Past Ride
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Sun May 19th 2013
| CTC Oxfordshire Century Ride | 3* |
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Leader:Steve Swanton |
Start Time:8:00 am |
Start Location:Islip village hall |
Description:Update 16/5 - 21 riders planning to come so far!A chance to ride a century (105 miles) following the same anticlockwise route around Oxfordshire planned for our Tri-Vets 100 miles ride on 9 June. We start from Islip village hall at 8am (see link below for map) with Coffee at the Milk Shed, Weston-on-the-green (dep ~10:30), Lunch at Hilltop Garden Centre, Ramsden* (dep ~2.15pm) and Tea at Robin & Kerry Tucker's in Steventon (dep ~5:30pm). Pace will be steady to complete the ride in about 9 hours cycling time, aiming to finish ~7.15pm. Route sheet provided. As in previous years, riders will be very welcome to join us for just some of the ride, making it part of your own century ride if you want to. Please let Steve know if you plan to come. * Change of lunch venue as the Woodman's kitchen is closed for refurbishment. This will add about 4.5 mile to the route and 20 minutes to the ride. |
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Riders:Brian HipwellDavid Smith David Talboys James Dawton John Tranter Louis Hall Robin Tucker Stephen Lee Steve Swanton Ursula Hallam Riders = 10 Weather: Report:A lovely day to be on the bike; and a great ride, although we had a few misadventures on the way...22 riders took part in some or all of the day, including those on the left. Quite a few faces new to CTC activities. A very big thank you to Kerry for providing us with with a wonderful selection of cakes in the afternoon. Full report and a few pictures to come. A second spin - by Robin We split in to 2 groups, and I joined the one that James led, keen to learn the route as I'm leading a Tri-vets Century group in 3 weeks. Unfortunately we started with a mishap before 2 miles were done. Starting the first significant climb, we changed down gears, but Richard Preece's rear mech jumped into the spokes and he ground to a halt. It wasn't fixable, so he limped back to base. I hope he has better luck next time! The rest of the loop out to the east went smoothly. The biggest climb of the day was easily dispatched by all, and the fast descent near Horton taken as a reward. We arrived at the first stop just before they officially opened at 10, but fortunately the doors were open early. Good coffee, tea and cake at The Milkshed in Weston-on-the-Green. We were soon off on the second leg, following quiet and beautiful roads north of Woodstock. We passed the CTC Oxford City group out for their Sunday ride. John Tranter had a puncture, easily fixed with plenty of superfluous advice given. And Rory Carnegie noted his slightly loose back wheel - only to get assistance from James and a bodge which involved shimming the QR with a thin spanner. At this point Steve's group caught up and passed us. After our fixes, we followed them on the the garden centre at Ramsden for lunch. The Oxford City group had chosen that as their lunch stop too, so we had a great collection of cyclists there (creating a bit of a queue for a while I'm afraid). Knowing we were only halfway, I refuelled with roast pork and chocolate cake. The post-lunch section took us Wantage riders on to familiar territory as we swung by Minster Lovell, Bampton, Buckland and the Hanneys. The cycling was smooth and steady in our group and I took some 'over the shoulder' pics in Park Lane. Then forced myself to recalibrate - Park Lane in normally about 5 miles from the end of a ride - today it was over 30 to go. Our tea stop took me on to even more familiar territory - my home! My wife Kerry had prepared some rather brilliant cakes and Lorna was helping to dispense tea and coffee to the needy. The weather was great, so we took all the chairs from the house and put the on the patio. Some lazed on the grass. The arrival of Steve's group prompted us to get on our way, freeing the chairs and letting Kerry and Lorna prepare for a second wave. We headed north through Abingdon and out to Eynsham (no tolls for bikes) then east through Yarnton where we had our final interesting adventure. James had peeled off by this point so David Smith was leading us back and the GPS said 'straight on'. Unfortunately, straight on was a bridleway that started ok but gradually got muddier and puddlier. I'm a big fan of off-road biking, but generally prefer knobbly tyres rather than 23mm slicks on a racing bike! However, we all passed without problem and David has fixed the route for next time. The final leg wove through Cassington and Kidlington. The contrast between these built up areas and the quiet countryside we'd been enjoying for most of the ride was distinct. But, we did know that it marked the beginning of the end. And the final few miles to Islip were once again between green fields, bathed in sunshine. We arrive just before 7. A long ride, but I think everyone was still feeling pretty good, and with a justified sense of accomplishment! | ||
Distance:168.98 km (105.00 mi) | ||
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| Proposed Route: http://www.islip.org.uk/index.php?menu=map" | ||
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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.
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- 4* - Suitable for athletic riders who can ride safely above the 3* standard. Quick rides for the fit.
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