Riseley to home via Sherfield on Loddon - 29 miles

Monday already, and with poor Daffers resting up, just me and Linda out today. I've not seen Linda for 2 weeks due to her being pre-disposed, so a good chance for a catch up. John was driving to Riseley for his ride with Dave, so we got a lift and would ride home from there... but not directly, since that's a pathetically short ride for us seasoned cyclists. 😉

It was dense fog again this morning (as was yesterday), but the forecast was for sun to appear late morning. It was cooold as we started out, 4 degrees,  and Linda in cropped trousers and fingerless gloves was possibly under dressed. Never mind, we peddled fast to warm up. No planned route today, since I didn't get time, but also because I thought it would give us a challenge to test our knowledge. Which amused Linda no end, since I said she was leading. First point of note..... to Silchester, then to SOL for tea stop. 

How do we get to Silchester Linda? She knew. She just thinks she doesn't know, infact she even suggested a couple of ways to get there. We set off up Bull Lane, then into Barge Lane, where I took a couple of photos of the fog incase is suddenly lifted (it didn't!)

Route home from Riseley

Bull Lane views

Barge Lane views. The lane was a right mess today, since a tractor had been in and out of a field.

Linda had suggested heading to Beech Hill, but that is a longer route, so I suggested we turn left and skirt Stratfield Saye, then right at the Iron Duke onto Green Lane / Mortimer Lane/Park Lane and the climb up to Silchester.

A breather as we reached the top at Silchester, and looking behind us,
the sun is trying to break through. Just not trying hard enough.

Now round Wall Lane, and the next left towards Bramley.
Linda calls out that she is struggling. Turns out she had a puncture.

We pulled off the Bramley Road, and at the junction with Little London Road, 
  set up on the grass verge.

We have the same bikes, so I was very confident that I could replace her inner tube and be off in 7-10 mins. We took great care checking and rechecking the tyre for the offending cause of the puncture, and with my tweezers pulled out several tiny bits of flint from a selection of holes in her tyre. Hopefully ONE of them was the cause. Then, replaced the inner tube with a new one, slightly inflated it, and got the tyre back on with not too much difficulty.  Then we both took turns at putting more air in the tube, but it refused to blow up any more, infact more was coming out than going in. 

We decided the value was faulty, so took the tyre off again, put another tube in, and all seemed fine, but this time the valve came off with the pump. It's going well isn't it.  Eventually with tyre almost on, I was really struggling to get the final few inches of tyre back on the wheel. Very strange... same tyre,  same wheel, but it was not having it. We were discussing our options of how to get Linda home, when she spotted the two red jackets of John and Dave about to shoot passed us! I was surprised to see them since they had not planned to come this way originally, and I assumed they had long gone on their route to Charter Alley. It turns out that Dave also had a puncture not far after Riseley, was feeling freezing cold, and requested a shorter route to their planned coffee stop. This meant they came passed where we were. WIN, WIN. 😊

The Cavalry have arrived. Dave is obviously directing. 
Look at the state of those mudguards Linda!

So, John took over, but also could not get the tyre back on. He took it off, started again and this time got it on with no problem Why do these things happen? After our stop of what must have been half an hour or more, Linda was frozen.  I was ok, since we had had a little glimmer of sun shine while we were stopped, but also I had been wrestling with a tyre!

So , we parted company with the boys for the second time, and we followed Bramley Road. I was relieved when we passed the end of Clappers Farm Road (to the ford),since I knew where we were, even if Linda was not so sure. We crossed the railway bridge near Bramley, then turned left on Stratfield Saye Road, and right at Active Tots 5 way XRoads. Now Mill Lane all the way to SOL.  I've never been confident enough to ride this area without a pre planned route, so I was chuffed that I did it. 😇

We sat inside at SOL today which is unusual, but it was still foggy and cold. By the time we had our cuppa, blue skies outside. Wooppee. Our options for the way home were either Heckfield and Laundry Lane, Rotherfield or Mattingley. Laundry Lane was a right mess a couple of weeks ago, so although Linda would do anything rather than return via Plough Lane to Bramshill, she got outvoted. 

Left turn and up to Hartley Wespall church. The last time we did this lane a few weeks ago
we  had to turn back at the  next bend, since the dustbin truck was heading straight for us. And  today, we met it again on the same bend!

Passing the left turn to Daneshill, we turned right at the "green triangle", following Bottle Lane all the way to Mattingley. 

Mattingley next to the church. I took off a layer here, since it I was now too warm
and knew what was coming. 

Up Linda's favourite, Plough Lane, and since its been dry recently, we crossed straight over to Bramshill Forrest track.

Gorse in full flower at Bramshill

Straight on?

Dog enjoying playtime at Eversley Ford.

A "Road closed ahead" sign on Park Lane, but we hoped that our bikes could get through... which they couldn't. So annoying, since it would be very easy for the contractors to leave a gap big enough for bikes to get to 9MRide. 

Park Lane/9MRide closed yet again for several weeks. 

We backtracked a couple of hundred yards and used the woodland path to White Horse Lane. It was fine today, mostly, but any rain fall and its a distaster, so something to bear in mind for several weeks again. 

Finally, through California Park. One of those rides that is memorable for possibly the wrong reasons, but still nice to be out. Linda now has to get armed with a couple more spare tubes before her next ride.... and clean those disgraceful mudguards too. 😂