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Dickensian Evening |
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Leader:Steve Swanton |
Start Time:6:00 pm |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:Update 1 Dec: Our stall will be in front of Peter Casey's amd the Helen & Douglas House shop on the south side of the Market Place. We'll have two vintage bikes on display as well as lots of information about cycling and the club. Please come and say hello if you are in town.This is a well established local event in Wantage Market Place, held this year on the evening of Friday 2nd December. Fortunately, the origin of the bicycle fits nicely into this historical era - we participated for the first time last year and found it a very positive experience with some good contacts and lots of interest. Steve Swanton is heading up this initiative, and he would love to hear from you so we can have a broad cross-section of the club to be on the the stall, perhaps in 1 or 2 hour shifts, who can enthuse about cycling with the club as well as cycling generally. Any old cycling memorabilia to lend for the evening would be great too. Please get in touch with Steve. |
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Riders:Andy PixtonChristine Ashdown David Yearley Jon Townsin Karen Townsin Katherine Boyce Lorna Swanton Mila Yearley Nick Portsmouth Steve Boreham Steve Swanton Tony Ashdown Riders = 12 Weather:Report:Our second attendance at the Dickensian Evening went well. The event itself was very well attended and the Market Place was thronged. After the cold and frosty nights midweek, the evening was pleasantly mild with no breeze to disturb us – pretty much the perfect conditions. It meant that people were milling around right through to 9pm.We had a better position for our stall this year, outside Peter Casey’s, and with a gap between us and the next stall giving us room to expand to display the vintage Rover Safety bicycle (beautifully restored to pristine condition) in full view under a street light. The road in front of us was much less congested, making it easier to see the stall and catch the attention of passers-by. We had a steady stream of visitors throughout, and we gave away about half of our business cards, about twenty 1* leaflets and other materials. Quite a few said they intend to come on the Mince Pie Ride next weekend and a number signed up for our email newsletter. We even had one gentleman, who, encouraged by his family, is going to learn to ride a bike. That was a special moment. Thanks to everyone who put in a shift on the stall and for all your enthusiasm in promoting cycling and the club. Special thanks to Chris and Pam Marshall from the Benson Veteran Cycle Club, who very kindly supported us. Apart from a short break, Chris was chatting away to visitors the whole evening. Overall and enjoyable and satisfying evening; it was great to meet so many potential new riders. If you visited the stall, we hope to welcome you on a ride sometime soon. | ||
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Saturday Afternoon Ride from Grove | 3* |
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Leader:John Tranter |
Start Time:1:00 pm |
Start Location:OMH |
Description:Monthly 60-70km (38-45 miles) afternoon ride, with a tea stop, riding pace of 20-24km/h (13-15mph). Likely to visit distant destinations. Not suitable for irregular riders. Climbing likely. A shorter ride for the shorter days, we'll head northeast to Abingdon and beyond. The big test of the day will be Bayworth Hill, up the side of Boars Hill, which will hopefully reward us with some good views of the dreaming spires (and cranes) of Oxford in the distance. We'll then take the nice back road descent of Boars Hill before cutting across to Besselsleigh and Eaton. Then the full run along the 'alternative A420' through Longworth and Hinton Waldrist to Pusey and down to Stanford in the Vale. Possible shop stop there, before heading home via Park Lane and Denchworth.37 miles / 59km and just the one significant climb, so we will aim for a good pace around 14mph / 22kph. |
