Cycling UK Wantage | Programme of Rides and Events

Past Rides

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Sat Jan 4th 2014

Saturday afternoon ride from Grove	3*

Leader: John Tranter	Start Time: 1:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: UPDATE, 10.30 SATURDAY - WEATHER WARNING Well, my spies in West Oxford are advising strongly against going anywhere near the Thames today, and it's still raining. Therefore - I think the best plan is to completely change the route and stick with higher ground. We will head out towards Uffington White Horse Hill, see how the ground water is there before deciding whether to climb it or not, and then do a simple loop back through the Vale. This will therefore be a shorter ride, perhaps 25-30 miles. But - lights will still be essential.
Riders: John Tranter Louis Hall Robin Tucker Riders = 3 Weather: Report: Goodness me, that was quite wet! Congratulations to Louis and Robin for braving the miserable weather and joining me for a spin around the Vale. The spring line road to Ashbury was largely flood free and we exercised an impressive level of self-discipline to resist the temptation to do the White Horse loop. Lots of surface water through Shrivenham and across to Shellingford and Charney Bassett, followed by the now traditional flood between Denchworth and Grove. 30 miles - at least it was good post-New Year exercise!
Distance: 48.28 km (30.00 mi)	Ride Details: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/456015776
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Tue Jan 7th 2014

Winter Social Evening

Leader: Chris Walters	Start Time: 8:00 pm	Start Location: The Fox, Denchworth
Description: To continue the summer post-ride social evenings, we'll be meeting at 20:30 on the first Tuesday of each month at the Fox public house in Denchworth, coinciding with when the 2* winter ride finishes. All club members welcome!
Riders: Andy Pixton Chris Walters John Tranter Katherine Boyce Riders = 4 Report: Very pleasant steak and natter. Abruptly ended when the local mediaeval dance group finished their meal and started dancing around the pub. It was time to go anyway.
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Tue Jan 7th 2014

CANCELLED Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride	2*

Leader: David Brown	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: CANCELLED last minute due to low expected turnout. Off-roading in the dark is an experience you must try for your cycling life to be complete! Knobbly tyres and lights required. About 15 miles up to the Ridgeway and back down again. Sometimes, by agreement on the night, we might go a bit further. Bright lights are required for off-road riding in the dark, and a rear light for getting home. I have 2 spare ones that I can lend so you can see if you like it before buying your own. Contact me so I know to bring them. Dark, cold and wet – we'll ride in any two. But please let me know if you are coming so I can tell you if I decide to cancel due to really bad weather.
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Tue Jan 7th 2014

CANCELLED - Winter Evening Ride. Social still on!	2*

Leader: Chris Walters	Start Time: 7:00 pm	Start Location: WMP
Description: Sorry, but conditions in the Vale are not good for riding in the dark at the moment (standing water and potholes), so we're cancelling this week. The good news is that we'll bring the time forward of the social evening to 8:00pm, which is still on.
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Thu Jan 9th 2014

Turbo Session

Leader: Chris Walters	Start Time: 7:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Turbo sessions are back for the second season! We are using the Dixon Suite in Old Mill Hall in Grove on Thursday evenings. The block of 10 sessions begins on 9th January and ends on 27th March. NB: There will be no sessions on 23rd January or 6th March as the hall is unavailable. Please see the Turbo Sessions information page. There are some simple rules that we must abide by. Do not arrive at the sessions without reading these first.
Riders: Amanda Seddon Chris Walters David Talboys Des Higgs Katherine Boyce Maurice Bawden Riders = 6 Report: Double-header tonight - we did "The Long Scream" and "Extra Shot". Des's tyre exploded again, just as the chorus on the backing music said "Bang bang". A fitting end to the ride for him.
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Tue Jan 14th 2014

