Ride report, Boxing Day Ride

PhilJ led this ride and writes:

A stunning day for a boxing day ride in total contrast to the recent icy blast. Blue skies and permanent sunshine on this saunter around a twenty mile loop that your grandma could have done!

Half a dozen joined me for a coffee at Salcey Forest, which turned out to be packed when we arrived as it happened.

Conditions were perfect despite the slight wind chill in the early stages. Traffic was minimal through Milton Malsor and onto the Stoke road through Stoke Bruerne and onto Ashton. The countryside looked picturesque towards Hartwell and we were soon exiting the other side and into Salcey Forest for a welcoming and warming cup of something.

We acquired a table for seven alongside many other cyclists who had already arrived. One group informing us of their brush with black ice in Grendon as they departed for their return journey.

JohnW arrived soon after whilst Geoff was already enjoying coffee Al Fresco.

Festivities over and suitably refreshed James dashed for home whilst ChrisH and Philip headed for Olney to increase the mileage on Chris’s 500k challenge between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Chapeau Chris!

PhilL stayed at the café chatting with JohnW whilst I wondered how James had unlocked my lock on his bike without the key, leaving the lock still locked on my bike. What sorcery was this?

Anyway, the group had split into many parts by now and the remaining four headed back along the Quinton road and through Hunsbury back to the start. PeterB and I actually making a rare return to whence we came accompanying BrianH in the process.

All in all a pleasant ride in excellent conditions.

Thanks to everyone who came out today.

PhilJ

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Boxing day ride, Monday 26th December

PhilJ is leading this ride and writes:

Meeting point: Hunsbury Hill library, Overslade Close, East Hunsbury NN4 0RZ
Time: 9.30am
Distance: 20 miles
Pace: Moderate – around 12mph average
Café Stop: The Grounds Café, Salcey Forest
Estimated return: Around 12.00 pm

Weather permitting, there’s an easy boxing day ride to Salcey Forest. Temperatures are already climbing higher than we’ve experienced recently and it’s a chance to stretch the legs after all the Christmas day indulgence. It’s a pleasant 20 mile ride on familiar roads from EH through Rothersthorpe, Stoke Bruerne, Hartwell and on to the Grounds café in Salcey Forest. There’s always been a warm welcome at the café for coffee and cake. The ride back along the Quinton road is quite a swift one before we reach Hunsbury again and back to the start.

Please use the SignUpGenius if possible.

Here’s the GPS route: BoxingDayRide

Hope to see you there.

Phil

Ride to Culworth, Cancelled

Sunday’s scheduled ride to Culworth has been cancelled as there is a yellow warning for ice from early morning to mid afternoon tomorrow.

The next planned ride is Phil J’s moderate on Boxing Day – the perfect way to get off the couch and take some light exercise.  And, the weather forecast looks much better!

Have a great Christmas, and hopefully see you on Boxing Day.

Cheers Peter

Ride to Culworth, Sunday 18th December

Peter B is leading this ride and writes:

Meeting point: Hunsbury Hill library, Overslade Close, East Hunsbury NN4 0RZ
Time: 9.30am
Distance: 37 Miles
Pace: Steady – Around 13mph Average
Cafe Stop: The Old Forge, Culworth
Estimated return: Around 1.30 pm

This Sunday’s ride is from East Hunsbury to Culworth if we are lucky and the weather permits. Unfortunately the forecast is showing snow after a cold-ish overnight temperature, so we may have to cancel again. Please look out for an e-mail on Saturday.

If all goes well, however, we will ride out past Milton Malsor, Pattishall, Blakesley, Weedon Lois to our cafe stop at the Old Forge, Culworth at around the 18 mile mark.

The return route will take us through Eydon, Canons Ashby, Maidford, Bugbrooke and back to our start at East Hunsbury.

Philip keeps (rightly) reminding us, COVID is not yet over, so please consider the usual precautions.

As usual, it is very helpful for our planning to follow this link to book a place on Signup: Group rides

Cheers Peter

Link to route on RWGPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37168241 

Not the CTC Ride to Thornby

Philip’s solo ride to Thornby:

As promised, I went on a solo ride today after we decided to cancel the group ride. You may like to know how I got on. 

Conditions were frosty from the start, with temperatures about -2 degrees, but the main roads were salted and free of ice. Things got more interesting when I turned off at Holdenby towards Teeton. The roads were white and I was very aware of keeping my speed low and not braking or turning sharply. 

With these precautions, there were few alarming moments. 

I proceeded through Cottesbrooke, Haselbech and Naseby, then took a detour to the new (ish) Farndon Fields farm shop. This upmarket shop and café was absolutely packed. No cycle racks or good place to stow bikes, and definitely too busy to be comfortable, so it’s not going on my group ride teastop list. 

I headed back via Lubbenham, Sibbertoft, Welford and Cold Ashby (which was pretty cold) to Thornby Hall. The welcome here was warm, perhaps because few other customers (and no other cyclists) had called in.

I added a loop to Moulton on the way back to reach 52 miles. Those of you on Strava can see the route here: 

https://strava.app.link/papwmHTlEvb

While a solo ride in these conditions is clearly possible, with care, it’s very much an individual judgement. A group ride would be harder and potentially riskier. So it was right to cancel, but hopefully this will remain a rare event. 

Cheers

Philip

Ride to Thornby, Cancelled

Saturday’s scheduled ride to Thornby has been cancelled due to potentially icy conditions.

Hope to see you on the next ride.

Philip

Ride to Thornby, Saturday 10th December

Philip is leading this ride to Thornby and writes:

Start: BVW (Brampton Valley Way, Welford Crossing, NN6 8AA)
Time: 9.30am
Distance: Brisk 35 mls, Moderate 30 mls
Pace: Brisk 14 mph plus, Moderate ~12 mph
Café Stop: Thornby Hall Buddhist Centre
Estimated return: Around 1.00pm

This week I’ve kept the routes slightly shorter than usual, as the weather is forecast to be rather chilly. We go out anticlockwise via Creaton, Cottesbrooke and Naseby up a couple of nice hills to get us warmed up. The Moderates then go direct to Welford, while the Brisks take a slightly wider loop through Sibbertoft. We all regroup for a warming tea stop at Thornby Hall (21 mi for Moderates, 24 mi for the Brisks).

Please wrap up well and sign up on Signup Genius if possible.

Here are the routes on Ride with GPS:

Moderate Route 31 miles

Brisk route 35 miles

Hope to see you Saturday

Cheers

Philip