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Riders:Andy PixtonBarry Stanton Chris Walters Jane John Jenny Gower Jo Little John Groves John Tranter Jon Townsin Joy Arthur Karen Townsin Lyn Taylor Nick Dunton Nicole Pethybridge Susie Turnbull Terry Penn Riders = 16 Weather:Report:As so often recently, it was great (and a little surprising) to see so many people turning out on a cold winter day. Maybe the little bit of sunshine had something to do with it...This was a nice group which stayed together well when appropriate and which also coped well with splitting into smaller groups for the busier sections of road. Actually, there was an encouraging lack of stress with impatient motorists, so hopefully our cunning plans with the smaller groups had the desire effect. I deliberately set a fairly brisk pace to try to keep us all warm and we were soon through Abingdon and on the foothills of the great climb of Bayworth Hill. To be honest, it's actually not that tricky a hill, but it seems to provide a helpful sense of achievement to conquer it! The views over Oxford were good from the top of Boars Hill, although as always recently, there were as many cranes as dreaming spires on display. The descent was fun and we headed across the A420 through Besselsleigh. It was a bit puzzling why there was so much traffic on the tiny road from there to Eaton, but the answer was of course the allure of the Appleton Christmas Barn! As the sun began to set and the temperature plummeted, I decided to cut the ride a little short and head for Charney Bassett instead of Stanford. It is fair to say that there wasn't a lot of resistance to this suggestion... Thanks to all for a thoroughly enjoyable (if slightly chilly) ride. | ||
Distance:57.94 km (36.00 mi) | Ride Details:https://ridewithgps.com/trips/12134366 | |
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/8296245" | ||
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Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride | 2* |
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Leader:Robin Tucker |
Start Time:6:30 pm |
Start Location:Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage |
Description:Off-road ride around local tracks, usually about 15 miles. Knobbly tyres and good lights required. We are keen to welcome new riders and have spare lights available to borrow if you let me know. 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. For winter, we'll start Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage |
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Report:A bit of a wet night, but 5 of us turned out. Fortunately the rain didn't get beyond 'light' and we enjoyed a relatively short ride. Up to the RIdgeway at Betterton, and down Green Giant. | ||
Distance:20.92 km (13.00 mi) | ||
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Turbo Training |
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Leader:Jon Townsin |
Start Time:7:00 pm |
Start Location:OMH |
Description:As another fantastic outdoor season draws to a close you may be turning your thoughts to how you can maintain, or at least not lose all, the cycle fitness you have built up over the spring and summer. Well look no further than indoor winter turbo training.What do you need? A bicycle, a turbo trainer - a device that enables you to ride your bike, stationary, indoors. Turbo trainers, or turbos as they are commonly known, clamp around the quick release skewer of a bike’s rear wheel suspending it in an A-frame. The club has 2 turbos that can be loaned to members. Where and When do they take place? Dixon Suite in Old Mill Hall. 10 sessions from Wednesday 5th October to Wednesday 14th December inclusive (NB No session Wednesday 9th November). What are the sessions like? Run by club ride leaders, rather like a spin class, with music and an hour long routine which involves a warm up, a series of intervals focusing on sprinting or climbing with rest periods in between, then always close with a warm down. Is there a club star (*) rating? No. The beauty of turbo training is that you work as hard as you feel you are able. In this way, all riders, regardless of how strong they are, can ride and train together. What does it cost? We ask for a small donation to cover the cost of hiring a room - last year this was £20 for 10 sessions for those riders signed up for all 10 sessions. If you would rather drop in for one of two sessions we ask for a donation of £4 per session. What to do next. If you are interested, or want to find out more, please contact Karen Townsin (karen.townsin@acintya.co.uk, 07768 066413 ). |
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Mince Pie Ride - 1* | 1* |
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Leader:Steve Swanton |
Start Time:10:15 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:Ride out with us to the NT car park at White Horse Hill, Uffington, for mince pies and mulled wine. For full details of the event see the "Annual Mince Pie Ride" entry.The 1* ride will be a sociable ride at a leisurely pace leaving after the other groups at about 10:15 - but please arrive at least 10 minutes beforehand to register. The 1* ride will follow the most direct route (about 8 miles) along the foot of the Downs through East Challow on to Childrey (via the track and bridleway), Sparsholt, Westcot and Kingston Lisle. Everyone will be able to have a go cycling over Dragon Hill. Even if you get off and push, it's worth it for the fantastic views over the Manger and the Vale below. We'll drop down into the main NT car park to join the other groups for mince pies and mulled wine. There will be a led ride retracing our tyre tracks back to Wantage after the meet. |
