I had planned this route today, hoping for plenty of autumn colours, but the sun never did appear, so although it was a lovely route, it would have been better for photos on a brighter day. I took my newly acquired action camera (early birthday gift), as a test today for "photos on the go", attached to my bike handle bars. The camera has a shutter button to press even when it's switched off, and takes a photo instantly. So a great feature to capture moments I have often missed, or when too much trouble to stop. The test today was of course to check if the quality is any good?
Brilliant for video, but moving photos are not so easy. I had used the camera at the weekend on a beautiful sunny day, holding it for each shot. So it was also a different test today in overcast, gloomy conditions, AND on the move. DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro.
I gave a lift to Sue and Amanda and we met the others at Riseley. A little climb under the A33 to Bull Lane and a photo stop from stationary, but with the camera mounted on my bike.
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| Gill, Amy, Louise, Wendy, Amanda and Sue. |
And now the whizz down Welsh Drive, to New Street, and right turn into Green Lane.
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| New Street, Stratfield Saye. This an example of a photo I would normally miss without the ability to just press go! |
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| Everyone apart from Wendy had the route, so we took turns at leading. Amanda ahead as we reach the X Roads of New Street and Green Lane. |
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| Nice colours coming but needed some sunshine. |
After our climb to Silchester, we turned right to enjoy the downhill to cross the brook at Mortimer West End. Of course, we immediately had a climb up again!
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| Amanda always passes me on a downhill. I'm a wimp. |
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| And up the other side passing the Red Lion pub. |
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| Amy and Louise take a turn at leading on Island Farm Road. |
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| The horses waited for us to pass. |
Arriving at the X Roads nr Sulhampstead Church, we turned left now to drop down a big hill called White's Hill. My photo was terrible, since we were going too fast! 💨💨💨😂
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| The big downhill over, we had a little bit of elevation to gain, before another downhill to to emege on Sulhampstead Hill Road. |
I led the next section hoping to get a little ahead for the right turn into Bottom Lane, and give myself time to turn my bike around for a shot of the group coming round the corner. But a car was approaching and I had to brake, then had NO time before they caught me up. Grrrr.
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| Just time to catch the last 2 riders rounding the bend into Bottom Lane, Sulhampstad |
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| Bottom Lane, and at the end of this lane, we are almost in Theale. |
Once over the railway bridge in Theale and under the A4 bridge, we took first left and wiggled through a residential area (not very scenic), but the advantage is that it brings us out almost opposite Deadmans Lane, to join Englefield Road, arriving exactly opposite the gates to Englefield Park. I wasn't sure the gates would be open today (since the garden is only open on Mondays), but they were. 😉😊
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| Nice entrance to our coffee stop at Englefield Park |
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| Selfie using camera on a tripod, and phone app to press shutter. |
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| View from the Marquee area. |
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| Leaving Englefield Village. |
A figure of 8 loop next back to Theale via the pretty North Street Hamlet. And a request from Amanda for a photo featuring her bottom at the far end of Bottom Lane. 😂
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| Amanda at Bottom Lane. (the others a little ahead now on the winding lane ahead, Jaques Lane) |
This is a cheeky climb, which continues as we turn right into Folly Lane to pass Sulhampstead church and back to the X Roads which we emerged from earlier. Garmin said we had 4 climbs today... but by the time we finished, the ladies recon we had 7.😂
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| Sulhampstead church. (photo on the go.) |
Through the traffic lights in Burghfield Common now, and a big downhill to cross the brook, and another 10% climb up to turn left into Nightingale Lane. (Barking Dog Lane) This climb not mentioned either! Amanda and Louise missed the left turn, so we waited for them to reappear.
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| Gill in Nightingale Lane as we waited for Amanda and Louise to reappear. |
No barking dogs as we passed the house today, and soon we are in Mortimer. We split into two groups for our ride towards Beech Hill and our route today then was to use Barge Lane to cross the A33. Barge Lane is a very quiet lane, and chance to use my camera for something different. Except that as soon as you say that.... a car comes!!
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| Amanda & Gill |
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| Amy and Wendy |
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| I used video for these shots. So many Nuts on the ground this year. Louise and Sue with me last to retrieve the camera. |
Then I tried putting my camera on a tripod which comes with it. That was hopeless on this road surface, so abandoned that idea, and just held the camera..
Having taken the camera off of my handlebar mount, I now attached it again easily with the magnetic mount. We carried on to the end of Barge Lane, where there is a cattle grid. Then, the dash to the central reservation on the busy A33. There were some nice trees and I was about to take a photo, when I realised my camera was not on my handlbar!! WOT!!!! It must have fallen off at the cattle grid. Disaster. I've only had it a few days.
Thank goodness it had landed a few inches in front of the catttle grid, and not into the holes Phew. Lesson learned. Double check that it IS securely attached by trying to pull it off.
We finished by doing a short stretch on the main road into Risely back to the start. A lovely route with lots of easy sections and fast downhills.... with 7 out of 4 climbs thrown in for good measure and to earn our cake.
Thanks all for joining me and for being such good sports testing my new action camera. Sorry about all the bottom shots. 😍
