Friday again! The youngsters Lynne and Martina were both on holiday, so just the old ladies present today. Andrea originally thought it would be too hot to ride, so until yesterday was not planning to come. However a short ride with her hubby yesterday, proved that whilst moving, the breeze on a bike along some leafy lanes is the best place to be in this horrible weather. We are at Day 2 of a 4 Day "Severe Heat" warming, when today we are expected to reach 37 degrees. (I've just been out in the car, and could barely touch the steering wheel. It was indeed 37 degrees.)
Jeanette has had some bad luck on her 2 rides since last Friday so today, as she said ,would be "third time lucky". As we all waited at our usual starting place....no Jeanette. I checked my messages.
Sorry 😢😢😢 I've got a bike malfunction. Just going home to change my bike.
Off to a flying start then! 😂 Whilst Jeanette was moaning that her older bike was hard work, I was on my "old" Road Bike today, since my 2 other bikes were at the repair shop. (Gravel bike was squeaking badly, and needs a new bottom bracket.) I really enjoyed riding my road bike.
Since I am often the one who leads, I suggested that today anyone could be our leader, and I volunteered Jeanette to start us off. She led us as far as The Straight Mile, then I put Gill up front. Gill opted to turn left just beyond Shurlock Row Pond, onto a short lane called Callins Lane, which is one side of a triangle to connect to Beenham Heath. This confused most ladies straight away. "oooh, I've not been here before!"
Not long after we joined Beenham Heath Road, I spotted this hay stack on the left. I had noticed it before, but today decided to go back and photograph it.
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| Haystack at Beenham Heath |
There was a eureka moment when some ladies realised where we were as we approached the 5 way junction at Waltham St Lawrence Memorial. (never fails to amuse me how they still don't know where we are.😂😂) Passing through WSL, we crossed the railway at Milley Bridge and continued to Hare Hatch.
Louise was leading now, but seemed surprised when we got to the A4... but then she knew exactly where to going next, ie a dogleg left and right. Hurray! We're not lost. From Tag lane, we stayed high on Blakes Road to drop down past Wargrave Manor and then the short distance on the main road to the Marina.
Our return trip was back through Wargrave, and since I was on skinny road tyres today, we stuck to tarmac all the way home via Ruscombe and Hurst Lanes.
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My camera definitely in shock today. This is a terrible photograph
in the Hurst Lanes. It looks like it was steamed up maybe. |
We all went to Gill's for a few minutes to make sure that we could, all 5, fit comfortably in her estate car for our Devon trip. (otherwise I would have taken our car). It was fine. We left Gill and won't see her again for a couple of weeks with various commitments, including her Hebridean cycling holiday looming fast.
(As I write this, my ice towel is draped around my neck, and having also just popped out to a shop, the cashier there was wearing exactly the same. 😂)
