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Sunday ride to Benson and Aldworth

Sunday, 3 March 2013 - 9:30am

Ride report

Freezing (again) overnight and this ride, at 55 miles, the longest of the winter. Perhaps there would be a poor turnout, I said to Peter as we raced down the Abingdon Road at 20+ mph. Peter was right; I was wrong: there were 11 riders waiting for us in Broad Street, wondering where their leader was. Five went on to lunch, including a new rider, Heather, who joined us for the day. The ride to Aldworth includes beautiful countryside and lovely lanes. Whether you think Streatley Hill is lovely will depend on your fitness. Peter and Heather seemed to have no problem, but I had to push hard on the few sections approaching 20 per cent. The road sign says 16 per cent, but that’s only an average. It’s one of The Guardian’s Top 10 Cycle Climbs (http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/jul/13/top-10-uk-cycle-climbs). The Bell Inn is tiny – don’t rely on it if you are expecting large numbers to lunch, not if you want to sit inside. We were lucky.

Ride leaders

Role Name

Full ride leader

Leader back from coffee

(No leader)

Ride venues and times

Venue Time

Start

Broad Street, Oxford 9:30am

Coffee

Waterfront cafe, Benson 10:45am

Lunch

The Bell Inn, Aldworth 1pm

Finish

Oxford area
All of the times (apart from the start time) are approximate only, as weather or punctures may affect them.

Ride options and attendance

Ride option Distance Pace Attendees

Full ride

88km 20kph

Half day ride

Ride to coffee and back home again.

45km 20kph

The pace listed above is the average pace we do, so in general when cycling along the flat we will go a bit faster than the average pace. Please be aware of this if you are wondering whether you will be able to keep up on the ride.