Winter Evening Ride	2*

Leader: John Talbot	Start Time: 7:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Quick but flat 2* ride in the Vale for 1.5 to 2 hours covering around 40km each week. We will not ride quite as fast as 3* pace (but riders will need to be strong 2* riders, comfortable riding in the middle of a group), nor will we tackle hills. Will not run if icy, very windy or wet - check the website for cancellation by mid-day on the day of the ride. Good lights capable of lasting the full ride are essential, as is suitable clothing to deal with the cold. With so much surface water in the Vale and some roads being pothole hell at the moment I've tried to come up with a route that will avoid the worst of both hopefully. A little shorter than usual (32km) via Lain's Barn, Ardington, Wantage, Letcombe, Childrey. I'm keeping an eye on the forecast, if heavy rain or ice is forecast for ride time I will call it off. Please check this page before turfing out! UPDATE 17:00 == rainfall radar shows rain moving in from the west. Still planning to be at OMH for 7pm at the moment.
Riders: Andy Pixton David Talboys Des Higgs John Talbot Katherine Boyce Ursula Hallam Riders = 6 Weather: Report: I could see the rain approaching on the radar before I left work and was wondering how many ~~fools~~ brave souls would be at OMH. As it happened six gathered in the drizzle ready to give it a go. I'd deliberately picked a route that stuck close to Wantage in case of problems and we had a few in the first few km. Ursula's saddle bag broke and fell off before Lain's Barn and Des wasn't feeling too good soon after and turned back. Katherine's front light stopped working at the top. I was beginning to think it was going to be one of those rides! However, after the initial issues the ride went smoothly, one shallow flood to negotiate at Lockinge and lots of potholes everywhere to avoid. I took the 2nd right instead of the 3rd to Sparsholt so missed off the end of the loop but we still did 31km in 90mins on a much lumpier ride than we normally do. The rain never got very heavy, just steady light rain and it wasn't cold. All in all a pretty successful winter ride!
Distance: 31.10 km (19.32 mi)	Ride Details: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/2159380
Proposed Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3905475"
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Tue Jan 14th 2014

Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride	2*

Leader: Robin Tucker	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Off-roading in the dark is an experience you must try for your cycling life to be complete! Knobbly tyres and lights required. About 15 miles up to the Ridgeway and back down again. Sometimes, by agreement on the night, we might go a bit further. Bright lights are required for off-road riding in the dark, and a rear light for getting home. I have 2 spare ones that I can lend so you can see if you like it before buying your own. Contact me so I know to bring them. Dark, cold and wet – we'll ride in any two. But please let me know if you are coming so I can tell you if I decide to cancel due to really bad weather.
Riders: David Brown David Yearley Richard Anstis Robin Tucker Riders = 4 Weather: Report: A bit drizzly tonight, but we did get back before the rain starter properly. We started up Crab Hill, which is now very musshy and slippery. From there we picked more solid terrain - up at Betterton and down at Harwell Campus. Then back via Sustrans to Lockinge and Lains Barn. DB had an early puncture and the slime wouldn't stick. But once he swapped the tube the ride was trouble free. And the rain didn't seem to bother the usual good humoured banter!
Distance: 23.34 km (14.50 mi)
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Thu Jan 16th 2014

Turbo Session

Leader: Amanda Seddon	Start Time: 7:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Turbo sessions are back for the second season! We are using the Dixon Suite in Old Mill Hall in Grove on Thursday evenings. The block of 10 sessions begins on 9th January and ends on 27th March. NB: There will be no sessions on 23rd January or 6th March as the hall is unavailable. Please see the Turbo Sessions information page. There are some simple rules that we must abide by. Do not arrive at the sessions without reading these first.
Riders: David Talboys Des Higgs Maurice Bawden Ursula Hallam Riders = 4 Report: Des led the charge on Amanda's well-prepared accelerating cadence and triple hill workout! We all looked a bit sweaty at the end so must have worked.
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Sat Jan 18th 2014

Easy Saturday afternoon ride from Grove	1*

Leader: Steve Boreham	Start Time: 1:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Ride of 14 miles approx, with a tea stop, riding pace of 12-16km/h (8-10mph). Circuit = Denchworth, Lyford, Charney Bassett, Denchworth, West Challow, with back routes via Childrey, if weather permits, to East Challow and back into Wantage for calorie replenishment at the tea stop, before heading back to Grove.Gentle ride suitable for all, including families. **Weather check done Saturday morning - ie looked out of window! No ice & snow. So ride on and brave any rain... Contact Steve 07946 744618, or home 01235 536319
Riders: Alan Delaney Carin Tranter Janet Hammonds John Tranter Pauline Delaney Steve Boreham Steve Swanton Susan Holdroyd Riders = 8 Weather: Report: A select group of eight today, including two new members, Pauline and Alan Delaney. A warm welcome to them both. Also a warm welcome to Carin's shiny new bike (and to Carin of course) on its inaugural CTC ride. Weather stayed dry for most of the ride, whilst we stretched the route via West Hanney. Eight riders became nine (one over the eight???) just after Charney Bassett when a rider wanted directions to Stanford in the Vale. He joined us for about a mile before we directed him off. Suggestion was made to sign him up, but looked as if he was far to fit for us! Good deed done for the day, we continued on. However, when negotiating the A417 we were wetted by a hail downpour. At this point Pauline and Alan decided to head back, leaving we six to continue via West Hanney and Childrey, back in to Wantage for that tea stop at Madisons. Leader was confused and panic could have set in when he did not see Madisons, only to see it had been renamed "The Bay Tree Café" and was still there (Phew!). A very welcome drink and cake, followed by the short hop back to Grove. In the end 19 miles were covered, a little more than the leader's low tech estimate but meant that the cake was well earned....
Distance: 30.58 km (19.00 mi)
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Sun Jan 19th 2014

