4th Oct 2008

My best made up route to date I think. On my own again after our planned ride to my brother’s in Leicestershire was postponed. This route had a nice contrast between the flat cycling in the Vale of White Horse and the wooded hills south of Oxford. Plus some riverside cycling in Abingdon. Despite a keen SW wind I set off westwards to Steventon and the Hanneys before turning north to Southmoor and over the A420 using the handy bridleway bridge discovered last week.

The wind blew me NE to Appleton and Eaton where I headed to Bessels Leigh and across the A420 to Wootton. I then had the climb up Old Boars Hill (which wasn’t too bad) and a long descent through Bayworth, over the A34 and into Radley. There I joined NCN-5 along Thrupp Lane and past the controversial Radley Lakes (currently being filled with flyash from Didcot Power Station). The offroad cycle route joins the old Abingdon branch trackbed and turns into the Abbey Grounds and alongside one of the Thames backwaters. This was another potholed and rough section of offroad NCN, if they want users of road bikes to use these paths then they really need to get someone to maintain them.

Following the NCN route (down a kerb and across a junction with no provision for cycles!) to the old wharf and south out of Abingdon alongside the Thames and down Peep-o-day Lane to Sutton Courtenay. The wind was against me for the last few miles but nothing too bad. Felt pretty strong today, shame the longer cycle was postponed as it was quite a pleasant day.

Distance :: 32.23 mi
Time :: 2h14m09s
Average Active Speed :: 14.41 mph
Run.GPS Training Profile

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John Talbot

The main protagonist behind this nonsense. The website title is inspired by the lyrics of the B-side to Lily the Pink by The Scaffold. "The buttons of your mind were difficult to find and my fingers far too clumsy."

2 thoughts on “4th Oct 2008”

  1. Yes, Sat was OK in the end – you’d have flown up to us with that tailwind.  I did about 50km as well, a loop round to Catthorpe for lunch then home via Lutterworth – a solo ride as C was away.  In fact Sunday wasn’t too bad either – rained here until mid-morning, then dry though blustery.

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