It's Monday, and I've not cycled with my "regular" Monday buddies since about early November! Daphne recovering today from some minor surgery, so taking it easy, and Linda just about recovering from what sounds like a bout of flu, on top of Christmas visitor exhaustion! I can relate to that!! I'm still coughing, and congested, so all in all it was always going to be a gentle ride.
John was driving to pick up Dave, and since Blagrove Lane is still closed in one direction awaiting Evendons Lane sink hole being sorted, I got a lift to Finchamstead. With no plan in mind, other than a short local loop, maybe to Yately, we set off initially out the back of California Park, to join 9 Mile Ride and to Park Lane.
We had torrential rain yesterday, and Park Lane was a bit of mess, not flooded, but big puddles. Nice day though, but only 5 degrees as we set off. Brrr.
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| Park Lane, Finchampstead. |
We decided that Eversley Ford would quite probably be flooded, so we turned left onto the A327 into Eversley. Not a nice road to cycle on, but needs must. We then turned into the quiet Chequers Lane at Eversley Cross. I don't remember ever riding this direction on this road before to Yately, always the opposite direction. We continued into Yateley as far as The Link Road, and crossed over to the Sean Devereaux Golf club. Linda had never been here before, so at least she got to try out a new coffee stop. Almost empty today other than one group of golfers.
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| We sat inside, but its a nice place to sit on a warmer day. |
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| Lovely day as we leave the golf course car park. |
Now the big decision was how to get back.😁 We headed around Mill Lane skirting Horshoe Lakes. The road was a mess! Possible options......up Ambarrow Road? But that meant cycling on the main road back to Crowthorne. Or Dell Road, (that option was shot down in flames!), or continue to the The Greyhound, and up to Church Lane Finchampstead. That got the vote. We both puffed on our way up the turn in to Church Lane, only to find a "road closed" sign. We ignored that. There were barriers, but we were able to squeeze through. (big hole in the road with cones around it).
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| Blagtrove buildings. |
I was back home by mid day, having done 16 miles. That's fine, and will be out again leading a Breeze Ride on Wednesday weather permitting. (My 97th as a leader.) Good to catch up with Linda, with all her family news.