A cold but sunny day encouraged six riders out, including Louis after his long holiday in Cuba. The ride got off to a bit of stuttered start, and at one point we lost Louis, who was experiencing some technical problems with his Wahoo. We all re-convened on the Denchworth Road and we made good time to Blake’s in Clanfield. It was a full round of cinnamon buns, with the exception of Pete who went for the apple and maple syrup cake, which by all accounts was excellent. The route back took us around Farringdon and onto Stanford-in-the-Vale and Denchworth. Louise did a loop back via Charney Bassett before heading home. An enjoyable morning ride at a good overall pace.

As I got out of the car in Islip I did question for a moment just why exactly I was there on this cold grey day. But, as is often the case, it only took a few minutes for the six riders to warm up and start to enjoy the ride.
This ride was packed to the gunnels with exciting points of interest, historical, geographical, meteorological, mechanical, philosophical and gastronomical. It would take to long to describe in full the sheer range and depth of pleasure we experienced on this ride today. You just had to be there.

At last some warmer weather! Louise joined four of us at the top of Court Hill for what seemed (to me at least) quite a tough ride - we omitted the extra deviation down to Uffington on the way back. We had a nice spot by the window in Goodies for our coffee stop before four of us set off up to Ashbury with a bit of sun appearing, while Louise headed back to Stanford. Phil and Peter narrowly avoided a collision with a red kite on the Springline road, where Simon P was briefly sighted and passed.

For a chilly Tuesday morning ride we managed to entice out five riders – even Pete W extracted himself from his bed, the blue sky was the clinching factor. While there was some residual frost on some untreated pavements, the roads were ice free. We made it to Root One in reasonable time, aided by a slight tail wind. Refreshments were taken and everyone watched as Nick worked his way through his cherry pie and custard!! It was back on the road to face the slight, but chilling head wind. At Harwell, Louise took a slight diversion while the remainder of the group cycled through East Hendred up to the Icknield Way. We met up with Louise to cycle along Icknield Way, Louise carried on along Icknield Way to Ardington and Wantage, while the remainder went through Ginge and back to Wantage. Overall a very pleasant ride, made the more enjoyable with having the sun out. A couple of riders participated in a drink at KAHs.

Only four of us today, finishing off 2024 nicely with a gentle circuit of the vale. And it was a good Winter's day for cycling, mild with a few glimpses of the sun and clean(ish) roads - better than many April and October days! We made good use of the cyclepaths out of Wantage and through Milton - several of the multitude of variants were tried!

Java in Abingdon again provided the coffee and cakes and an inside table, though there was a bubbling of discontent over their elevated cake prices.

The return leg was uneventful but with an increasingly strong wind there were a couple of half-hearted attempts at the Denchworth Dash, and we were soon back by King Alf. Thank you for another good, sociable ride - see you in 2025!

Another foggy day but not too cold nor windy for the four riders. After a steady start Pete succumbed to a puncture outside the Culham Site - an early chance to test out Nick's new electric pump.

An early stop at Mill View Garden Centre at Wheatley was programmed in, taking account of their 1130 cut-off for breakfasts. A nice hot breakfast would have gone down well but the place was closed (cue rant over unadvertised Xmas closures). So we pressed on into Oxford making use of the cycle paths through Marston and past The Parks to George Street where the Xmas market was in full swing with various food opportunities. Preferring a warm place to sit down to an alfresco lunch we found a table by the window in the Artisan Cafe on St Aldates, which provided decent breakfast baps at a reasonable price, but (for future reference) does not have customer toilets).

We took the Thames cyclepath Westwards out of Oxford from Folly Bridge but noted that the Grandpont cycle/pedestrian bridge is now (finally) open. After the climb up Cumnor Hill only the familiar route back to Wantage remained but this was interrupted by another puncture, Nick's this time, close to Denchworth. The repair was aided by the new pump and some gratuitous profanities (sorry for those!). Thank you guys - a good outing for the time of year!

Was it the carrot of a drink in the pub after the ride or the need for some exercise prior to the Christmas meal that enticed out seven riders on a very gloomy Christmas eve!! The ride was very straightforward with a few unplanned deviations, which included going down the new link road. The majority of the group used the very wide and smooth cycle way, a couple, who will remain unnamed, took it as an invitation to do a time trial!! We made it back to Wantage just before 12:00, surprisingly the majority of the group opted for a coffee at Marmalade as opposed to a drink at KAH, I think everyone wanted to pace themselves for their alcohol intake!! It was great to get out before the Christmas holiday and in the main a well disciplined riding group!!

Happy Christmas and hopefully see most of you in the New Year.

The low temperature and a strong westerly wind made for biting conditions today. To begin with we were all feeling it but, after some charitable redistribution of spare thermal clothing, with the help of clear blue skies and some steady pedalling, we soon warmed up nicely.

Entertainment was provided by the blindly reversing car driver of Shrivenham and the subsequent impressive display of obscenities this provoked from within our ranks. This was so severe and so unexpected that the blushing it caused kept me extra warm all the way to the cafe.

The recently re-opened Baking Bee Cafe at Ashbury is now a first class stop. Top notch bacon butties, cakes and coffee. Cosy in there too. Back out on the road but now with a strong tailwind, the last leg was a doddle. Post-ride drinks and dubious Christmas tunes were enjoyed in the Alfred's Head.

After the recent grim weather this felt like a lucky bonus ride!

(4 riders +1 mystery rider).