Following last Wednesday's longer Breeze ride, I offered a shorter ride of just 20 miles today, but for variety, started at Mattingley Church. It's a long time since I've been to Old Basing, and quite a few of the ladies who joined me today, had never been there.
48 hours ago, I thought this ride might be cancelled due to rain, then yesterday, the forecast improved to sunshine! Then, it changed again to just gloom. Quite a lot of rain fell last night, so just as all the flooding was starting to dry out, we would have messy lanes once more today. Filthy bikes again.😖😖
It was a cool 6 degrees today, so back to several layers, after 14 degrees just yesterday.
Route link (screen shot of route at end)
We headed initially along Bottle Lane, towards Stratfield Turgis area, to cross the A33 near Daneshill. (The road near Hartley Westpall to cross the A33 to Sherfield on Loddon, has been closed for months, and will be for at least another 2 months.) So I was more than a little surprised to find that the part of Bottle Lane, was also closed! How ridiculous. Hubby, who had also started his ride at Mattingley, called me to say although it was closed, you could walk your bikes through. Phew.
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| Bottle Lane, nr Daneshill |
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| Bottle Lane. We had 3 lots of barriers to get through. |
Once across the busy, busy A33 we skirted the edge of Stratfield Saye, turning left into the quiet Great Dover Street, with several large puddles, but no flooding. We continued all the way to Fairoak X Roads.
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| Fairoak X Roads |
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| Fairoak X Roads, where we turned 2nd left to join Stratfield Saye Road |
I missed the right turn into Olivers Lane, which take you OVER the railway line, and around edge of Brameley. So we ended up at Bramley level crossing. Which wasn't a problem...... but the barrier is always down here! As it was today, and you always have to wait for a second train. As we also did today. Never mind, time to chat.
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| Pyotts Hill drops down into Old Basing. Kim, Amanda O, Amy, Gill, Jeanette and me. (Amy's bike is the tripod) |
The Bakery in Old Basing is very popular, and we had to split in to 3 groups of 2, joining other customers, to sit indoors. There were plenty of seats outside! Some ladies had sausage rolls, and Kim and I shared a huge Almond Croissant. Yum. Amanda bought several sausage rolls to take home, thanks to Gill and Amy having spare capacity in their bike bags. 😂
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| Everything home made in the bakery behind the shop. |
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| Jeanette and Gill joined Amy and I eventually. |
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| A few of us were confused about where the soap is? Push? pull? No. Just stroke it😂😂😂 |
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We did a quick circuit up around the church, where there was a carpet of snowdrops. |
Our ride was now just about 7 miles back to the start. (I had planned a possible extension loop which added an additional 6 miles, via Odiham, but will save that for a warmer day).
We split into 2 groups to ride on Newnham Lane to Newnham Xroads, since it can be a busier road at times. It was practically deserted today. I heard a shout from behind from Gill as I climbed up the incline to Newham cross roads.
"There's a problem with a chain." I thought just chain off, which someone else could fix, but it was "Chain broken". 😖😟
It was Amanda. I called her to check if she could push the bike? Yes she could, so whilst she started to walk with her bike, the rest of us peddled like fury through the grounds of Tilney Hall and through Rotherwick to Mattingley. I then drove back in my van with Jeanette, to rescue Amanda. I told her not to cut through Tilney Hall, as we did, since I couldnt drive that way.
She did really well almost reaching Rotherwick turn off by the time I rescued her.
Thanks all for your good company today, and nice that there were some new lanes for a few of you. Shame the sun never did appear, but at least we had no rain.
