Breeze Building Miles Week 3 - Twyford 15 miles

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Lovely to have 2 riders with me today, both returning to a Breeze ride after a long break from cycling. Jodie and Clare. My plan had been a loop to Twyford, returning via Charvil, and Dinton. But yesterday, there were biblical floods as I drove home via Woodley from yesterdays ride, and this made me a bit nervous about using Dinton. So, a quick change of plan this morning.

We met at Morrisons car park, and set off via Emmbrook, joining the new cycle paths, which Jodie had never used before. Very smooth! Then over the motorway bridges, and left into Lines Road. I did laugh when Claire asked "Is that Hurst church over there?"  (She drives past it every day, but not from this angle) 😂 She was convinced it was grey and not red in colour. 

Route

Looking over the fabulous Cow parsley froth towards Hurst church.

We joined Lodge Road, to use the offroad path alongside it, towards Whisley Green. It was ok, but a bit messy after the rain, so I opted to join the tarmac again at the first little gate. And then moments later.....


SO, after 4 punctures yesterday on the BACK tyre of my new bike, and after lots of theories and investigations, hubby swapped both my tyres to some different ones. Same size, but much easier to get off/on. They have linings too, so not much chance of a puncture. 😕  It was 5 miles into the ride for my puncture in the front tyre today, which was an improvement on 2.5 miles yesterday.  (followed by 3 more)

Whistley Mill Lane was closed, so I pulled over here, in warm sunshine, to change the tube. Found no offending article, which always makes me nervous, especially as I only had one spare tube with me today, and not the usual 2 (hubby was at Halfords this morning stocking up on more spares!)

Happy 10 mins later. All sorted. 

We turned into Broadhinton to climb up towards Stanlake Meadow. My Garmin had suggested a slight deviation through this little track to a play area. Very pretty with the buttercups.

Not used this path before, which cuts off the long bend up Broad Hinton, 
via a play park area, joining Broad Hinton again near the top end. 
With Clare, and Jodie today. 

From the roundabout at the top, we dropped downhill to Velolife, Twyford for drinks etc. I also bought a spare inner tube just incase! A nice chat over drinks. 

From here, I had originally planned to go back via Charvil, so instead, hoping to avoid flooding, we crossed through Springfield Park then up to Ruscombe church, and over the railway line, back to Stanlake Meadow again.  This was just a loop to try to get the 15 miles I had planned. 

Need wellies for this  bench seat at Stanlake Meadows. 
Lovely clouds today. 

We whizzed down, passing the Vineyard, then right into the quiet Hurst Lanes, where we stopped to say hello to the Shetland ponies. 

Tape Lane, Hurst.

All the knitted Coronation decorations now gone from around the pond, where we crossed over to the other side into Broadcommon Road. We crossed directly over to Lime Road for the second time, but then left, into Dunt Avenue to emerge at Dinton Pastures. Once under the motorway bridge at Winnersh, we once more used a section of the new cyclepaths of the northern distribution road. Such a treat to have a smooth surface. Almost there, and back under Emmbrook railway bridge and back to Woosehill.

Well done ladies, and thanks for joining me on another gorgeous spring day. Our average speed was faster than mine yesterday.😂

Our figure of 8 loop to Twyford