Regular Wantage Ride	3*

Leader: Louis Hall	Start Time: 9:30 am	Start Location: WMP
Description: 100km all-day touring ride, up and down. Flat at first through Hendred and Cholsey to Pangbourne then up to Aldworth and across through the Ilsleys before taking lunch in Farnborough. After lunch we have options: 1 return directly down Chain Hill 2 roll down through Shefford to Lambourn and then back 3 go through Lambourn to Ashbury and follow the spring line road 3a throw in West Dragon Hill, for fun. Riding pace 18-22km/h (11-14mph). Not suitable for irregular riders. About 1k of climbing.
Riders: Alan Delaney Ashley Brown Cathy Brown David Smith David Talboys John Tranter Katherine Boyce Louis Hall Ursula Hallam Riders = 9 Weather: Report: What a glorious day for a bike ride. January days do not come much better than this. Continuous sunshine. Cool but fingers not frozen and warm enough for insulation layers to be shed - not too many though! Visibility from the summits, and there were several, stretched for 10s of miles. It wasn't so good for Dave though. He had two punctures within two kilometres and returned to Wantage. There is no truth in the rumour that the ride leader had scattered tacks on the path outside his house! We altered our route slightly to rendezvous with Alan at the agreed time on Didcot Broadway. The route took us down Grove Road into Harwell, which was flooded again. However, the water barely touched our bottom brackets. We got to Pangbourne in two hours and then the fun began. The route to Farnborough is undulating - speed ranged from 10 to 60 kmph. There was only one idiot driver, more than compensated by numerous hares and wonderful views. We certainly needed lunch when we got to Saddleback Farm Shop in Farnborough. We then decided to take option 2 - down through Lambourn and then up the dip slope to Hackpen. Ashley and Cathy left us there to take the direct route via Sparsholt to Oxford, while the rest of us returned to Wantage. We finished off back in the Market Place with a coffee in Costa. 59 miles, 2,900 feet, average moving speed of 21 kmph: we were pleased with ourselves.
Distance: 95.00 km (59.03 mi)	Ride Details: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3903129
Proposed Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3903129"
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1

Written by : John Tranter

Posted on : January 19, 2014 at 9:11 PM

Great ride. Best of the year so far!

Tue Jan 21st 2014

Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride - Wallingford	2*

Leader: Robin Tucker	Start Time: 6:45 pm	Start Location: Wallingford Market Place
Description: 3rd Tuesday of the month, so starting in Wallingford at the slightly later time of 6:45pm Off-roading in the dark is an experience you must try for your cycling life to be complete! Knobbly tyres and lights required. About 15 miles, including the wonderful and possibly slippery Grim's Ditch. Bright lights are required for off-road riding in the dark, and a rear light for getting home. I have spare ones that I can lend so you can see if you like it before buying your own. Contact me so I know to bring them. Dark, cold and wet – we'll ride in any two. But please let me know if you are coming so I can tell you if I decide to cancel due to really bad weather.
Riders: David Yearley Richard Anstis Robin Tucker Riders = 3 Weather: Report: A peculiar evening as both David and Richard forgot we were Wallingford based and turned up at Grove. They went riding off together, while I was on my own in Wallingford, on a dark night, with rainclouds coming. I still went riding of course. Grim's Ditch was great and I went up through Mongewell Woods and down to Well Place, then up to Checkenden on the road and found the nice little descent that I first rode on Reading CTC's off-road Audax last year. I'll include that in future routes.
Distance: 24.14 km (15.00 mi)
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Tue Jan 21st 2014

Winter Evening Ride	2*

Leader: Chris Walters	Start Time: 7:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: UPDATE - we're on! Quick but flat 2* ride in the Vale for 1.5 to 2 hours covering around 40km each week. We will not ride quite as fast as 3* pace (but riders will need to be strong 2* riders, comfortable riding in the middle of a group), nor will we tackle hills. Will not run if icy, very windy or wet - check the website for cancellation by mid-day on the day of the ride. Good lights capable of lasting the full ride are essential, as is suitable clothing to deal with the cold.
Riders: Chris Walters David Talboys John Tranter Ursula Hallam Riders = 4 Weather: Report: For the 4 hardy souls who turned out, it was a very genteel ride.
Distance: 37.30 km (23.18 mi)	Ride Details: http://www.strava.com/activities/108943383/
Proposed Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1821664"
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Sat Jan 25th 2014

