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Past Ride

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Sat Sep 27th 2025

2* Saturday Half Day Ride	2*

Leader: Steve Swanton	Start Time: 9:30 am	Start Location: OMH
Description: 25/09 A couple of changes to the start and finish of the route to avoid the road closure between Denchworth and Hanney, and the roadworks by Lidl. So we will use a short stretch of the A338 from Grove to East Hanney and then return at the end via Lains Barn. We've not been out eastwards or to the Style Acre Cafe at Blewbury garden centre for sometime. So this Saturday a variant on a classic club ride to Blewbury circumnavigating Didcot. Out via Steventon, Sutton Courtenay, the Wittenhams and the Moretons, back via the Harwell campus and the Icknield Greenway. A round trip of some 37 miles taken at a steady 2* pace. Expect to be back about 1:30pm. Please let me know if you are planning to come. Half day ride (45-55km / 30-40 miles), with a refreshmant stop, at a riding pace of 18-20km/h (11-13mph).
Riders: Anke Otto Chris Bailey Des Higgs Roger Postbeschild Steve Swanton Riders = 5 Weather: Report: 5 of us gathered under grey skies for our Saturday 2* outing. No rain but it never really brightened up all morning. Given the closure of the Denchworth to Hanney road, we took the direct route to East Hanney along the A338, cycling as a tight group of 5. The main road was busy, so it was a relief to turn off at the first left into East Hanney and continue more sedately through the village. The Cow Common road to Steventon was also busy and it was only once we turned off the Abingdon Road at Drayton that we could really start to relax and enjoy quieter lanes. We continued through Sutton Courtenay and Appleton before turning onto the tarmaced section of NCN5 through to Long Wittenham. We turned off to Little Wittenham, where our first and longest climb of the day brought us to the Wittenham Clumps car park, We stopped briefly for a snack break and to take in the views. Back on the road, we continued onto Sires Hill and then enjoyed the long gentle descent into North Moreton, despite a nagging southerly headwind. Through pretty South Moreton and the Astons, we were soon in Blewbury. The Style Acre café was new to both Anke and Chris, but we did find the menus hard to find (on a rack by the main door). Nevertheless, service was prompt and I enjoyed a good sausage sarnie and tea in a china cup. After our stop, we resumed our tight 5 for the stretch along the busy-ish A417 to Upton before turning off to climb Hagbourne hill on the traffic-free cyclists’ road (NCN544). Everyone had tyres suitable for the off-road sections to come and at the top there was a unanimous decision to take the off-road short-cut by continuing ahead on the Sustrans route (rather than meandering on tarmac through Chilton and the Harwell campus). The route is tarmaced past the Thames water storage reservoirs as far as the bridge crossing of the A34, thereafter it becomes a stoney dirt track across Harwell Field. Roger was in his element here, forging ahead at some pace on the track and as we continued from the campus on the Icknield Greeway. As we reached the Ginge-West Hendred road, Chris realised that his saddle was loose. On inspection he had lost one each of the two bolts and rest plates that held it in place. Fortunately, a couple of strategically placed cable ties enabled a temporary fix so that Chris could ride home. We continued thereafter, on-road, negotiating some roadworks in Ginge before turning up the short climb at Betterton. Chris left us here to head home via Lockinge, while the rest of us enjoyed the lovely long sweep down into Ardington. It turned out that Roger did need to get home, and he left us at Christopher’s Wood to head back to Grove via Kingsgrove, while the remaining 3 of us continued over Lains Barn. Back in Grove just after 1:30pm. Thanks all for your company on an enjoyable and easy ride to lead.
Distance: 57.29 km (35.60 mi)	Ride Details: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52836201
2* riders in Sutton Courtenay - 27Sep25 Emergency saddle repair with cable ties - 27Sep25
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52793513"
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Start Locations: WMP
Wantage Market Place; OMH
Old Mill Hall, Grove

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.; More Information