I set out today with my shiny new chain, cassette & new brake pads, all fitted by Ferdi. It's the first time I have used him, but all seems to working well so far. He looks after quite a few ladies bikes, and also WCC members bikes too.
Unfortunately, Amanda T had to cancel yesterday due to a puncture, and now awaiting a new tyre. Rose parked at Morrisons, Linda at Woosehill Lane, and Diane at Cantltey, before joining us at the Acorn Centre. We set off to climb the motorway bridges and looking in my mirror, I counted 6, thinking I had lost one already. Then I remembered we still had to liaise with Gill, at Lines Road into Hurst. 😂 She was there waiting for us.
There was quite a substantial flood on the bend on Church Hill, Hurst, as we tentatively rode through what we thought was the middle of the road, with a car patiently waiting to come through. Then soon to a climb up through Broadhinton, and a downhill to the traffic lights in Twyford. We then split into 2 groups of 4, with Rose leading the first group all the way to Sonning where we regrouped at the Mill. The river running really fast.
It was a chilly morning, and I'm sure we were all glad of our climb to Dundsen...... weren't we ladies? 😉😊
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| Regrouping at Dunsden Diane, Linda, Rose,Gill, Louise, Kim and Sandra. |
I opted to take the back with Rose for a chance to chat, and let the rest lead the way since they all had the route anyway. We soon lost of sight of them. 😂 We took a right turn today at Emmer Green X Roads, and rather then go straight to Bottle and Glass Barn, we turned left down the hill on Sonning Common Road..... before it goes up again.
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| A little rise up Sonning Common Road, before we drop down Devils Hill. |
The Harpsden Valley was looking lovely through the bare hedges and trees, and soon it will be out view again come spring. The reason for dropping down Devil's Hill was to get another climb in, up Perseverance Hill. It's a much easier approach coming this direction, rather than the wide bend, almost back on yourself, approaching from the Henley side of Harpsden. It didn't change the fact that the steepest part of this lane is at the bottom.
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| At the top of Perseverance Hill. We saw quite a few patches of Snowdrops around today. |
And within a mile or so, we arrived at our coffee stop at Bottle and Glass, Binfield Heath.
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| Parking up. Plenty of empty tables outside today. |
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| Diane, Gill, Rose, Kim, Louise, Sandra, Linda, Anne |
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| Then I reaslied they were watching this in the field behind. |
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| Kim and Louise burst into a rendition of "We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land". (I told them that my hubby used to think the words were "The goosey-gander land"😆) |
As always at this time of year, it always feels colder after you come back outside, and by the time we whizzed down Dunsden Hill back to Sonning, a few of us had pretty cold hands/feet. But not for long as we climbed away from Sonning to cross the A4 to Woodley.
