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Past Ride

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Sat Jul 28th 2018

2* Saturday Half Day Ride - OXFORD SPECIAL	2*

Leader: John Tranter	Start Time: 1:00 pm	Start Location: OMH
Description: WEATHER UPDATE - SATURDAY MORNING It now looks like we will avoid the rain, have some pleasant temperatures but also have some strong winds. The route is fairly well sheltered, so the ride is ON! Half day ride (45-55km / 30-40 miles), with a tea stop, at a riding pace of 18-20km/h (11-13mph). Not likely to be very hilly. Might be a struggle for new or irregular riders in winter months. By popular demand, a re-run of my very successful ride in April - this is a 2* ride that has pretty much everything! We head out via Charney Bassett and discover the nifty Southmoor footbridge - the safest way to cross the A420. Then we follow the quiet road parallel to the A420 all the way to Cumnor and swoop down Cumnor Hill to the edge of Oxford. From there we utilise a a super cunning bike-safe transit of the A420/A34 Botley junction to head north for a lovely circuit around Port Meadow before heading back into town via Wolvercote to my very own St Cross College for a VIP coffee stop. You can only get in if you are a friend of the Bursar, with catering from the fine cafes of St Giles. Then there is more fun with my most cunning bike track and riverside route out of town to the west, before the climb of Cumnor Hill. We head for home via Fyfield. At 42 miles, it is a long ride for an afternoon, but we have a few short cut options in the final section which we can use if necessary. I don't expect to be back before 5.30pm. Having said that, there are very few hills and we will stick to a steady 2* pace.
Riders: Brian Hipwell David Lynch James Bosley Jan McCabe John Tranter Karen Townsin Paul McCabe Val Smith Riders = 8 Weather: Report: Well, with all that wild weather swirling around, it was impressive to see so many people braving it. Six started out and we got some rain within the first couple of miles. Didn't last long so we were not too badly affected. Val was suffering from a rubbing and squealing disc brake and decided to turn back at Southmoor. We then had some bright and blowy weather which blew us along nicely to the edge of Oxford where we gathered up Jan and Paul. The tour of Port Meadow and the run down into town was as good as ever and we sat outside for tea and cake in the beautiful Blackwell Quad of St Cross College. After the usual tourist scrums on NCN5, we made it to the river and enjoyed the tracks back to Botley, where we said goodbye to Jan and Paul and conquered Cumnor Hill (into the wind!) And then - the heavens opened and we had a pretty tough final 10 miles into the headwind home. Drowned rats all, but all in all an enjoyable afternoon in great company!
Distance: 67.59 km (42.00 mi)	Ride Details: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/26038746
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27548344"
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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