Past Ride
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Sat Jan 2nd 2016
| Saturday Afternoon Ride from Grove | 3* |
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Leader:Phil Ward |
Start Time:1:00 pm |
Start Location:OMH |
Description:Monthly 60-70km (38-45 miles) afternoon ride, with a tea stop, riding pace of 20-24km/h (13-15mph). Likely to visit distant destinations. Not suitable for irregular riders. Climbing likely. Hoping for some half decent weather to start the new year with a measured ascent of The Ridgeway via Chain Hill. Once regrouped at the top we will swoop South along some potentially quite mucky lanes to join the Lambourn Valley at Boxford, then turn to contour along to a welcome tea stop at The Cafe in Lambourn ("cafe lock" recommended). Heading back towards Wantage directly via the easy side of Hackpen will bring us back to base around or just beyond dusk - so LIGHTS ESSENTIAL PLEASE folks.Following a recce, all I can add is do bring tubes (2+ suggested) & swap out any dodgy tyres, there is much flinty debris after the recent downpours. |
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Report:Five determined souls struck out from Old Mill Hall for the first time in 2016, with leaden skies and persistent drizzle being order of the day. A regroupment following the climb of Chain Hill enabled us to rattle Southwards through the sodden villages of Brightwalton and Boxford before turning to find the wind at our backs for the gently rising and water-logged road along the Lambourn Valley.Extraordinarily, we registered a mechanical & puncture count of zero, despite numerous plunges across deep puddles within which lurked goodness knows what horrors! Our luck did not hold as far as the Cafe stop though - an unscheduled closure saw us thwarted in a quest for tea and cake. Undeterred, we found a silver lining to this situation and resolved that re-emerging from a warm tea room would have proved quite unpleasant, furthermore it enabled us to complete the ride well within daylight. Many thanks to my ride companions, you made light of the terrain and conditions (53km at 22kph), leaving us all I hope, glowing with a sense of having ventured out and completed as planned. | ||
Distance:52.90 km (32.87 mi) | ||
| Proposed Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/11580567" | ||
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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