Saturday afternoon ride from Grove	2*

Leader: Glen Savegar	Start Time: 1:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: 45-55km (30 - 40 miles) afternoon ride, with a tea stop, at a riding pace of ~18km/h (11-13mph). Not likely to be very hilly. New year resolutions anyone? Join us for a tour of some of the villages and quiet back roads west of Wantage, before heading to Faringdon for tea. Proposed route- OMH, Letcombe villages, Childrey, Sparsholt, Westcot, Uffington (optional short detour to Woolstone?), Longcot, Fernham, Little Coxwell, Faringdon. A more direct return to OMH by way of Fernham, Baulking, Goosey and Denchworth. Approx 55 km (34 miles). Important- Lights essential at this time of year.
Riders: Ashley Brown Brian Hipwell Cathy Brown Chris Walters David Bridge David Smith David Talboys Des Higgs Glen Savegar Janet Charleston John Talbot Maurice Bawden Nicole Pethybridge Steve Swanton Ursula Hallam Riders = 15 Weather: Report: Well !...In time honoured tradition it was a very good day for discussing the weather, and we had plenty to choose from on todays ride!... Following a short stop to deal with a failed chain link, we were soon heading out through the villages. Unfortunately the problem repeated itself on the approach to Holborn Hill, where Steve made the wise decision to secure a roadside fix and head for home. Strong headwinds made for a challenging ride to Longcot, but we were soon rewarded for our efforts as the route changed direction, with just the final climb out of Fernham remaining. A hot cuppa at the cafe was very welcome, and coincided perfectly with the most impressive display of hailstones I've seen in ages ! A much easier return journey now pushed along by the westerly wind saw us arrive home in good time ! Glen S
Distance: 53.11 km (33.00 mi)
Weather looks promising enough ! Gathering breath at Westcot Junction. Sheltering from the hail stones ! :-) David braves the elements !
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Tue Jan 28th 2014

Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride	2*

Leader: Robin Tucker	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Off-roading in the dark is an experience you must try for your cycling life to be complete! Knobbly tyres and lights required. About 15 miles up to the Ridgeway and back down again. Sometimes, by agreement on the night, we might go a bit further. Bright lights are required for off-road riding in the dark, and a rear light for getting home. I have 2 spare ones that I can lend so you can see if you like it before buying your own. Contact me so I know to bring them. Dark, cold and wet – we'll ride in any two. But please let me know if you are coming so I can tell you if I decide to cancel due to really bad weather.
Riders: Allen Stacey David Brown David Yearley Robin Tucker Riders = 4 Weather: Report: It didn't actually rain while we were riding, but it had tipped down in the afternoon so the ground was very wet. As a result we avoided Crab Hill and went out via the cycle path and up at Goddard's Brook. Then down the other side of the Ridgeway at Ice Valley - the second half being very slippery - up back up the farm track. Going down at Betterton was great, this bit drains well and it is a good place to test your capabilities on bumpy curves. Then we headed back via Lain's Barn - and through a few road-spanning puddles. We were certainly feeling the cold through damp shoes by the end, but all agreed it was good to have banked a ride without too much wetness!
Distance: 22.53 km (14.00 mi)
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Tue Jan 28th 2014

CANCELLED - Winter Evening Ride	2*

Leader: Chris Walters	Start Time: 7:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: UPDATE 28/01/2014 - the forecast for this evening is heavy rain and strong winds, so I'm reluctantly (looking out of the window there is no sign of it yet) cancelling the ride tonight.
Proposed Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1821669"
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Thu Jan 30th 2014

Turbo Session

Leader: Chris Walters	Start Time: 7:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Tonight - There is No Try. "There is No Try. There is only Do. Or do not." - Yoda Turbo sessions are back for the second season! We are using the Dixon Suite in Old Mill Hall in Grove on Thursday evenings. The block of 10 sessions begins on 9th January and ends on 27th March. NB: There will be no sessions on 23rd January or 6th March as the hall is unavailable. Please see the Turbo Sessions information page. There are some simple rules that we must abide by. Do not arrive at the sessions without reading these first.
Riders: Chris Walters David Talboys Des Higgs Katherine Boyce Maurice Bawden Riders = 5 Report: Des's tyre didn't explode tonight.
Proposed Route: http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/there-is-no-try/"
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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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