Clubrun reports - 3 July 2011

Reports from the varied Sunday rides. We're running out of adjectives to describe intended clubrun speeds, it appears, but oldies and newbies alike had a good morning.

Steve Ferry led to Woodstock:

I planned this ride last night to be as flat as possible. With only 600m
of climbing in 175km I achieved my objective.

There were six of us at the start. Kevin and Paul Marshall, David
Browning, Dan Robertson, Nick Davis and me. We stayed together all the
way out and all the way back. There was some good group ridding and with
few hills to split us up we arrived at Woodstock spot on 11am having
done about 92 km from the town square.

We fed at the Blenheim Tea Rooms in Woodstock. Good food and good value.
Then there was 75km for the return. We managed this as a group. The only
slight problem was Dan's saddle bolt kept slipping and his saddle
shifted angle.

We split up at Streatley and cruised home. Having had a good day in the
saddle.

out http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96506349 and back http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96506358

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Rod Macfadyen led a Brisk/Fast-ish ride

Us Brisks set off down Friar St and I looked back and thought OMG I’ve dragged the entire Market Place group away with me. Well, no, but 15 riders is the biggest group I’ve had for a long time. And what a lovely summer morning it was to be on a bike. We went through Tilehurst to plunge down Sulham Hill and then up Tidmarsh Lane. Slight regroup at the top of that rise and a couple of guys said they were feeling tired and would ride at their own pace.

On to the Bucklebury TT circuit briefly, through Yattendon where Colin B seemed to disappear but then very neatly reappeared at a junction as we headed towards Hampstead Norreys. From here we worked our way westward on rolling quiet lanes via Worlds End, Beedon and Stanmore. Lovely roads but we were ahead of schedule and I needed to throw in a loop. A late call for a left turn saw us lose three off the front, bit between their teeth and oblivious. The remaining group found a beautiful section of new tarmac through Peasemore that ended with a tight tight bend covered in gravel - that was a moment. We found the B4494 Newury-Wantage road and started working well, travelling north, and also found our three lost riders (Mick B, Brian S, + 1) heading towards us travelling south. They did a U-turn and after the slog to Farnborough we regrouped before the plunge down to West Ilsley and the nervy joust with the A34 to arrive at Chilton GC at 11.01, Colin already installed.

It was far too easy to chat in the warm sunshine but by 11.35 we were rolling again via W Hagbourne, Didcot, South Moreton and Wallingford. Lots of leisure riders out and we blasted past them all. Crossing the busy A4074 at Crowmarsh Gifford RAB we took the lane towards Ipsden with lovely views of empty roads, empty apart from the occasional worried driver slowing as a dozen riders thundered towards them. Well Place hill was as steep as usual, Stoke Row followed soon after, but by now riders such as Rory W were going their own way, Fred and John also splitting at Kidmore End. Still, 9 of us made it as a group all the way back to Reading. I was home at 12.55 with door to door stats of 96km at 29.2kph. No incidents, no punctures, no mechanicals, just good flowing riding. I’ll have to remember days like these when the cold winter rides return.

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Ranjit Bahra led a Brisk-end-of-Stedady ride

This week the numbers were easier to manage. I set of with 5 other riders (Glen, Lukas, Malcolm, Trevor & Warren, I think the rest of the usual pack were just too scared!) to Old Windsor, choosing a differemt route to the usual flat one.

Reading-->Playhatch-->climb to Binfield Heath--> Harsden-->Henley--> Marlow Road at good speed-->Lt to Hambledon, just before Skirmett Malcolm had a tremendous blow out, that resolved-->Ibstone Road steep climb to Ibstone-->Stokenchurch-->Rt at B482 8 mile descent at speeds upto 35.7mph on my speedo into Marlow (by when the average was 17.8mph/28.6 kph)-->thru' Marlow & up Winter Hill-->Cookham , here Trevor left us and the rest of us-->onto A4 out to the A404/A4 roundabout. Somewhere alkong the A4 we seemed to have lost Malcolm, we waited, I turned back onto the A4 but he was no where to be seen. We hope you are ok and got back safeley. The rest of us proceeded thru' Holyport-->B3024 to Windsor. By this stage we had to stop for a drink at a BP service station then proceeded into Windsor-->Datchet-->Great Pk Cafe.

Half way stats 54.5miles/87.7Km from Wokingham, 47.5miles/76.4km from Reading at 17.3mph/27.83kmp arriving at 12.05

Having refreshed ourselves the route home was shorter

Cafe-->B3021 Datchet Rd-->Straight Rd-->Crimp Hill-->thru Great Pk--> a team effort to navigate ourselved throught the maize of road in The Park to Ascot-->Winkfield Row-->Haley Green-->Warfield-->Binfield. Here Lukas departed to Wokingham, Warren, Glen and myself hot footed on and at the Warren eatery Glen and I turned right towards Billingbear and Warren procedded straight over to Woodley via Hurst. I turned back at Charvil, Glen went to Reading.

Total stats overall distanec for me 83.5 miles approx (134km) at 17.3mph/27.8kph, Reading to Reading gestimate distance 76.5miles /124.5km @ 17.3mph/27.8kph time riding about 4.5hrs.

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And finally, Mick Simmons leads a steady Steady ride

Twelve of us set off from Queen Vic at 9.
Robin missed the Windsor ride so came with us to the Chilterns.
Super sunny morning- perfect conditions except that we managed three (!) punctures before Stoke Row and two were mine (no, not the same flint). Onward and upwards towards Nuffield, down past Russells Water and up Stonor hill to Northend.
Down to Turville (sorry about the dead end detour) and up again to Piddington and along the A40 to W Wycombe. Quick efficient service and good coffee there and some sunshine too in the garden.

Direct route home via Lane End, Frieth and Mill End. We split at Mill End and half went back via Hambleden Weir. I thought that the Henley Marlow road had been resurfaced but it felt as bad as ever. Three went off the front after Henley and just Sarah and I arrived back in Emmer Green. Well done our newcomers Michael and Wei Teng

Roll call: Ian, Sue, Malcolm, Eamon, Robin, Sarah, Mark L, Michael, Wei Teng, Arnold, Richard P, Mick S

Mick

Stats (it felt quicker than we seem to have achieved!)
Distance: 73.76 km
Elevation Gain: 710 m
Calories: 2,474 C
Time: 03:11:35
Moving Time: 03:05:33
Elapsed Time: 04:41:10
Avg Speed: 23.1 km/h
Avg Moving Speed: 23.9 km/h
Max Speed: 53.2 km/h