We had a splendid away-day on Saturday. It was the first of the competitions between Sutton CC and Redhill Raiders.

The venue itself was gloriously different.... just so much space with lots of everything.... even a steep grassy bank to struggle up and then gloriously to swoop down... and that was just in the warm-up (we never used it for real)

....plus a mile-long adventure trail through trees with hide-away sections where branches pushed in on each side plus a short portion with a steep side-slope....

....thanks to the presence of numerous adults on bikes to act as leaders/followers it made the endurance races very different to our sessions.... but I think I can come up with something that attempts to match it (in part) when they come to visit us in a month's time.

Big thanks, first of all, to the various drivers from Universal Taxi Services (UTS).... in other words you parents who supported riders by giving up your time to take them there... that was much appreciated....especially by me

...and a double thanks to the dad who hurriedly stripped off a back wheel and got a puncture mended (with a patch - I noticed it was the second) in less time than I'd have taken.... perhaps we should have a competition for patching punctures when Sutton visit us....now theres a thought!!

Anyway there was a 20-min warm-up which involved us, as visitors, getting to ride round the trail in advance of the endurance race later on.

Sutton Cycling Club was formed about 10 years ago. Numbers were much the same as ours until 2007 when they got the permanent use of this venue....the playing fields belonging to Sutton Grammar School.

It's a huge area containing a cricket pitch and about five football pitches. But on top of that, there such a lot more space on top of that, like extra grassy areas, both sloping and flat, so that it's ideal for a junior cycling club.... Sutton has no adult riders... it is exclusively for children.

Over the space of the past two years their weekly numbers have jumped ahead with 30-40 for their sessions. Which shows where we could go.

In addition to the 24 riders who were facing us on mountain bikes there was another squad out on the roads on road bikes at the same time.

Sutton divided their MTB numbers into three teams which evened things up perfectly.

We had a new rider....Andrew who was able to come because it was a Saturday event... normally he'd be at church on Sundays when we're at Merstham. He's Sam Saunders' pal so let's hope we find a way of getting Andrew to come to our sessions in the future.

Representing Redhill Raiders - Andrew and Sam, Liam and Keane Acs, Freddie Roux, George and Will Sales, Matthew Worth

It was good to see you all...and to see how you coped when put into a different, invigorating cycling environment.

Memories?? Well a big one for me was the bottle relay when Will came hurtling into his final corner on the outside but with extra speed over all the other riders... but he knew his team change-over partner was round on the inside lane...so such a blatant example of cutting-up you never saw!! We should have had the video running.

Freddie was elected as our captain by the other riders and he did a good job at keeping them alert... thank you Freddie.

And what a surprise in the first team of the BMX race. Like the one we did in Reigate Priory Park, it was three short runs, two tight corners, all over in 12 secs. So all about acceleration and elbows and intimidation.

It was Richard (No Longer Mr Serene) Worth who put us on the map....he was our first winner thanks to thundering in a straight line to the first corner, blinkers on and totally oblivious to the three Sutton riders bouncing off him, both left and right, and then never giving up his well-won advantage all the way round to the finish line. Star man.

The marathon ride resulted into three start groups, based on wheel size, which seemed quite a fair way of dividing up a wide range of riders of different age and ability.

We had a winner in Keane Acs who was home by a clear mile in the small-wheel section. Keane simply rode away from the field... with the adult-leader who was accompanying him completely out of breath as he finished. "He was awesome," he gasped as we all clapped for Keane.

We'll be back at Sutton for round 3 in early September.

Before that we have round 2 at Merstham in a month' time.

With having the opportunity to do skills on tarmac so I'll probably be aiming to include some skills such as scooting for younger riders and riding in pairs with one hand on the other person's shoulders.

And to give it a D-day feel (D is for difference) we will have something for riders-and-parents....

So the message to mums and dads with a bike is...bring it along...we want you.... more riders means more points.....

You can get training now otherwise the kids will be beating you!!