I am leading a ride tomorrow, Wednesday, but when Clare posed the question on the Breeze Facebook a few days ago "Is there a ride on Tuesday? I have a day off, " I thought, why not. (No pilates class today, so would be good to get out.) Sue P asked to join me and Angela joined us too.
The latest storm is called Debi, and it was VERY windy yesterday, infact I watched almost all the leaves from our garden trees blow down yesterday, in the space of an hour! But today, much calmer. Interestingly, we had 9 Parakeets on our large tree this morning. I know they are around the area, but I have never seen 1, never mind 9!
The BBC suggested no rain until after 11, and MET office after 12. Lets's GO!
I billed this ride as a "Mystery Tour", so that I could make it up depending on floods and timing of rain coming. We met at Woosehill at 9.20 (every moment counts!). I suggested that we forget a coffee stop and just get back for coffee at the Acorn Centre if we want to at the end. We set off in the direction of Molly Millars Lane using Woosehill cycle paths, to the Barkham Road. Some of them were lost already. 😂
Passing Ludgrove School, we crossed the railway line, and just before the other (now closed ) rail crossing, there is a pathway which I have never used, since thought it was just a muddy track. Called Clay Lane... sounds messy! But Sue has used it, and assured me it was a good surface. I dare say its been improved since the new development went in. So we rode on that, rather than my normal route through the housing estate, to connect to London Road. It was very pretty passing between trees and no sign of the new Montague Park housing estate. We then crossed the main road into Plough Lane to join Binfield Road.
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| Wicks Green, Binfield, as we pulled off the Forest Road. (It was time for a layer to come off. I was down to tee shirt) |
We enjoyed the downhill on Tilehurst Lane, Binfield, emerging at the Stag and Hounds pub, and soon joined the Greenway path through Quelm Park, over Cabbage Hill. Angela had never been here before and Clare only in the opposite direction. A cheeky little climb to the top.
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| Sheep grazing as we climbed Cabbage Hill. |
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| A brief s photo stop at the Sculpture. |
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| Sue, Clare and Angela |
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| Watersplash Lane, Warfield. Rain jacket now back on, as it's light drizzle. |
It had definitely started raining as we rode on Watersplash Lane, so this was the last photo today. It was 10.20, so the rain came early. 😕
We did a loop to Frost Folly car park, and then on Bottle Lane, to Howe Lane. Clare and Angela no idea where we were at this point, although a eureka moment from Clare a few minutes later. Weather permitting, my plan had sort of been to head to Shurlock Road and Waltham St Lawrence, but the rain was not giving up, so cut the ride short by coming over Carters Hill, up Billingbear Lane. What goes up must come down, so we enjoyed the road passing the Binfield Dog Rescue.
Sue left us as we came into Wokingham, and it was still fairly light rain...... for the next 60 seconds, and then it was like someone flicked a switch, It was TORRENTIAL rain. We could barely see where we were going, and thankfully on a cycle path. It didn't give up all the way back to Woosehill and poor Angela had to ride to Finchampstead, although she couldn't get any wetter than she already was.
Well done for coming out with the weather a bit uncertain. Still enjoyed being out and nice to see Clare who doesn't often get the chance to join our rides.
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| our shortened route. |