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Riders:Andy EllisBethany Tranter Christine Ashdown Christine Ellis Douglas Gunn Erin Brady Kerry Tucker Kevin Brady Kevin Eveleigh Kirsty Gunn Louise Moggach Maeve Moggach Marielle Moggach Martin Hook Pavel L Peter Hallowell Robin Tucker Ros Hallowell Steve Swanton Tony Ashdown Riders = 20 Weather:Report:A record 20 riders on the 1* ride for the MPR. Full report and a pic or two to come. | ||
Distance:12.87 km (8.00 mi) | ||
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Mince Pie Ride - 2* | 2* |
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Leader:Jon Townsin |
Start Time:10:00 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:Our annual festive ride, which again is in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children's mobility charity.Todays 2* ride follows through the Letcombes, Childrey, weskit and Kingston Lisle before heading through Huffington and The White Horse Hill. We'll return to Wantage via Goosey and Denchworth. Guests and other cycling clubs are very welcome to cycle with us from Wantage Market Place from 9:45 onwards or join us at White Horse Hill NT car park (grid ref SU 293866) from 11:15 to 12:00 for mince pies and mulled wine. All proceeds on the day will go to Whizz-Kidz. We shall have on-road rides at 1*, 2* and 3* grades and off-road rides to choose from - ride entries with details will appear closer to the date. This is a very popular event, so please arrive in good time for registration. Afterwards the rides will continue for an optional pub lunch. There will also be a ride directly back to Wantage. Car parking: If driving in to join rides from Wantage, there is free car parking in the Portway car park (by the Beacon, the former Civic hall) on Sundays, OX12 9BU. See http://beaconwantage.co.uk/contact and scroll to bottom of page for map. |
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Riders:Amanda SeddonAndrew Cannell Barry Stanton Brian Hipwell Danny Lake David Jackson Jay Read Jo Little John Groves John Rowland Jon Townsin Karen Townsin Karl Blake Keith Dixon Richard Ashford Roger Postbeschild Stephanie Mason Stuart Webb Riders = 18 Weather:Report:A bumper crop of riders joined us for the 2* ride, swelled by a healthy group of 20 from Abingdon Freewheelers. We welcomed a number of new riders: Keith; David; Andrew; John; Jay; Danny; and Stuart - we look forward to seeing more of you in 2017 .This meant having two separate groups so thanks to Karen and Amanda for volunteering to help lead. The weather was beautiful if a little chilly and the previous night's rain didn't make the conditions too wet (although the noise from my hastily fixed rear mudguard attracted a deal of quizzical interest!). A welcome treat of Mulled Wine and Mince Pies was more than ample reward for the climb up Dragon Hill - thanks to Carin, John, Steve, Mandy, Bryony and Bethany for making it all possible. As is often the case on Mince pie rides, the return trip was a little faster and the number of riders fell away until there were just two of us left at the finish ! | ||
Distance:40.00 km (24.85 mi) | ||
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/3748577" | ||
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Mince Pie Ride - 3* | 3* |
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Leader:Richard Pethybridge |
Start Time:9:45 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:Our annual festive ride, which again is in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children's mobility charity.Guests and other cycling clubs are very welcome to cycle with us from Wantage Market Place from 9:45 onwards or join us at White Horse Hill NT car park (grid ref SU 293866) from 11:15 to 12:00 for mince pies and mulled wine. All proceeds on the day will go to Whizz-Kidz. We shall have on-road rides at 1*, 2* and 3* grades and off-road rides to choose from - ride entries with details will appear closer to the date. This is a very popular event, so please arrive in good time for registration. Afterwards the rides will continue for an optional pub lunch. There will also be a ride directly back to Wantage. Car parking: If driving in to join rides from Wantage, there is free car parking in the Portway car park (by the Beacon, the former Civic hall) on Sundays, OX12 9BU. See http://beaconwantage.co.uk/contact and scroll to bottom of page for map. The 3* ride will head out through Grove, Charney Bassett, Shellingford and Fernham before looping back through Uffington prior to the big climb. 19 miles at a good 3* pace. The route will finish at the Fox in Denchworth after we have all imbibed the mince lies and mulled wine. |
