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Past Ride

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Tue Jun 20th 2017

Tuesday 4* Evening Ride	4*

Leader: Phil Ward	Start Time: 6:30 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: Weekly, a 2 hours + ride this week, at a riding pace in the region of 27-29km/h (17-19mph). May be hilly, aiming to ease the pace for regroupment rather than stop. "Wakey wakey, Rise and shine, (the LONG 4* ride) It's on again..." (Radiohead Webcast 09-11-07 - Faust Arp) highlighted this evening's featured location of Wittenham Clumps recording at their acoustic best on the fabled hills, albeit at dawn. Weather permitting (see below), we however will thread our way Eastwards in an almost Mid-Summer's evening glow to the atmospheric Bronze Age fortress via gentle lanes, with the prospect of a couple of particularly good hard "pulls" up to the Cholsey Downs and Hagbourne Hill on our return, prior to a pacey run-in along the A417, now becalmed with the falling dew (I'll get my coat...). Fluids, not druids.... Please fuel and clothe for 65km/350m. FLUIDS essential, 2 bottles sensible... ETA returning via Wantage (8:40pm) to Grove around 8:50pm running at 28kph average....
Riders: Frank Schroer Jason Jones Louis Hall Nick Stokell Paul Jarvis Phil Ward Richard Kembleton Riders = 7 Weather: Report: "The heat is on, on the street"Â ..... Glen Frey (1984), popularised by its use in Beverly Hills Cop came to mind in sweltering conditions as six lined out on the A338 towards Hanney. The Steventon Road proved calmer and enabled compact pairwise riding and conversation as we settled at a steady ~30kph into a welcome cooling headwind drift. Topics under discussion included "how hot does it need to get before you jettison the leg warmers Louis ? "You can make a break, you can win or lose, That's a chance you take, when the heat's on you" 6 became 7 around Steventon after a spirited chase-on to the group by Frank who is leaving it progressively later to join - we'll catch him out one day, but he likes a good work out To enliven the ride further, homage to 617 Squadron was made by sudden and unannounced deployment of bouncing bomb bidons, twice from the ride leader's cage and a further attempt on group harmony by Nick joining in the bottle-dropping game. Needless to say, such hazards were expertly avoided by the 4* crew as we kept excellent pace over the climby portion of the Clumps loop. Turning for home, we picked up pace a little with the help of falling temperatures and a light tailwind. Traffic was light on the A417, but the temporary traffic-lights conspired to split the group on the last stretch into Wantage. No matter, all crew returned safely to base at 8:45pm, slightly up on schedule having averaged 28.7kph. Many thanks all for the smooth completion of a good long summer evening's ride. In particular my appreciation for trialling the "slow, but don't stop on hill tops" mode, from which my data suggests a mere 22 seconds spent stationary (thus avoiding "the sweats" ) on a 2h17 / 65km ride - nice ! Next week ..... Wiltshire hills
Distance: 65.60 km (40.76 mi)	Ride Details: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/15465364
Cholsey Downland in evening light Rich and Frank; two 4* Shire horses, on the front, again... Wittenham Clumped, where next ?
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20243285"
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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