I'm a bit bored of cycling from home, so with a beautiful sunny forecast today, I suggested a ride up Stoner Valley and back via Hambleden Valley, but starting at Crazies Hill. A few pathetic excuses today.
- Gill is cycling in Sri Lanka avoiding Elephants crossing the road.
- Louise is covering a pilates class.
- Lynne is saving her energy for a half marathon this weekend, 😇so she did a local route instead.
- Andrea, is still not quite ready to join us, but hope she got out with Ian instead.
The 2 who were free BOTH had to back for 2.30 hair appointments. Can you believe that! 😉😂
This morning, 2 whatsapp messages.
- Martina has a puncture, so will use her husband huge mountain bike, hoping it will fit in the van.
- Jeanette's ebike is making funny noises. So she will bring her reliable "peddle" power instead, but might be a bit slow. That's fine. We have no deadlines... or do we?
Thankfully my ORRO was all ready to go. No issues. We're off.
I took my drone today hoping for a few opportunities, and attached my special (expensive) handlebar clamp to use my remote control. I didn't realise until I got to Crazies Hill, that I had however forgotten to put my Garmin on my handlebars or attach any lights. Not to worry, I know where we are going, and its a sunny day. Other photos taken on mobile phone today.
We dropped down Aston Lane, delighted that the awful pothole and messy area, has beautiful new tarmac. Woopeee. Wheeeee. 💨💨💨. Then we continued on Rememham Lane to Henley to cross the Thames.
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| Remenham Lane |
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| This lot shot past us as we stopped briefly at Remenham Church. (I saw them many hours later coming out of Aston Lane) |
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| Remenham Church. Note, jackets still on as it was a cool start especially as all we had done so far was downhill. |
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| Through Henley and along the Fairmile path with a beautiful Daffodil display. |
Time to get the drone out along the valley road. (A bit off faffing since I still haven't quite got the hang of what different things it can do with/without the remote control. My expensive clamp was moving around, but it was user error, I learned when I got home. 😖 reverted to my mobile app controls instead. )
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| Middle Assendon, drone following |
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| Trying to change the drone direction, which meant taking off a glove. |
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| Front direction now, leaving the village. |
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| Jeanette and Martina just up ahead. |
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| Jeanette removing her first jacket layer, as I carry on to land the drone. About half a dozen tiny calves at Stonor Farm, lying on straw, so only just newborn. Didnt stop for a photo, since they were quite high up on the field. Plan B for Jeanette, which she was definitely going to do since she wasn't on her ebike, was to leave us at Stonor Manor, and climb to the right on the less difficult hill to the cafe, at her own pace, whilst Martina and I went the opposite way out of the valley to Russell's Water. (Martina and I had however decided we would stick with Jeanette, but hadn't told her.) So with Jeanette leading, and took the left turn instead, we of course followed. I had suggested she could climb as high as she could manage, then turn and come back down, to continue with plan B. She soon found that her gears were only working in her large chain wheel, so we stopped to see if we could manually fix it. She was then worried about making it worse, so got back on, to continue a bit further in the large chain wheel. I put the drone up again, as she set off. |
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| Park Lane out of the Stonor Valley up to Russell's Water. I need to catch them up now. |
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I was watching in my mirror as I passed the other two, and Martina not far behind, and Jeanette a little further back, but still going. Well done.
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| Martina and I reach the top. her jacket now off. |
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| All 3 now at the top. |
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| Drone still in the air, but tucked behind me for the car to pass. |
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| Chitty Chitty pond at Russell's Water. |
At the junction, 2 right right turns into Patmore Lane, a huge downhill through Pishill. I've only come down here a couple of times, since usually heading in a different direction either to Christmas Common or Nettlebed but today all the way down to Stonor again.
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| Beautiful ride downhill now on the Stonor Valley through Pishill. |
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| "The Crown Pub" Pishill, purchased by Russell Brand after Lockdown, to use as a recording studio. (permission denied. ) |
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| Flattening out, and we will soon turn left, just before Stonor Park to face our next climb up to Turville Heath. |
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| Martina and I take a breather and Jeanette catching up. |
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Arriving at "The Ploughmans Pitstop" at The Barn.(now open Wed-Friday)  |
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| Or host. opps, sorry nothing in focus apart from the flowers.😎 |
We are conscious of the time, now almost 12.30, but we should be ok. Martina thought the quickest coffee stop ever! lol. As we set off down the rough track, my bike just didn't feel quite right. Aggghhh. Puncture. Front tyre.
Found no reason for it, changed the tube, which was full of air..... then it wasn't. 😕😖😖 I had one more spare, but due to time pressure, a quick decision by Martina.
She suggested, I take her (husband's) bike and ride back to Crazies Hill with Jeanette, who in the meantime would ask darling Martin to collect her from Crazies Hill. I would then return through Henley and find Martina walking my bike along our route (fortunately all downhill). Nick's bike was a bit big for me, but I managed. Just had to be careful when I stopped!
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| A lovely ride on the long downhill of Dolesden Lane, towards Fingest. (Martina would soon be walking down here. could be worse!) |
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| Views to Turville Windmill from Dolesden Lane. |
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| photo by Jeanette of me on Nick's bike (with the windmill in the background... where is it Jeanette?) 😂, but nice manhole cover. |
We saw building work STILL going on at The Frog at Skirtmett. I read that it's going to be renamed as The Cow and opening very soon. hmmmm. There was a bit of flood from the underground water near Skirmett, and lots of lambs in the fields. No time to stop!!!
A whizz down the Hambleden Valley, until a cry from behind from Jeanette, who got off to look at her bike. Noooooo!!!!! Her peddles had stopped turning. WOT! We did laugh. 😂😂😂. She said I should continue and she would phone Darling Martin to collect her from The Flower Pot at Aston, instead of Crazies Hill, since she was also now walking.
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| lo. What a ridiculous situation ....and 2 hair appointment in less than an hour! |
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| I walked (ran) across the wier, a bit worried about riding Nick's huge bike with it's wide handlebars. No time for any more distasters! |
I made it at a fast pace, which I will never know since I had no Garmin with me, up Aston Lane and back to the van at 2pm. A message from Martina at 1.35 who had reached Skirtmett. She's done well. She said pushing my bike propelled her along nicely.
I had to ride through Henley, to get to the Hambleden Valley, and picked her up not a million miles from where I had left Jeanette. 😄 I dropped Martina directly at the hairdressers in Winnersh at 3pm. Phew. Just half an hour late. Jeanette in the meantime had changed Darling Martins pick up instructions for a third time, to collect her in Hambleden. She got to her appt 20 mins late.
As I write this Martina has not yet collected her bike and helmet from me and of course she wont be able to wear her helmet home, since shes just paid a fortune to have her hair done. ðŸ˜
What a day. We only set out to do 26 miles! Between the 3 of us, we had 4 bike issues in all today. But what a lovely ride.
John found a tiny piece of flint in my tyre, but weirdly can't find any problem with the replacement tube which went almost flat on me after blowing it up. Will see if its still up in the morning.