Another frost overnight, but the promise of temperatures of around 4 degrees by 9ish. Sandford Lane is still closed due to flooding, so Gill had to come a long way round to meet us. (Sonning bridge also closed due to flooding on the Thames, so just as well no plans to head that way in the next few days. The Thames is running so fast that a boat owner lost his boat from it's mooring yesterday, which hit something and sunk!)
We've had a start time at Woosehill of 9.15 for quite a few years, so that when Lynne and Martina had done the school walk with the younger kids, they could get home and then just get on their bike, rather than have a few minutes hanging around. The kids now walk themselves to school, so I suggested that the new normal will be 9.30 start. This gives us all a bit more time, and especially Gill if we are heading south of Wokingham.
Louise travelling home from her holiday in India and Andrea not able to join us today.
Heading down Blagrove Lane, then through California Park, a quick photo stop before we joined Nine Mile Ride. A very "constrasty" day for the camera with very bright lights and dark shadows. The sun really low in the sky, and at times we couldn't see where we were going.
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| California Country Park. Martina wearing her new pink jacket, and Jeanette also in her new pink jacket. (Louise has the same pink jacket... so common 😂. My new Turquoise Jacket on order) |
A climb now up White Horse Lane, which was rather messy in places. Martina shot off, and up first.
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| Looking back from the top of the dark tree lined White Horse Lane in direct comparison to the bright light it opened up into. |
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| Top of White Horse Lane, and now down Church Lane to Finchampstead. |
I have never turned left at the end of Church Lane before, up to the junction where the war memorial used to be, and where we wanted to turn right on the awkward bend. Luck was on our side as the road to the left was closed! (due to ice, so it would soon reopen). And now down Dell Road.
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| Bottom end of Dell Road after the big downhill. |
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| A right turn to cross the ford. Any white buildings looking lovely today in the low sun. |
We joined the Easthampstead Road next, which we dont normally use, but best way to get to Bracknell. A new surface, which was horrible. Really hard work resisting against the tyres. Then along West Road, around the edge of Downshire Golf course and a lot of wiggling through cyclepaths in Great Hollands area of Bracknell. I had the route on my Garmin from a while ago, otherwise I would have been totally lost. Talking of lost..... we lost Jeanette and Martina for a few minutes. 😂
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| Hoping to see the others follow us! Where did they go? They were right behind us!! |
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| Here comes Jeanette |
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| All together again. |
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| Eventually 100 more wiggles later, we arrived at South Hill Park |
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| The exhibition was very small, but it gave us a purpose today. The objects were made by some of the tutors who run classes here. (infact it doesn't officially open until tomorrow, but they said we could look around) |
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| Mirror mirror on the wall. A group selfie opportunity |
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| At the last second, Gill reminded me to look up and not at the camera. 😂 |
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| Second Christmas Tree today at Easthampstead Park |
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| The impressive round house at Easthampstead Park. |
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| A bit of downhill at last. Jeanette was convinced we had being climbing most of the ride. |
Across Wokingham to Ludgrove, and Jeanette still complaining that it seemed like hard word and did she have a puncture? NO she didn't, but about another 200 yards further on, and I felt the same. But I DID have a puncture. Oooohh so close to home, and back tyre of course.
I put some air in, limped a bit further, a bit more air, and finally half a mile from home it was too flat, so I walked. I had already told the others just to go, but Jeanette insisted on walking with me until she immediately realised she would wreck her overshoes. I stopped my Garmin, otherwise my average speed would have been even WORSE. It was reading 8.8mph and not until now I see that it tracked me walking round the art exhibition.😊😉. It wasn't fast today due to the cyclepaths through Bracknell. I reset my Garmin to walk home half a mile at 3.5mph.
After lunch, I fixed my puncture. John offered to do it later but I wanted to do it since I haven't changed a puncture since I got my tyres. I managed fine, and found a really, really sharp thorn, which I thought was a piece of metal it was so sharp. Sorted.
Another lovely day for cycling, with a mix of terrain today, proving that we definitely prefer the country lanes, but it made a change. Thanks all for your company, and hope to see the missing ladies soon. And possibly a guest appearance by Emma next week?
