Linda gone skiing today. Daphne has been away for 3 weeks but was keen for a ride today, if not too hilly. She got her way, but I assumed she would drive to the start, and not ride, so she ended up doing 41.5 miles, and not the round trip of closer to 35. 😂 We all did 40ish but only 1,000 feet of climbing.
We met up with Dave at the Witty Theatre entrance, and straight away a HUGE articulated lorry arrived, and signs that the road through to Ludgrove was closed. But we got through, to meet Daphne at the Easthampstead Road end. One of the contractors suggested that it would be more difficult to get back this way later.
Garmin route screenshot at end.
As we passed the pond on Ludgrove drive, it looked completely frozen over (-3 last night), and I stopped for a photo. As I was about to press the shutter, a crash, and this duck flew into my shot. It had landed on thin ice, which cracked when it landed. It looked a bit stunned, and didn't move in the couple of minutes I was there. It was quite amusing, poor thing.
 |
| The frozen pond. |
 |
| Frosty branches along Ludgove with contractors vehicles in the far distance. The new road underway. 😔 |
At the far end, Daphne was waiting, and chatting to Carole Smith on her U3A ride. Ive not seen here for months now. She has not joined Breeze rides for a long time.
 |
| Mum's head obscuring the calf. |
 |
| Pulled in at this "Old Forge" building to allow the lorry to pass. Look at that blue sky! |
Daphne and I whizzed off down Drift Road, leaving a gap between us and the boys. All downhill to Fifield X Roads, and where we could have gone straight over, I always prefer to ride along Colingsby Lane to join the main road further along.
 |
| Colingsby Lane, Fifeild. Daphne and Daffodils. |
To Monkey Island Lane next to cross the pedestrian bridge over the Thames .
 |
Special request from Dave. The Seedhead of Clematis Vitalba, or "Old Man's Beard", amongst the Catkins. |
 |
| Monkey Island Bridge |
 |
| A perfectly calm day. |
 |
| And just over the bridge, some Hawthorne Blossom arches across the pathway. |
 |
| £5.99 for one cyclamen! The shrubs seemed really expensive too.  |
 |
| Euphorbia Characas almost about to bloom as we leave |
 |
| Dorney Court . Difficult to see it in the summer with tree foliage on. |
We joined the Jubilee river path, to connect to Taplow. Empty as usual, with just a few muddy sections, but on the whole, pretty clean. After a short section on the A4 cyclepaths, a wiggle through Guard Club Road, to join Old Acres.
 |
| Old Acres, and these crocus seemed like they are on steroids. |
Another long flat section now on the cyclepath of The Cut, to Braywick, and as we emerged we used another little cut through called The Causeway, into Bray. The not so nice bit now of roads with traffic through Bray to Holyport, where we rode on Langworthy Lane, to get away from traffic for a few minutes. Was this a mistake? John got a puncture! He didn't find the culprit. At least it was a warm, dry, sunny spot away from any traffic.
 |
| Langworthy Lane, Holport.😕😖 |
As we arrived into Paley Street, John decided he wanted to get home faster ( afternoon appt), so he shot off, with one of my spare inner tubes just incase. He came home a slightly different route more direct to Woosehill, so he cut off a few miles. My route was to deliver Daphne and Dave back to the start at Ludgrove.
 |
| Views from Ryehurst Lane. |
After Ryehurst Lane. we 3 climbed to Binfield on Tilehurst Lane. Phew! Feeling overdressed now. Ane the last few miles were back down Binfield Road to cross back to Waterloo Road and Ludgrove.
 |
| Looks like a pathway at 90degrees to Ludgrove Lane to connect to the new road? |
We got as far as the railway bridge, and found that the area had brand new tarmac! Not even set yet, but we were told we would get through in a couple of minutes. Dave decided to go home via Gorrick Woods instead. (A longer way round). I got through not long after he'd gone. The surface here has been shocking for as long as I have been cycling, so it's long over due to have a decent surface.
Well done team. Our longest ride for a while, but not too challenging apart from getting to Binfield, and a little climb over Cabbage Hill. Definitely feeling spring like today as we rode in 11 degrees, once it warmed up.
