Past Ride
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Sun Dec 7th 2014
| Mince Pie Ride - Off-road | 2* |
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Leader:Robin Tucker |
Start Time:9:45 am |
Start Location:WMP |
Description:For full details of the event see the "Annual Mince Pie Ride" entry.The 2* off road ride will leave at about 9:55 (about the same time as the 3* ride) - but please arrive at least 10 minutes beforehand to register. Ride out with us to the NT car park at White Horse Hill, Uffington, for mince pies and mulled wine. We'll go first to Letcombe Regis, then up the road to Gramp's Hill to get warm. From the top, we turn West on the Ridgeway, following Britain's oldest road to the Uffington White Horse. After Mince Pies and Mulled Wine, we'll go back on the Ridgeway to the exciting Sparsholt Field descent. Then by road to Sparsholt and Childrey. From here there will be 3 options to finish the ride: 1. The Bridleway to E Challow, then road into Wantage. 2. Down to W Challow and the canal to N Wantage & Grove. 3. Down to the A417 then road to The Fox at Denchworth for lunch (for those who have booked). |
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Report:6 riders on the Off-road ride to the pies.We gathered as part of the large throng in the market place, and left at 10am out by the church. As the weather was a bit brooding, we opted for the path to Letcombe Regis. Then it was up the hill to Letcombe Bassett. At this point, the 3* road ride led by Katherine caught up with us and overtook (or so we thought). We turned left up even more hill : Gramp's Hill. We were surprised by being overtaken by 4 road riders, because the road stops at the top and there are only muddy tracks. But we cyclists sometimes ride up a hill to ride down it, so fair enough. However, it turned out that they were on the 3* ride and had followed us instead of their leader by mistake. We gave them rough directions "down the hill and turn left" and hoped they could rejoin. For us, at the top of the hill, the Ridgeway awaited. It was a bit sticky in places, but quite rideable and we made good progress to the A338 crossing. Here we met again with the 3* ride. And - we were glad to see that the 4 lost souls had been found. We persuaded one of the riders to take a picture of us. More Ridgeway followed. Stuart's chain broke in claggy mud going up hill. But, he fixed it in about 5 minutes, so not too bad. We arrived at the White Horse car park just before 11:30. After pies and mulled wine, we set off at about 12:00. Allen and Paul had planned a longer ride and headed south towards Lambourn. The other 4 of us retraced our steps (?) to Sparsholt Field where we enjoyed a long fast run down. Then it was road to Childrey, and down the hill to West Challow. Here I took the others to the canal, so they could head back to Wantage. I turned north and headed out to the Fox for a tasty and convivial meal. Mileage includes return to Wantage | ||
Distance:33.80 km (21.00 mi) | ||
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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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