28cm Snow + 5" Travel= 4 hrs of fun!

Having heard the forecast on Friday for heavy snow on Sunday/Monday, I,like an excited kid on Christmas eve, kept looking out of the window on Sunday night watching the white stuff falling and settling- "oooh tomorrow I need to ride!"

Monday morning and it was still snowing and we had about 20cm on the ground already in the North Downs- bike gear on and I was off skidding up the bridleways to Colley Hill. I met a lady on snow blades skiing down with a big beam on her face. At the top the kids were toboganning through the amphitheatre/bombhole and giggling as snowballs hit them. Everyone was in such a jolly mood.

Most people were off work/ school but some sorry people were still having to travel

despite reports that the M25 was shut in several places. I crossed over the M25 and it was difficult not to be smug that I was playing on my bike while these people suffered...

I probably did not choose the best tracks after this as, what was flowy fast singletrack just 2 days ago became a tough slog through almost 30cm of snow right on the top of the golf course at Banstead Heath.

I headed into Walton on the Hill and narrowly avoided the

snowballs as I pedaled through a battlefield near the pond. The swans and ducks did not look too amused at the state of their pond today.

I had set out with the intention of reaching Box Hill to collect my snowboard from my parents garage and hike up to ride the hill, despite the tough going I was stubborn enough to complete my objective. I had a pretty hairy descent down Box Hill but the climb up the icy road was the worst of the day.

I was exhausted taking 4 hrs from Reigate to Box Hill (normally takes 1.5hrs). Too much so to go snowboarding, or even to ride home. I had lunch to revive myself and dried my clothes then I cycled back across Denbies and down to Deepdene station. Caught the 4:30 train (which departed at 4:55) into Reigate and then cycled home in the dusk. Phew what a day!

The BBC tell me we had 28cm of snow (not seen so much for 20 years), combining that with the 5inch travel on my new Lapierre Zesty 514L bike led to a fun and very memorable day. Yippeee!

(Here are some pics and antics filmed along the way- apologies for the screeching brakes on the last downhill)