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Riders:Calum ClarkHugo Pile James Nygaard Jane John John Vandore Joy Arthur Pauline Clark Peter Brodie Richard Pethybridge Richard Saunders Yvonne Bird Riders = 11 Weather:Report:A lovely day for a bike ride through the Vale of the White Horse, culminating in the awesome climb of Dragon Hill. With the promise of the Tranters' famous refreshment at the top everyone made quick work of the hill, after a brisk spin through some familiar villages in the Vale. The group fragmented post mulled wine, with some heading directly home and others for a delicious lunch at the Fox in Denchworth. All that remains to be said is thanks to all the riders for making the leader's job so easy, a warm welcome to James Nygaard, a new rider out on his first taster ride, and many thanks to Richard Saunders for being such an excellent sweeper. Merry Christmas one and all. | ||
Distance:51.02 km (31.70 mi) | Ride Details:https://ridewithgps.com/trips/12217890 | |
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17936857" | ||
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Mince Pie Ride - Off Road |
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Leader:Robin Tucker |
Start Time:9:45 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:Our annual festive ride, which again is in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children's mobility charity.Guests and other cycling clubs are very welcome to cycle with us from Wantage Market Place from 9:45 onwards or join us at White Horse Hill NT car park (grid ref SU 293866) from 11:15 to 12:00 for mince pies and mulled wine. All proceeds on the day will go to Whizz-Kidz. We shall have on-road rides at 1*, 2*and 3* grades and off-road rides to choose from - ride entries with details will appear closer to the date. This is a very popular event, so please arrive in good time for registration. Afterwards the rides will continue for an optional pub lunch. There will also be a ride directly back to Wantage. Car parking: If driving in to join rides from Wantage, there is free car parking in the Portway car park (by the Beacon, the former Civic hall) on Sundays, OX12 9BU. See http://beaconwantage.co.uk/contact and scroll to bottom of page for map. |
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Riders:Riders = 0Report:No one else showed up, so I joined the 1* ride as Sweeper! | ||
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Annual Mince Pie Ride to White Horse Hill |
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Leader:John Tranter |
Start Time:9:45 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:Our annual festive ride, which again is in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children's mobility charity.Guests and other cycling clubs are very welcome to cycle with us from Wantage Market Place from 9:45 onwards or join us at White Horse Hill NT car park (grid ref SU 293866) from 11:15 to 12:00 for mince pies and mulled wine. All proceeds on the day will go to Whizz-Kidz. We shall have on-road rides at 1*, 2* and 3* grades and off-road rides to choose from - ride entries with details will appear closer to the date. This is a very popular event, so please arrive in good time for registration. Afterwards the rides will continue for an optional pub lunch. There will also be a ride directly back to Wantage. Car parking: If driving in to join rides from Wantage, there is free car parking in the Portway car park (by the Beacon, the former Civic hall) on Sundays, OX12 9BU. See http://beaconwantage.co.uk/contact and scroll to bottom of page for map. |
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Report:One of the most successful and most enjoyable Mince Pie Rides ever. It was been a year for record breaking success in the Club, and here we are again! By the tried and trusted 'cup count' methodology, we saw at least 150 people on the Hill. The clubs involved, the types of bikes and the Christmas costumes were many and various.The catering was just right - we ran out of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic variants of Carin's epic mulled wine just as the last riders were departing. Grateful thanks to Carin, Steve, Mandy and Bryony for superb serving and assistance. A great day! | ||
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Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride | 2* |
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Leader:Robin Tucker |
Start Time:6:30 pm |
Start Location:Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage |
