Past Ride
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Sat Feb 26th 2011
| Saturday afternoon ride from Grove | 2* |
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Leader:John Talbot |
Start Time:1:00 pm |
Start Location:OMH |
Description:Monthly 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.Pretty flat route this month. From Grove we will go via Denchworth, Lyford, Garford and Frilford to Marcham. We will turn north to Cothill and Dry Sandford to the Wootton road. We will skirt below Boar's Hill via the pretty village of Sunningwell to Radley. From Radley we will follow NCN 5 along the old Abingdon branch railway to Abbey Gardens. Sticking close to the Thames past St Helen's Wharf. We will stay on the NCN route south along Peep-o-day Lane past the new Wilts & Berks Canal basin to Sutton Courtenay. The NCN route has a good surface throughout but if it's very wet we will use an on-road alternative. Heading westwards now to Drayton and south to Steventon and up the little climb to Milton Heights which should hone your appetite for the tea-stop at Q Gardens Farm Shop at the top. After refreshments we will head along Featherbed Lane and through East Hendred to West Hendred. South towards Ginge and Ardington. Final drop down Grove Park Drive past Lain's Barn and back to Grove. Distance is 35 miles. We should be back before dusk but lights are recommended for the final stretch. |
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Riders:Adrian WestChris Walters David Wynn (deceased) Frank Schroer Guy Yeates Iain Kent John Talbot John Tranter Richard Divall Steve Swanton Tracey Talbot Riders = 11 Report:Eleven riders set off from Old Mill Hall. We enjoyed good sunshine through Denchworth, Lyford and Garford. And then all hell let loose! The mother of all hailstorms threatened to smash us to bits or blow us off of our bikes!It was all over in less than 5 minutes but we were soaked and cold and sore. A bit unfortunate as the weather on the rest of the ride was pretty decent, some sun with a couple of very short light showers. We stuck to the planned route through Marcham, Dry Sandford and Wootton. A quick breather after a slipped chain in Sunningwell and through Radley. We were already wet so I decided to take the NCN option which was going to be wet and a bit muddy but overall it was fine and quick traffic-free cycling. The loos in Abbey Gardens were closed which was a disappointment to some of us so we continued. Iain suffered a puncture next to the Thames as we were leaving Abingdon so we had a brief enforced stop. We went along Peep-o-Day Lane to Drayton and Steventon and the one real hill of the ride to the tea-stop at Q Farm Shop. We just made it with a few minutes to spare before they closed at 4pm. A few riders had peeled off to their homes along the way so we were down to seven for tea and cakes and six for the final speedy push through the Hendreds, Ginge and Lockinge back to Grove. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, I hope everyone else did too and you'll have something to do on Sunday now, i.e. cleaning your bikes  Thanks for the company and joining the ride. | ||
Distance:56.65 km (35.20 mi) | Ride Details:http://ridewithgps.com/trips/181437 | |
| Proposed Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/275576" | ||
Comment on this ride | ||
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- 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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