Brrrr. 1 degrees at 08am, so time for the thermal vest, winter gloves and boots!
Since Gill, Jeanette, Louise and myself got home from Devon last night, Lynne had offered to plan today's route. She has never been to the Thames Valley hospice cafe near Bray, so that was our destination. Jeanette left for yet another short break this morning, and unfortunately Andrea was not free to join us today, so with Martina we were 5.
We met Gill at Limes Lane, which confused me since I thought we were leaving Wokingham in the opposite direction. It turned out that Lynne had planned the route in the opposite direction to the course that she had shared. 😂
Route link screen shot at end.
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| That pretty house at Shurlock Row XRoads always looks lovely with the sun on it. |
To White Waltham, and down Butchers Lane to use the Knowl Hill bridal circuit across the crop fields. By this time I was too warm and relieved to get my snood off and swapped from my winter gloves. It was a beautiful morning, with hardly a cloud in the sky, so as long at we were in sunshine, it was warm.
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| A dog walker crossing the crop fields just off Butchers Lane. The others thought she had 9 dogs to look after! |
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| Winter gear. |
We rode along the shady, tree covered Breadcroft Lane into White Waltham and then wiggled through Woodlands Park housing area.
As I turned a corner I felt my steering go. Agggh. A puncture on my back wheel. I pulled into a very clean, flat drive, in the sunshine and thankfully all went smoothly as I changed the inner tube, with a couple of others assisting with other tasks to speed it all up. Thanks ladies. No sign of the reason for the puncture. 😟 Fingers crossed.
Whilst inspecting my tyres I decided it's definitely time for some new ones. I've been reluctant to change them, since I CAN change these ones, but the time has come. There are so many tiny holes it's difficult to find the new one 😂. Just hoping that my new ones are not too tight to get back on the wheel frame. (John is going to try one of his new tyres on my wheels to test if they are suitable).
Martina has taken delivery of her new tyres too, after inspection of hers last week following her puncture, so by next week we should have 4 new tyres between us.
We soon joined the quiet Ockwell Road and since it was a chilly morning, we all decided an unscheduled loo stop would be a good idea. I'd never been into the park area before, so it was useful to know there are public loos AND a cafe which is open 7 days a week.
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| Ockwell Park |
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| A peaceful outlook form the cafe seating area |
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| Ockwell Park |
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| Ockwell Road, as we approach the pedestrian bridge to cross the A404, which we all peddled up and down today. |
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| We dropped into Hibbert Road as we approached Bray and I stopped for this photo of the Boston Ivy. I assumed the group had turned right into the little lane called The Causeway, just on the right at this bend. |
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| The Causeway. Ooops. no sign of them, so they must have gone on the main road. I carried on anyway and phoned Lynne., and joined up with them a few mins later in Bray. |
Next we rode to Monkey Island Lane, and over the M4.
These fields on our right.
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| And now to catch them up again. A plane coming out of Heathrow as they cross the M4 bridge. |
Just short of the main road (A308) we turned right into Tithe Barn Drive, which emerges on the A308 a little further along, and where we used the cycle path to the cafe. The outdoor seating at the cafe was mostly in the shade of the building, so we opted for indoors, rather than get chilled. Almost every table was taken, which is good for the cafe.