Description:Off-road ride around local tracks, usually about 15 miles. Knobbly tyres and good lights required. We are keen to welcome new riders and have spare lights available to borrow if you let me know. 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. For winter, start Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage |
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Report:As the ground gets softer, the riding gets harder!Rain in the previous days has made the going a bit tougher than it was, and added slitheryness. Still, we were all on for a pretty solid ride this evening and clocked up 18 miles. From the Nelson we went up Lark Hill then over the road and up to the Ridgeway alongside the A338. Then we headed East, down Green Giant and up through Bytham Wood. Down Betterton and up Zigzag Hill. Down at Harwell corner and north to join the NCN and finally head for home. (With a bit of cheeky woodland in the middle). | ||
Distance:28.97 km (18.00 mi) | ||
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Turbo Training |
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Leader:Sara Ward |
Start Time:7:00 pm |
Start Location:OMH |
Description:As another fantastic outdoor season draws to a close you may be turning your thoughts to how you can maintain, or at least not lose all, the cycle fitness you have built up over the spring and summer. Well look no further than indoor winter turbo training.What do you need? A bicycle, a turbo trainer - a device that enables you to ride your bike, stationary, indoors. Turbo trainers, or turbos as they are commonly known, clamp around the quick release skewer of a bike’s rear wheel suspending it in an A-frame. The club has 2 turbos that can be loaned to members. Where and When do they take place? Dixon Suite in Old Mill Hall. 10 sessions from Wednesday 5th October to Wednesday 14th December inclusive (NB No session Wednesday 9th November). What are the sessions like? Run by club ride leaders, rather like a spin class, with music and an hour long routine which involves a warm up, a series of intervals focusing on sprinting or climbing with rest periods in between, then always close with a warm down. Is there a club star (*) rating? No. The beauty of turbo training is that you work as hard as you feel you are able. In this way, all riders, regardless of how strong they are, can ride and train together. What does it cost? We ask for a small donation to cover the cost of hiring a room - last year this was £20 for 10 sessions for those riders signed up for all 10 sessions. If you would rather drop in for one of two sessions we ask for a donation of £4 per session. What to do next. If you are interested, or want to find out more, please contact Karen Townsin (karen.townsin@acintya.co.uk, 07768 066413 ). |
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Riders:Amanda SeddonJane John Jon Townsin Karen Townsin Nick Portsmouth Phil Ward Richard Saunders Sara Ward Riders = 8 Report:A good, honest effort over two stints at 'sweetspot' with some added Christmas cheer in the form of spin ups above FTP.Everyone deserved a swift glass of chilled fruit punch and one of those excellent mini stollen (thanks Karen). Back on 11 January 2017 | ||
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Written by : Phil Ward Posted on : December 14, 2016 at 10:02 PM |
Oooops, I admit it - I had 3 stollen. I couldn't help it, they just leapt at me. |
Downland Village Ride | 1* |
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Leader:Nick Portsmouth |
Start Time:1:00 pm |
Start Location:OMH |
Description:A 16 mile ride which goes through Charlton Village and then visits the pretty downland villages of East & West Lockinge, East & West Hendred and Ardington, where we'll be stopping for refreshments at The Grocer Chef, before returning to Grove via the 'Lains Barn Road'.Part of the Sustrans Route 544 that we'll be cycling along in Ginge is off-road but will be okay for the majority of bike tyres. Please bring your lights with you. |
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Riders:Carin TranterDavid Bridge John Tranter Karl Blake Lorna Swanton Louis Hall Nick Portsmouth Nicky Clark Steve Boreham Steve Swanton Tony Clark Riders = 11 Weather:Report:11 of us set off into the murk on the last 1* of the year. Unfortunately after a while 2 had to turn back due to illness (hope you're feeling better Carin). The rest of us carried on passed Best Mate's statue, through Ginge and down into West Hendred before a detour from the advertised route, along the path to East Hendred (this detour was discussed before we set off). After climbing back out of the village, we continued along Route 544, back through Ginge and on to the tea stop at The Grocer Chef. 2 riders had to head back before the stop as they had an appointment on a badminton court and after tea, 1 peeled off for Wantage, leaving 6 of us to ride down past Lains Barn and back to Grove. | ||
