Last night a storm blew through bringing down lots of tree debris and torrential rain. I was leading today's ride and decided to delay the start until 11am, since the Met Office were forecasting sunshine at 11am... they got it spot on. Instead of coffee, we planned to have a lunch at a farm shop near Englefield.
This was a new ride for Breeze ladies, but having done a recce with hubby in November, and driven it last weekend, I was fairly confident I knew the route, and all the roads were fine. At least they were on Sunday! But after last night's rain, we had to go through some serious puddles at times to continue our journey.
Everyone who had a Garmin today had problems with them working after our lunch stop, so it was down to my memory to get us back... that's always a worry!
This is the route I set out to do, which was mostly the same until the 22 mile mark, where it was flooded. route
We started at Riseley and made our way to Stratfield Mortimer using a slightly different route to usual, Park Lane, and avoiding Beech Hill, then the familiar route which goes over the railway at Stratfield Mortimer, and then THIS!
Fortunately we were able to use the footpath to get around it, otherwise, it would have been problematic as it went on quite a way.
Then a slog uphill for about a mile and a right turn at the War Memorial. We continued with some undulations over to Burghfield Common, and once through, a right turn passed the pretty church at Sulhamstead Abbots. A funeral was taking place, so we didn't stop for long.
A bit further on and a fellow cyclist thought my back tyre looked flat... bugger. There is no way these tyres can be changed whilst out cycling. Time to phone my knight in shining armour aka John. So, the plan was that he would come to Risley where the van was, in the car with my other bike, leave the car at Riseley, and change to the van, meet us at the lunch stop, and take my other bike home. No one else knew the route back, so I had to stay with them of course. (Susie had the route on her Garmin, but they are not always reliable... as proved to be the case today.
Fortunately my tyre held enough air to continue, hoping to limp as far as the lunch stop.
A nice long downhill to Sheffield Bottom passing between the two lakes, and then through Theale onto Englefield Road. Several large puddles on the way, but none that we couldn't get through. We cut through the pretty lanes of North Street, then a short visit to Englefield since several of the ladies had never been before. (Village tea shop closed in January - as I knew, but we will be back!).
Now lunch at Cobb's Farm shop, where I had booked a table for 12.30. John arrived with my other bike, and after a delicious lunch (bit slow to come since busy), we were off once more. A short section on the footpath of the A4, then a left turn passing over the canal, and up Sulhamstead Hill. It goes on a bit, but we made it. Next through Upton Nervet, a then as we were about to turn in to Church Road, a large dog on the loose caused a quite lengthy delay whilst a few of the cyclist tried to catch it. It has no collar, so it difficult. A rope from a BT engineer, and after several minutes a driver with a large car stopped, and was willing to catch it and take it to the vet to hopefully find out who owned it.
Next around Wall Lane, Silchester. The plan after this was to return using a lane called Park Lane to bring us back via Stratfield Saye. However it was completely flood, and no way through (same stream that caused the flood in Stratfield Mortimer. (Foundry Brook). So we detoured back via Stratfield Mortimer, passing the enormous flood on the footpath once more, and returned the way we had come.
An eventful ride, and we got back to Riseley at 3.30. Karan who has ridden from Bracknell shot off with 16 miles still to do get home before it got dark.
Thanks for your company ladies. A good day out in beautiful weather, even if the roads were a bit of a mess! Hope you all enjoyed it too.
This was a new ride for Breeze ladies, but having done a recce with hubby in November, and driven it last weekend, I was fairly confident I knew the route, and all the roads were fine. At least they were on Sunday! But after last night's rain, we had to go through some serious puddles at times to continue our journey.
Everyone who had a Garmin today had problems with them working after our lunch stop, so it was down to my memory to get us back... that's always a worry!
This is the route I set out to do, which was mostly the same until the 22 mile mark, where it was flooded. route
We started at Riseley and made our way to Stratfield Mortimer using a slightly different route to usual, Park Lane, and avoiding Beech Hill, then the familiar route which goes over the railway at Stratfield Mortimer, and then THIS!
Fortunately we were able to use the footpath to get around it, otherwise, it would have been problematic as it went on quite a way.
Then a slog uphill for about a mile and a right turn at the War Memorial. We continued with some undulations over to Burghfield Common, and once through, a right turn passed the pretty church at Sulhamstead Abbots. A funeral was taking place, so we didn't stop for long.
A bit further on and a fellow cyclist thought my back tyre looked flat... bugger. There is no way these tyres can be changed whilst out cycling. Time to phone my knight in shining armour aka John. So, the plan was that he would come to Risley where the van was, in the car with my other bike, leave the car at Riseley, and change to the van, meet us at the lunch stop, and take my other bike home. No one else knew the route back, so I had to stay with them of course. (Susie had the route on her Garmin, but they are not always reliable... as proved to be the case today.
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| phoning John (picture by Susie) |
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| The road where we stopped to phone John next to the Police College. Photo from Susie |
A nice long downhill to Sheffield Bottom passing between the two lakes, and then through Theale onto Englefield Road. Several large puddles on the way, but none that we couldn't get through. We cut through the pretty lanes of North Street, then a short visit to Englefield since several of the ladies had never been before. (Village tea shop closed in January - as I knew, but we will be back!).
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| Vanessa, Lucie, Karan, Jackie, Susie, Kay and Gill |
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| Englefield House |
Now lunch at Cobb's Farm shop, where I had booked a table for 12.30. John arrived with my other bike, and after a delicious lunch (bit slow to come since busy), we were off once more. A short section on the footpath of the A4, then a left turn passing over the canal, and up Sulhamstead Hill. It goes on a bit, but we made it. Next through Upton Nervet, a then as we were about to turn in to Church Road, a large dog on the loose caused a quite lengthy delay whilst a few of the cyclist tried to catch it. It has no collar, so it difficult. A rope from a BT engineer, and after several minutes a driver with a large car stopped, and was willing to catch it and take it to the vet to hopefully find out who owned it.
Next around Wall Lane, Silchester. The plan after this was to return using a lane called Park Lane to bring us back via Stratfield Saye. However it was completely flood, and no way through (same stream that caused the flood in Stratfield Mortimer. (Foundry Brook). So we detoured back via Stratfield Mortimer, passing the enormous flood on the footpath once more, and returned the way we had come.
An eventful ride, and we got back to Riseley at 3.30. Karan who has ridden from Bracknell shot off with 16 miles still to do get home before it got dark.
Thanks for your company ladies. A good day out in beautiful weather, even if the roads were a bit of a mess! Hope you all enjoyed it too.