Past Ride
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Sun Feb 17th 2019
| Regular Wantage Ride - OXFORD SPECIAL | 3* |
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Leader:John Tranter |
Start Time:9:30 am |
Start Location:OMH |
Description:All-day touring ride (80-100km / 50-65 miles), lunch and possibly tea stop en route, at a riding pace of 18-22km/h (11-14mph). Not suitable for irregular riders. Climbing almost inevitable.This is the first of a series of Oxford special rides this year, taking advantage of my very best cunning knowledge of the secret routes in and out of this complicated but beautiful city. This is an all day ride at a steady touring pace, designated 3* because of the distance but otherwise with a 2* flavour. NB: NOTE CHANGE OF START LOCATION TO OLD MILL HALL We head east via Hanney and Steventon to cross the Thames at Clifton Hampden, then a lovely section via the Baldons and Garsington gets us to the south edge of Oxford at Horspath. We skirt the Mini factory before a particularly satisfying bike track route pops us out on the Cowley Road and we head over Magdalen Bridge up the High and into the heart of the city. I will let you into some Bursar/tour guide insider secrets as we pass my own St Cross College and head north through Jericho to a lunch stop at The Plough in Wolvercote. We will then enjoy a spectacular loop around Port Meadow and a super cunning transit of the A34/A420 junction before conquering Cumnor Hill and heading home via Appleton. This is a long route at about 56 miles / 90km, but we will have a number of short cut options in the last 10 miles or so and we can adjust to suit. |
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Riders:Barry StantonDes Higgs Eddie Little John Groves John Tranter John Vandore Joy Arthur Karl Blake LeeAnn Norris Paul Bentley Richard Kidd Riders = 11 Weather:  Report:An unexpectedly nice sunny day was a bonus. The nagging wind wasn't so welcome, particularly on the homeward stretch in the afternoon. But it was a good group that showed up. Great to see Lee Ann on her first weekend ride of the year (having been suitably fortified by the turbo sessions), and we welcomed James as a first time rider as well.The morning section went well, we split into two groups for a few of the busier roads and the climb of Garsington Hill was attacked with suitable enthusiasm. The swoop down into town along Barracks Lane is always fun, although the Cowley Road then presents some different challenges in terms of traffic and potholes! We had a few tourist moments through the centre and then rode out to Wolvercote for our lunch appointment at the Plough. Some variable service and a few delays this time, although in general the food was good.The afternoon section was where we discovered the headwind, although the climb of Cumnor Hill didn't seem to present too much of a challenge. Unfortunately, John G had a nasty fall after catching the edge of a particularly unpleasant pothole near Fyfield. The group sprang into action very impressively, with people holding up traffic on both directions until we could get him checked over. Having a doctor in the group also didn't do any harm! Thankfully, both John and his bike were fit to continue, although the crack in his helmet was testament to how hard he had hit the deck. Anyway, back at Grove just before 4pm and many thanks to everyone for a really great day out. | ||
Distance:88.51 km (55.00 mi) | Ride Details:https://ridewithgps.com/trips/31756837 | |
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| Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29333189" | ||
Comment on this ride | ||
1
Written by : Barry Stanton Posted on : February 17, 2019 at 8:10 PM |
Great ride John, my longest since the knee op... really enjoyed it |
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- Categories
- 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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