Ride report

After some mild weather, it was back to cold weather on Sunday, but with a lot of sunshine. We left Oxford via Cowley Rd and Watlington Rd, to go via the villages to coffee at Benson, where we met Martin and Pauline with their tandem. After coffee there was a query on the route, I had chosen a closed up section of old main road which last time we used it was getting a bit overgrown (there was an easy road alternative if needed). I asked John as he is fairly local, he said probably worth avoiding but instead took us via some bridleways past a golf course and North Stoke, so avoiding a longish stretch of A and B roads. Nearing the end of the bridleway Julian got his front wheel tram lined, and took a slow speed tumble. Barbara took the opportunity of the resulting stop to top her slowly leaking rear tyre up. As often the case, my pump was called for, and, a bonus for Barbara, Adriano was feeling cold, so offered to pump her tyre up to warm himself up. An offer repeated later in the day. After Littlestoke we had a gentle rise up to the Chilterns. After a pleasant ride through some woods we came to lunch at the Black Horse at Checkendon. The usual rolls and fries were had. We were joined by Lana and Quentin at lunch. After lunch Julian’s elbow was painful, so end up up phoning home for a lift (with a later diagnosis of a broken arm).

We continued via Ipsden and Ewelme where we saw the remains of the thatched roof fire that closed our route a few weeks earlier. A route via Chalgrove and Cuddesdon got us back to Oxford.