Cycling UK Wantage | Programme of Rides and Events

Past Rides

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Tue Sep 3rd 2002

Tuesday Evening Ride

Leader: Edith Hipwell	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: GMS
Description:
Riders: Alan Jones (dec) Carl Wellstood Diane Stuckey Genevieve Hines Glen Paterson (deceased) Jane Bruffell Laurent Chambard Nigel Stuckey Philip Thornton-Evison Richard Divall Steve Bruffell Steve Swanton Riders = 12 Report: 12 on an overcast but dry evening. For a change on Tuesday we had some gentle off-road. The track from Charney Bassett to Pusey provides a good surface and a pleasant alternative to the Gainfield road. In failing light we then swung north east to Hinton Waldrist where the bridleway to Longworth House provided another scenic detour. After crossing the A420 via the overbridge to Southmoor, we picked up some speed on the gentle descent towards Hanney. Then it was back through Lyford and Denchworth with lights necessary as the night drew in. Most enjoyable. Steve S.
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Sat Sep 7th 2002

Saturday Ride from Grove

Leader: Glen Savegar	Start Time: 1:00 pm	Start Location: GMS
Description: Just one ride today as it is Edith and Brian's wedding day.
Riders: Alan Jones (dec) Christine Phillips Glen Paterson (deceased) Helen Dorsett Riders = 4 Report: A low turnout this time, as several regular riders where relaxing at Brian & Ediths wedding. Many thanks to Glen, who had his first go at leading a ride, and took the select group on a 41 mile ride to Roves farm ....... Quite a distance for Christines first Saturday ride! but she coped fine & it sounds as if they had a good time! Jan
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Tue Sep 10th 2002

Tuesday Evening Ride

Leader: Jane Bruffell	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: GMS
Description:
Riders: Carl Wellstood Glen Paterson (deceased) Helen Dorsett Jane Bruffell Laurent Chambard Philip Thornton-Evison Richard Divall Steve Bruffell Steve Swanton Riders = 9 Report:
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Thu Sep 12th 2002

Section Pub Night

Leader: Laurent Chambard	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: GMS
Description: Meet at 18:30 for a ride to the Horse and Jockey, Stanford in the Vale, or 20:00 at the pub for a meal and a pint. Lights required.
Riders: Alan Jones (dec) Amanda Seddon Des Higgs Diane Stuckey Ed Lehmann Jan McCabe Jane Bruffell Jon Seddon Laurent Chambard Nigel Stuckey Richard Divall Steve Bruffell Steve Swanton Riders = 13 Report: Five riders set off from Grove in glorious sunset, and then huffed and puffed their way up Hackpen Hill while the sun was disappearing on the horizon. When asked whether they had had enough of climbing once at the top, all riders answered by the negative so it was downhill all the way not quite to Lambourn, and then up again over Blowingstone before the precipitous descent into the Vale of White Horse. Once at the Horse and Jockey in Stanford-in-the-Vale, we rejoined quite a few other members who had already started to sample various brews. The dinner was lively, made all the harder by some brave attempts at filling-up properly a map of the Counties of England for the pub quizz - looks like we need to increase the frequency of our week-end aways, there is still a lot to learn about UK geography! On the way back, the leader successfully resisted the tentation to go straight to bed and just leave everyone in Stanford, so riders were duly escorted up to Grove. Whether the same would have happened should the night have been wet won't be commented here, but you can place a bet...
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Sat Sep 14th 2002

Wantage Leisure Fair

Leader: Steve Swanton	Start Time: 10:00 am	Start Location: Wantage Civic Hall
Description: We'll be having a stall there - come along for a chat. If you've not been out with us on a ride, a great chance to meet some of us beforehand.
Riders: Alan Jones (dec) Amanda Seddon Ed Lehmann Glen Paterson (deceased) Jane Bruffell Jon Seddon Pat Hurt Steve Bruffell Steve Swanton Sue King Riders = 10 Report: An enjoyable and interesting day with some 40 organisations hosting stalls in the main hall. We had an excellent location on the stage, where we were able to mount a bike, with a backdrop on which we could display some of our pictures and right next to continuous supply of cakes courtesy of the Friends of Wantage Museum. Suffice to say that those of us in the new DA tops rather stood out! The Wantage CTC sales team, did a fine job. We spoke to several dozen during the day and 12 left their details to receive further information. We look forward to meeting them on a ride soon. Steve S.
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Sun Sep 15th 2002

Regular Wantage Ride

Leader: Jan McCabe	Start Time: 10:00 am	Start Location: WMP
Description:
Riders: Alan Jones (dec) Brian Hipwell Edith Hipwell Glen Paterson (deceased) Jan McCabe Neil Lewis Richard Divall Stephen Quartermain Steve Bruffell Steve Swanton Riders = 10 Report: 3rd Time lucky for Richard! As ten of us left the market square for a ride to Marlborough, the big question was .. would Richard make it to lunch (or would history repeat itself and Marlborough continue to be an unlucky destination for him)? We took in a few hills before lunch going via Lambourn , Knighton and Rambury before crossing the river at Axford to follow some quiet lanes into town., where Richard eventually got to try the excellent food at The Bear! After lunch we left Marlborough on the cycle track (luckily Steve has a better sense of direction than me, and questioned my route when I nearly took everyone in along the cycle track in the wrong direction) After the flat ride along the old railway, things suddenly got a bit steeper as we ascended from Ogbourne St George up Snap hill which was the toughest of the hills on our route home (Aldbourne, Baydon, Lambourn). Everything was going fine until near the bottom of Sparsholt hill, where Brian rode over a pot hole and managed to get 4 punctures in one go!! ( a pinch in both front and back wheels) Edith with the other spare tube that would fit, was already well ahead in the front group!! So unusually rather than simply changing tubes, some road side puncture repairs where carried out, and we made it back to Wantage just in time for Coffee & Cake in the museum
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Mon Sep 16th 2002 to Sun Sep 22nd 2002

