Past Ride
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Sun Jun 24th 2001
| Annual Midsummer Ride to Avebury |
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Leader:Steve Swanton |
Start Time:4:00 am |
Start Location:WMS |
Description:Our annual pilgrimage to the Stone Circlerewarded by breakfast at the Red Lion Pub and coffee at the Baker's Arms on the way back. Start in the dark at 4 am - lights required. Please book with Steve. Festival of Cycling event |
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Riders:Alan Jones (dec)Barbara Muritu Barry Chapman Brian Stewart Dave Gribble Jane Bruffell Jonathan Powell Kevin Fairs Laurent Chambard Mary Weir (dec) Neil Lewis Neil Warner Pat Hurt Steve Bruffell Steve Swanton Riders = 15 Report:13 of us were mad enough to be up for 4 am (Pat joined us in Lambourn), Mary and Barbara having already cycled over from Witney! Had I not been leading, I would happily have gone back to bed, but thereafter I started to wake up! It was good to have Brian and Jonathan back with us and to initiate four Avebury virgins (Alan, Barbara, Mary and Dave)! Jane was trying the full ride for the first time on her brand new Thorn. Sadly, Kev broke a spoke and buckled his wheel a mile out of Wantage, so went home but still joined us for breakfast.There was a band of haze on the horizon as we waited for the sunrise at the top of Hackpen Hill. Then just as we were about to continue to Lambourn, the tip of the sun emerged from the murk. We waited for the full orange orb to appear. Descending into Lambourn was stunning with mist hugging the ground and a wall of mist by the trees at the bottom of the hill. Thereafter we enjoyed a glorious sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Our route took us through Baydon to Aldbourne, where we stopped briefly for refreshments, then over the hill to Ogbourne St George with the fast descent from Snap. Luckily the bridleways North of Manton had just reopened after FMD and we were able to ride up onto the gallops for the views over the Kennett Valley. We reached Avebury at 8:50. The Red Lion did us proud this year, with a table laid and plentiful supplies of orange juice and coffee to refresh us. We returned by first climbing East Kennett hill (by way of a change) for the views and then enjoyed the descent into Marlborough. The railway path to Chiseldon is now fully restored and we were able to cycle its full length again. By the time we reached our coffee  stop at The Baker | ||
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