Past Rides
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Sun Dec 8th 2024
| Mince Pie Rides to White Horse Hill 2024 |
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Leader:John Tranter |
Start Time:9:00 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:PLEASE NOTE after careful consideration, we are GOING AHEAD with the Mince Pie Rides this morning. It is dry and the wind is less severe than yesterday. Thanks to our ride leaders for rising to the challenge.Our annual festive rides in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children's mobility charity, and the culmination of this year’s White Horse Cycle Challenge (9 Nov-8 Dec). Please join us in Wantage Market Place from 9.00 for the start of the club rides or meet us at White Horse Hill NT car park (grid ref SU 293866) from 11.00 to 12.00 for mince pies and mulled wine. We will have road rides at 1*, 2* and 3* grades and an off-road ride – see separate ride entries for route details (note staggered start times). Guest riders are very welcome. All takings on the day will go to Whizz-kidz (see www.whizz-kidz.org.uk) or please donate on-line through: http://www.justgiving.com/campaign/whitehorsecyclingchallenge2024 This is a very popular event, so if joining one of our rides please arrive in good time for registration (it's a great help for rides organisation to contact the leader for your chosen ride beforehand). Afterwards there will be led rides to The Fox at Denchworth for a pub lunch for those who have booked, from where it is a short ride back to Grove and Wantage. |
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Report:Very challenging weather as Storm Darragh swept through over the weekend. We came close to cancelling, but I'm glad we didn't. In the end, the day dawned fairly bright and dry, still with a gusty northerly wind but at least just about safe for riding. Our ride leaders rose to the challenge brilliantly and we also saw a couple of other clubs plus assorted individual riders on the Hill. In total we served 36 people - down on previous years, but better than we expected given the weather.Many thanks to Carin for epic mulling and to Carin, Steve and Mandy for heroic serving on the Hill. It was a great relief to get out of the nagging northerly and into the welcome warmth of the pub! | ||
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Sun Dec 8th 2024
| Off-road Mince Pie Ride | 2* |
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Leader:Robin Tucker |
Start Time:9:30 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE - THE RIDE IS ON!This is the off-road ride. It's about 9 miles up to and along The Ridgeway to White Horse Hill - splendid views and not a difficult route, apart from an inevitable climb up the The Ridgeway. Drop me a text or email robin@cyclingukoxfordshire.org for info |
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Report:Just me! And weather that was windy, but not raining, which I took as a win.I rode out to Letcombe Bassett, and up to the Ridgeway at Segsbury Castle, then headed West. The cross wind from the North was strong in exposed sections, but at least this had dried some of the trail. A bit of hard work to get to White Horse Hill at Uffington and then the Mince Pies and Mulled Wine to celebrate! | ||
Distance:16.00 km (9.94 mi) | ||
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Sun Dec 8th 2024
| 1* Mince Pie Ride - merged with 2* ride | 1* |
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Leader:Steve Swanton |
Start Time:10:00 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE - THE RIDE IS ON!Our annual festive ride, which again is in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children's mobility charity, and the culmination of this year’s White Horse Cycle Challenge (9 Nov-8 Dec). Ride out with us to the NT car park at White Horse Hill, Uffington, for mince pies and mulled wine. Please text me if you would like to join the 1* ride. You will receive confirmation. Meeting from 9:50 for briefing for a 10:00 start, the 1* ride will be a sociable ride at a leisurely pace leaving after the other groups. Pick ups along the route by prior arrangement. We will follow a relatively direct but undulating route through the springline villages before we turn up the big hill. Even if you can't make it all of the way up awheel, the views across the manger and the Vale are breathtaking and worth the push. We'll regroup at the top before taking the gentle descent down into the main NT car park to meet up with the other groups. ETA 11:20am. After the gathering we will descend to Woolstone and return across the Vale via Uffington, Baulking and Goosey. The ride will formally end at the Fox PH in Denchworth (see separate entry for lunch details) from where it is a 2-mile ride back to Grove and 4 to Wantage (20-mile round-trip). |
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Riders:Riders = 0Weather: Report:Given the windy conditions, we decided to merge the three rides together, taking the most direct route to the hill. Please see 2* report for details. | ||
| Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38136121" | ||
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Sun Dec 8th 2024
| 2* Mince Pie Ride | 2* |
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Leader:Gareth Smith |
Start Time:10:00 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE - THE RIDE IS ON!Note: The start time and route for this ride was updated on the 23rd November. Our annual festive ride, in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children's mobility charity, and the centrepiece of this year’s White Horse Cycle Challenge. Ride out with us to the NT car park at White Horse Hill, Uffington, for mince pies and mulled wine. From Wantage Market Place we head out through the Letcombes to Childrey. From there a fairly direct route to White Horse Hill. A distance of around around 10 miles but this does include the stiff climb up White Horse Hill. After partaking of the refreshments at White Horse Hill we will return on a slightly longer route via Goosey and Denchworth for those lunching there. The full route from Wantage back to Wantage is around 22 miles. |
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Riders:Anke OttoBrian Hipwell Brian Watson Eddie Little Gareth Smith Katherine Boyce Martin Casey Patrick O'Leary Paul Smith Pauline Casey Simon Atkin Stephanie Haddrell Stephen West Steve Swanton Riders = 14 Report:Storm Darragh had brought extremely high winds over the weekend and there was considerable doubt whether this year's Mince Pie Rides would take place at all. However, the storm had eased by Sunday and an early morning ride round Grove by Steve Swanton led to a decision to go ahead. It was also agreed that all three road rides (1, 2 & 3*) would meet at Wantage Market Place at 10am and take the shortest route to White Horse Hill.12 people met at Wantage Market Place on what was a windy and cold but cyclable morning. We set off to pick up two more at Challow Primary School. On the track towards Childrey we passed another group of hardy souls in the form of conservation volunteers preparing to plant hedges at a spot rather exposed to the north wind. We reached White Horse Hill and then the car park with no incident. Theoretically there was some wind assist on the way up - but it appeared no match for the electric assist some had. We were welcomed at the car park with the traditional Mince Pies and Mulled Wine. A big thank you to those who organised and helped provide these refreshments. It was also great to see some other riders as well as a few familiar faces who had not ridden out but joined us there. As is usual with this event people made their own way back. As it was very cold, one group opted to leave fairly quickly and re-trace the route back to Wantage. Another group, particularly some of those dining at The Fox, returned via Uffington, and Goosey which was a fairly easy, largely wind assisted ride. There was a little rain at the end but we were back before it mattered. | ||
Distance:32.35 km (20.10 mi) | Ride Details:https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38136121 | |
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| Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49118060" | ||
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Sun Dec 8th 2024
| 3* Mince Pie Ride Route & Start Time Change!! | 3* |
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Leader:Eddie Little |
Start Time:10:00 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE - THE RIDE IS ON!Our annual festive ride, in aid of Whizz-Kidz, the children’s mobility charity, and the centrepiece of this year’s White Horse Cycle Challenge. Ride out with us to the NT car park at White Horse Hill, Uffington, for mince pies and mulled wine. If it’s safe to ride, then the route will go via East Challow, Childrey, Sparsholt, Westcot & the Spring line. This will give us a more sheltered & shorter ride. A final decision will be made by 08:00am tomorrow morning. Please look out for updates on this website! Ride distance 9 miles each way. After participating in mulled wine & mince pie tasting on White Horse Hill we will return to Wantage via Goosey and Denchworth for those having the Christmas meal at The It’s important that all riders arrive at least 10 minutes before the start/departure time for the ride briefing!! |
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Sun Dec 8th 2024
| Mince Pie Rides Lunch at The Fox |
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Leader:Diana Whidborne |
Start Time:1:00 pm |
Start Location:Denchworth |
Description:Pub lunch after the Mince Pie Rides. Please book with Di as detailed in recent newsletters. |
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Riders:Anke OttoBrian Watson Carin Tranter David Bridge Diana Whidborne John Tranter Mandy Wassell Nick Portsmouth Patrick O'Leary Robin Tucker Steve Boreham Steve Swanton Susan Holdroyd Riders = 13 Report: | ||
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- 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.
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