramblers, mostly pushing bikes up That Hawkley Hill in Feb (will no-one think of the non ebikers?).

 

    1. b) Full rides again in both April & Oct to re-attempt That Hill, which shows we’re either collectively stooopid, or proves no one reads the ride email description.

 

    1. c) May had the longest pit-stop ever, or was it a coffee morning?

 

    1. d) May also had the shortest distance to a mechanical: ~20 yards from the carpark, although we’ve had a couple of false starts at-the-carparks too since then.

 

    1. e) Our traveling first aid kit & pharmacy was very useful after a wasp sting this summer.

 

    1. f) Our longest ride of the year turned out to be the shortest, after finding out the intended café was closed, thankfully before we set off!

 

    g) The Chiddingfold curse remains lifted….however Chinthurst may be taking its place!

Merry Xmas; here’s to 2026’s adventures!

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Risk Management

Please also note the following requirements:

  • You must let us know if you are coming on the ride so that we can arrange groups to comply with current regulations. When confirming, please respond to the group email account: thursdayriders@btinternet.com.
  • If rider numbers exceed the current safety guidelines for the groups available, we will have to limit based on a first-come basis. Currently it is not possible to just turn-up on the day.
  • Riders to have emergency contact details available either on their phone or on their u3a membership card.
  • Riders are reminded that they are responsible for their safety at all times.
  • In the event the ride is cancelled, riders will be notified on WhatsApp at least 1 hour prior to the start.

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