2002 Tour de France!

Leader: Laurent Chambard	Start Time: TBC	Start Location:
Description: Cycle from Wantage to and from Portsmouth and crossing by Seacat to a base in Cherbourg. 4 days in Southern England and 3 days exploring the Contentin Peninsular and Normany Coast.
Riders: Alan Jones (dec) Amanda Seddon Diane Stuckey Ellen Lee Eve Thornton Helen Beane Jon Seddon Kevin Hickman Laurent Chambard Liz Palethorpe Mavis Rose Neil Warner Nigel Stuckey Roger Palethorpe Stephen Lee Sue King Riders = 16 Report: click here for full report
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Tue Sep 17th 2002

Tuesday Evening Ride

Leader: Steve Swanton	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: GMS
Description: As the evenings are getting too short,alas, these rides finished last Tuesday. Will return in April 2003.
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Sat Sep 21st 2002

Off-road Impromptu

Leader: Steve Swanton	Start Time: 1:00 pm	Start Location: WMP
Description: This will be an exploration of some of the bridleways in the vale that we haven't used before. We'll make it up as we go along depending on what is or isn't passable. Helmets recommended.
Riders: Martin Halliwell Steve Swanton Riders = 2 Report: Good to have Martin along for the exploratory ride. It was a lovely afternoon and the majority of the tracks were bone dry. I will try to write a brief report on the tracks we used when I get time. Conditions were variable and at one point we had to climb over a tree that had fallen onto a footbridge over the river Ock next to a deep and muddy ford... Free drink for the first one to work out the location! We made it to the wholefood shop in Faringdon for tea some good routes around there. Steve S.
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Sat Sep 28th 2002

A Bit of Rough

Leader: Steve Swanton	Start Time: 1:00 pm	Start Location: WMS
Description: Off-road ride. Helmet recommended & bring a drink.
Riders: Alan Jones (dec) Alvaro Rey Barry Baker Edith Hipwell Glen Paterson (deceased) Nick Stokell Steve Swanton Riders = 7 Report: Seven riders for the last event of the Section year, on a glorious September afternoon. We took a flat route eastwards through the Vale, longer than our usual off-road rides and with a high proportion of off-road, but the tracks were fast and at their easiest due to the bone dry conditions. The route was similar to that intended by Pat on the very first "A Bit of Rough" ride last August (at least as far as Chilton). However, on that occasion, sticky conditions made for some slow going through the Vale and we detoured some of the tracks on-road to save time. We started with a superb fast descent of Gypsy Lane to Grove and then out to West Hanney past Grove Wick Farm. After a mile stretch along the A338 we turned east towards Drayton on the bridleway through Landmead farm. The rough middle stretch of this track was much more easily negotiable than I remembered. Rejoining the concreted section beyond, Barry managed to double puncture on a one inch nail (having just returned from an extreme off-road holiday in the Colorado Rockies without a puncture!). Such is life! From Drayton we took, what were for me, some new tracks (which should be passable on a road bike) as far as Sutton Courtenay, where we joined NCN route 5 to Didcot. The Sustrans route circuits to the north of the power station on good quality tracks, then cuts through the eastern end of Milton Park and brings you out on the road down to Didcot station. There are several shared paths along this route that are not that obviously marked on the ground at their ends. One wouldn't say it was the most scenic part of our route (!) but it was interesting to visit. We passed through Didcot to join the railway path to Upton, descending at the Upton end via the new ramp (Note that this is reached from the track at GR514873, rather than through the recreation ground.), before stopping for a drink at the George and Dragon. The return route was via the byway to Chilton, across Harwell Field to join the Icknield way and then along the newly surface-improved section of the Icknield Way as far as the bridleway down into East Hendred. We crossed to West Hendred and then, for added variety (!) carried our bikes over the kissing gate and stile by West Hendred church to follow the footpath (track) to Ardington. Cycling into the late afternoon sun along this track was just glorious. We were back in Wantage before 5:30 after a thoroughly enjoyable ride. Steve S.
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Ride Filter

Start Locations: WMP
Wantage Market Place; OMH
Old Mill Hall, Grove

Categories: 1* - Suitable for irregular, social, beginner or family riders, pace will match the slower riders. Not hilly or long. Expect rides up to 3 hours. Gentle exercise.; 2* - Suitable for regular riders who prefer to cover some distance but at a more relaxed pace. Likely to be half-day rides. Solid exercise.; 3* - Suitable for experienced riders, may be hilly, long, quick, or any combination! Likely to be half or full-day rides. Challenging exercise.; 4* - Suitable for athletic riders who can ride safely above the 3* standard. Quick rides for the fit.; More Information

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