john goodman Well done Peter for a terrific valedictory blog , and for your inspirational planning of such great rides and pub choices which have kept us all fit and happy in 2009.

john goodman Great photos Norman! Can you buy me a horny helmet next time you go please?!

Peter John Congratulations for a fabulous blog and picture collection. It was a fitting finale for our 2009 rides. Nobody will dare to try and upstage you, so I think this is the right time to end our 2009 blog. Many thanks for making the rides and blogs so enjoyable. I suggest we invent a new blog (all regular readers will receive due notice of the new address) for 2010 and include in that any rides in the tail end of this year. We can decide the name in the usual undemocratic fashion over lunch next week. To John, Norman, Judith, Rebecca, Ruth, Robert, Rosemary, Juliette, Lorna, Martin, Alex, Adonis, Pat and Madeline, thank you for cycling with us and may you have a happy Christmas and lots of cycling in the New Year Peter

Jess Excellent Reigate blog, very amusing. Some of the other albums are also worth a giggle. Well done to all those that have time on their hands to cycle and 'do' lunch every Wednesday. Glad to see you're all keeping busy.... Look forward to joining you for lunch another weeks

Rosemary Fantastic blog John, about Reigate . Really sorry I missed the Chapel. Your literary efforts are amazing are you game to join our wrtiing group with Tutor Tom in Hythe? next session Dec 9th 6 p.m. at our house. I will ask Tom if you are interested?

Peter John's ode to Swampy paints a masterpiece of conflict between modern development and status quo since time out of mind. But some good comes out of change: our lunch stop was once a pub - now it belongs to a charity providing veterinary care. And the pub is now a tea rooms. And the food, ambience and service was beyond expectation. And we had a super lunch. Long live change!

Janetx Hey thank you for giving me access to this! I am still walking rather than cycling so can only blog my South Down's Way hikes til we reach Winchester. Prob not appropriate for "cycle" talk!! Ed & I might start cycling once we find a seat for Charlie!! I'll keep reading yours til then x

john goodman Excellent blog! I didn't see who struggled over the bridge and up Lympne hill because I was so far ahead!

Ruth So pleased to hear Rosemary was well enough to travel to South Africa after an anxious few days of being very poorly. The English weather is surpassing S.A. as its hot and dry all the time lately! We really enjoyed the cycle ride from Waldershare and I thought John's blog was excellent. Robert was so impressed with it he wanted to give 6 out of 5! Many thanks for the great company and lovely lunch Looking forward to cycling with you all again. Ruth

Peter and Rosemary We are in Bartholemus Klip, South Africa, at the moment making tentative arrangements for the next Cape Argus ride on 14th March 2010. It's winter here and very cold and wet - but by next March the temperature will be in the 40s at midday. Last night we had an excellent ride through the game reserve and the safari Land Rover spent much of it's time going through deep water. We saw may animals before the rain made us retreat hastily. The welcome we received here and the food and drink are second to none - this just has to be the best guest house in the world. Arriving herefollowed on from a week's tour of Namaqualand where we saw millions of flowers and fascinating scenary. We haven't ventured out on the mountain bikes yet, but may do so if the sun decides to shine again. I doubt if Rosemary will be very enthusiastic about the stone tracks and flooded roads! I hope the bike-riding in Kent is great and we look forward to rejoining you soon. Best wishes Peter and Rosemary

john goodman I've really missed the rides the past few weeks and have thoroughly enjoyed the last couple of excellent blogs; just wish I'd been involved!! I'll be back for Wed 22nd July so hopefully there will be a ride as I badly need the exercise; there are too many restaurants and not enough hills in the Charente!!

Peter John An excellent blog. It was so descriptive that I could feel the pain of the stinging nettles over again as I read it! Peter

john Thanks to Rosemary and Peter for the great blogs on Minerve and Ruffec! Sounds like the Minerve ride was challenging to say the least, but there's no gain without pain, and the rewards of spectacular panoramas and gastronomic bliss well worth the hard work!

Juliette This site is just too cute, I love it! I'm discovering the Kent countryside from the urban confines of my Clapham abode. More please...x