Last Monday we had to abandon our ride from Odiham to Chocolate Frog with Dave developing an early injury. (Daphne and I rode home instead from Odiham.) So today, John wanted to do the ride. It should be "ebike Sunday", but since I've not used my road bike for months, I decided to give that a go today. John also used his expensive shiny road bike.
The route was all familiar other than one new loop which would come after coffee stop. We left Odiham, down Long Lane towards Long Sutton, passed the RAF landing lights, but carrying straight on to a T junction to climb up to Well. I knew what was coming, so removed my extra sleeve layer already. It was 9 degrees, but with a bit of a wind.
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| Long Lane out of Odiham, as we head down to climb UP to Well. |
A right turn at the Well in Well, and the roads seem to be in a right state with potholes after the winter. Also, some large puddles today to watch out for. Was this more of a gravel bike day?!😕
We did the undulation UP to Lower Froyle, the down to Upper Froyle, and dropped down to cross the A31 at the Hen and Chicken pub. Straight over and dodging the potholes, a gentle rise now all the way to Wyck, and continuing to East Worldham.
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| Arriving in East Worldham. I have seen this rider on other Sunday rides. He wears a distinctive white cap, and no helmet. |
We doglegged right and left across the B3004, continuing now to West Worldham.
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| The Oast Houses ahead on the bend in West Worldham. |
The road continues around on a RH Bend, but we keep left at a triangle of grass coming into Hartley Maudit on Water Lane, soon passing the church on our right, opposite the fishing lake. (Straight on was the road we used when visiting Upper Farringdon Gardens. )
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| Hartley Maudit Church. Terrible contrast with the bright sky. |
From here, we had a bit of climb, and with a car following, to the high point at another green triangle, (We had rested when we climbed up previously, from the other direction.) Then a big downhill to Oakhanger. I was not happy with my BLOCK brakes today on the steep downhill. It was hard work to hold them on. Guess I'm so used to disk brakes now.
At the bottom, we saw the giant golf balls, and turned right then soon left to the cafe. Quite a few cyclists were just leaving. Cafe was packed indoors, and quite stuffy. But no one outside, which is where we sat.
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| Lemon and cranberry sponge. Very nice. |
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| Pony at the back entrance to the cafe. |
We backtracked into Oakhanger, passing the horses which are always tied up on open land at Shortheath Common, and continued to the TJunction. Normally, I've gone left then right to climb (plod!) up to Binstead arriving with the church ahead. But today, we turned right, onto the main road, which wasn't too busy, then a left turn in Kingsley onto Sickles Lane. (John had come down this way before.)
Sickles Lane becomes Sickles Road and goes up and up some more. It changes name again to Wheatley Road. Not for the first time today, I thougtht I needed more gears! When switching to my small chain I seemed to be in the lowest gear too near the bottom of the hills!
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| Wheatley Road finally flattens out at this property. (this is was called Wheatley House) |
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| Just around the next bend, is our right turn at Binstead X Roads. |
An easy and pretty much downhill section now, all the way to Isington Mill. (I know this, since it's uphill the other way 😂)
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| Dropping downhill just before we reach the river Wey at Isington. The sun was lighting up the Willow Tree beyond. |
No photos at the Mill House today, since by the time we turned the corner, the light went flat again.
Climbing away from the Mill,. we turned right across the A31 and soon were in Bentley. I know whats coming! We normally turn left into Hole Lane, to pass under a pedestrain bridge linking two gardens, but today we took the next left into School Lane. John had intended a little loop on Church Lane, but we missed that. We joined Hole Lane, just at the point where the pedestrian bridge crossed the road.
We (I ) slogged up Hole Lane, and was struggling today. It's always a climb, but I just felt I had not enough gears. John said "why don't you change down? You've got 1 or maybe 2 gears left".
Except that tried as I might, they didn't work. This would explain why I struggling up to Binstead too! So as I pulled over for a breather, John took a look, changing the gears and then and at that point, a cable had snapped and now I was stuck in the lowest gear. And still not at the top. 😓
I pushed the short section to the top, and knew it was mostly downhill for a while so I could make it as far as just before Crondall,
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| Right here towards Crondall, thankfully all downhill. |
I was dreading the next left turn, which dips down, then turns a sharp right, and up on Swanthorpe Lane. I stood up, and made it. Phew. The next section was passing our friends house on Roke Lane. Sadly, for me, they are on holiday, or I might have called in whilst John peddled back to get the van! I did have to get off and walk up a short climb. My legs were burning. Then I managed to get back without stopping to the outskirts of Odiham. John got ahead at the junction, checked it was clear and shouted "GO!".
With just one final push on Cemetry Hill. I was charging towards it as fast as possible, and sods law a group of club cyclists, maybe 10 of them, were waiting at the brow of the hill. How could I get off! They would have thought I was pathetic. I made it! 😖😇
Downhill to finish at the Canal Car Park. We still managed an average of 11mph. Considering the amount of hills, potholes, mud and gravel AND having to walk at times, I am amazed.