Breeze Through Winter: CAFE2CAFE shortie. Pasha in Chobham

Welcome to Breeze Through Winter!
Riders who complete 4 rides or more will receive a goody bag as a gift from HSBC British Cycling Breeze.

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We are going to the cosy Pasha café in Chobham. Back c2pm.

The café is about half way in.

You need to be pretty confident on main roads for this one (we are cycling out to Chobham Common through Chertsey, and back to Hampton Court on the Hurst Road). On these roads, we shall aim cycle together in a tidy single file (paceline) about a bike's distance apart (as far as possible!)

Average speed over the distance c.19-20kph/12mph. Therefore generally riding along faster, around 13mph and up to 15mph on flat roads, road conditions and weather depending.

Riding tidily and comfortably. Pace of the slowest; no one left behind.

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BRING
- Bike lights. A spare inner tube. A bottle of water. An emergency snack.
- One more clothing layer than you think that you need.
- A lightweight "café" lock to use as a deterrent when at café (if possible).
- Wear many thin layers, instead of one/two thick layers; layers trap heat.

DO NOT BRING
Big panniers. Heavy bike lock.

TIPS
- A great simple alternative to saddlepacks / panniers, stolen from ultra-distance cyclists, is to use a dry bag (eg. Osprey size small £10.99 various colours; via Amazon) and a bungee cord; strap snugly to the underside of the saddle.
- Use the second water bottle cage, and a water bottle with a wide mouth for storage

BIKE
Your bike too must be prepared for the ride! 2-3 days before the ride (to give you time to take it to the bike shop if necessary)...
- Clean it, and ensure that it is in excellent working condition.
- It should not squeak! as this is indication of a problem.
- Check tyres for embedded stones, flints, thorns. Gently pick these out (eg using a edge of a screwdriver); if not removed, these devils will invariably work their way through any tyre and puncture the inner tube. Inflate to 80-90psi (for winter) (90-100psi for summer).
- Clean the chain, cogs and moving parts (use baby wipes if like me you don't have a garden hose). The chain and cogs should normally be silver (!). Lubricate chain with "wet lube" ie lubricant suitable for wet conditions; spray cogs with GT85 or equivalent. Gently remove excess with a kitchen towel.
- Clean the rims and brake pads with baby wipes.
- Ensure that the brakes "bite" by the time you have squeezed the brake levers two-thirds to three-quarters of the way in.
- With thanks to the lads at Sigma Sports for this trick, if you want your next cleaning job to be easier, rub the frame down with a soft cloth sprayed with GT85 or equivalent; this will prevent muck from sticking hard to your bike.
- Thank you for reading all this! ... there is nothing nicer than a smooth trouble-free ride with no bike mechanicals - for the rider herself (of a well-maintained bike), for the others in the group and the ol' ride leader/s.