Breeze to Hurley Lock - 30 miles

With no other Champs available for a second Wednesday ride, and only a very short ride tomorrow from Jill,  I agreed to take a couple of extra "unofficial" riders today, making a larger than usual group of 10 including myself.  I had shared the route, so my thanks to the ladies who assisted with leading a second group today at times, to make us a more manageable size for traffic to pass on any main road stretches. 

We were heading to Hurley Lock for tea, to hopefully sit in sunshine, but the weather is still unseasonably cold. So, it was a nice surprise to realise that I could remove a layer by the time I got to Cantley! Heat in the air at long last. 

Louise led the first group over the motorways to Hurst Lanes, and for the next few miles we stuck together, catching up on holiday plans/news etc. Our usual route to Shurlock Row, by which time Louise's Garmin had frozen, so she no longer had the route.

Route link screen shot at end.

From White Waltham, down Butchers/Bottle Lane, led by Jeanette I think, where our two groups met up as we joined the Knowl Hill circuit to Little Wick Green.

Joining the Knowl Hill circuit.

Sandra, Tina, Kim, Marilyn, Jeanette, Amanda T, Louise, Linda, Sue C.

We crossed the BUSY A4 from Littlewick Green, after a car finally flashed allowing us to cross into Green Lane. (All of the main roads we crossed today seemed busier than ever for some reason.) Then left at The Crown pub, to soon join Honey Lane for our first gentle climb of the day towards the Dew Drop Inn. Then the steep downhill to cut through the little alleyway, to cross the Henley Road into Hurley. 

Dropping down Honey Lane, Burchetts Green.

The lambs are no long so tiny and cute.

I crossed first to see better around the bend to my right on the Henley Road.
I had never noticed that pretty house behind the group before. 

Over the pedestrian bridge at the Thames, Hurley.

I took Sue's heavy bike at this point, to assist over the bridge. 

Marilyn was up front very tentatively walking in her clip in shoes. 

They are not camera shy. They came straight towards me. 

A few more tables taken at the lock as we arrived but we had 2 for our group.
It was really warm in the sun. 

Then the sky turned rather dark! Eek. No rain forecast. 

The dog apparently loving his day out. 

From Hurley, and since Marilyn was not great walking in her shoes, we used Shepherds Lane to join the 0.7 miles on the Henley Road. (walking a short stretch means a short distance on the busy road). We once more set off in 3 groups with big gaps and turned left to climb Rose Lane to Crazies Hill. Straight over the top to Highfield Road and to eventually cross the A4 again (busy!) at Hare Hatch. 

The road from Hare Hatch into Waltham St Lawrence had a few maintence lorries getting in our way. They were taping over the drain covers along the road, for what look like preparation for throwing down some loose chippings. Oh no! That will not be fun to cycle on!!

We finished our ride via Plough Lane and West End Lane, to join Hungerford Lane,  then the back lanes of Hurst. 

Hurst Pond

I gave the faster "hill climbing ladies" a head start back over the motorway bridges to Cantley, with the final 4 of us almost catching them up. Good effort everyone. After my 4 day Cotswold holiday, climbing 8000 feet,  the hills today were a walk in the park! 😅

Thanks all for joining the ride today, and will see many of you again next Wednesday for our Open Garden ride to Finchampstead, hopefully in more sunshine.