Distance:24.14 km (15.00 mi) | Ride Details:https://ridewithgps.com/trips/12289072 | |
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/17812248" | ||
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Regular Wantage Ride | 3* |
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Leader:Nick Dunton |
Start Time:9:30 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:Monthly 80-100km (50-65 miles) all-day touring ride, lunch and possibly tea stop en route, at a riding pace of 18-22km/h (11-14mph). Not suitable for irregular riders. Climbing almost inevitable. Nearly the shortest day, so only 74 km but bring lights as we will almost certainly finish in the gloom. Hilly first half with some small, muddy lanes; second half is flatter on larger roads. Out over Chain Hill, though to Isleys to Four Points, then down Streatley Hill [optional coffee stop in Streatley, c. 30km]. Then through minor lanes to Ipsden. Climb again to Nuffield and then the brilliant descent of Brixton Hill. Lunch in Catherine’s Café, Wallingford @ 53km. Then home through Didcot, Harwell and the A417 [I may vary the route home for a little extra mileage, depending on group composition, timing, weather, etc.]. |
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Report:What a stonking ride to end the 3* programme for 2016 with very clement weather for December. A pity more riders didn’t make it but there are other priorities at this time of year, I know. The three riders were evenly matched – Nick and Lyn disappeared up the hills like two sleek, under-exercised greyhounds and I managed to restore some dignity at the front on the flatter sections. At least this meant I was able to 'lead' and sweep on the hills, which simplified logistics. My bike developed an alarming squeak half way down Streetley hill – never a good place to get a mechanical – but it was only a stone lodged in the front brake-pad which we eventually managed to diagnose and remove. We stopped for coffee at The Swan in Streetley. Lots of riders out: Streetley was velo-rammed. We took Bottom Lane after Ipsden as a slightly less muddy option. Catherine’s was wonderful, as ever: particularly good soup and mulled plum cordial, although Nick was less impressed with his chorizo-free chorizo panino. Homeward-bound, we did the Le Cercle de Didcot, Hagbourne Hill, and Featherbed Lane to add some mileage before a final blast down the 417. Happy Christmas to anyone who bothers to read this and here’s looking forward to the 2017 ride programme! | ||
Distance:81.30 km (50.52 mi) | ||
Proposed Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/11311837" | ||
Comment on this ride |
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Written by : David & Ursula Posted on : December 18, 2016 at 8:05 PM |
Merry Christmas one and all! |
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Written by : John Tranter Posted on : December 20, 2016 at 5:38 PM |
Thanks, Nick. Sorry to miss this one - it was a great day for it! |
Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride | 2* |
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Leader:David Brown |
Start Time:6:30 pm |
Start Location:Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage |
Description:Off-road ride around local tracks, usually about 15 miles. Knobbly tyres and good lights required. We are keen to welcome new riders and have spare lights available to borrow if you let me know. 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. For winter, start Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage |
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Report: | ||
Distance:25.75 km (16.00 mi) | ||
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Tuesday Evening Off-road Ride (RIDE ON!) | 2* |
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Leader:Robin Tucker |
Start Time:6:30 pm |
Start Location:Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage |
Description:The ride is on! But please call or text if you may be late. We'll head Southwest, in the direction of Lambourn.For winter, we'll start Outside Lord Nelson pub, Lark Hill, Wantage. |
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Report:We took a different route tonight, making use of the more southerly start location and people's appetite to burn of the Christmas pud.So we started up Lark Hill then across and up by the A338. We got to the Ridgeway and turned right, reaching the B road at the top of Hackpen Hill before turning south and the farm track to Sheepdrove. Then it was up and down to Whatcombe. At last we turned towards home, via S Fawley, Woolley Down, Jolly Green and Goddards Brook. | ||
Distance:30.58 km (19.00 mi) | ||
Comment on this ride |
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