I led today's ride starting from Jocks Lane, Bracknell over to Wargrave to the Cwtch Cafe on the riverside.
route
I had postponed from yesterday, which was wet. Shame that a couple of the original riders couldn't do Friday, but their spaces were taken by Kay and Linda R. Unfortunately Linda R got a puncture enroute to the start point! On a positive note... at least it didn't happen mid ride. Julie arrived with the news that Linda was pushing her bike back home. Sorry Linda!
We headed off through Ryehurst Lane, with the heads up by text from Karan that it wasn't flooded today. (it has been a lot recently, and may well be again after this weekend when Storm Dennis the Menace is passing through).
We stopped to amuse the photographer down Westerly Mill Lane by the snowdrops.
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| Westerley Mill Lane |
A bit on Howe Lane, then left at the roundabout and continued all the way to Beenham Heath turning right at the fork and continuing over to Waltham St Lawrence and Milley Bridge.
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| View from Milley Bridge |
Hubby was also out riding today, and he came back with a photo of the same view!
Now a familiar route crossing the A4 at Tag Lane, but we came down Wargave Hill, turning right on the main road for just a couple of hundred yards to the Marina.
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| Crossing a little tributary stream running next to the Thames in Wargrave, arriving at the Marina |
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| Back a bit. Back a bit! Kay, Julie, Lisa, Rachael, Becky and Sarah. |
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| That drink of Rachael's looks like a dessert! |
So, from river level the inevitable. We need to get back up a hill. Going through the traffic lights, we turned left (cyce route 4) into a very messy, potholed Braybrook Road, but it was fine and more of a gentle climb to get up back up School Hill to cross back over the A4. We returned via Ruscombe Church and a very nice newly tarmacked surface all the way back to Waltham St Lawrence X Roads. Another mile further and right into Smewins Road (the one with the Corgi weathervane!) then left and back to Howe Lane, retracing our steps to Westeley Mill Road, where we regrouped at Bottle Lane.
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| Views from Bottle Lane. |
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| Still smiling. |
The wind was gusty today, which was a bit of a nuisance but otherwise a pleasant February day of around 8 degrees. Some of us feeling over dressed at times.
