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Sociable leisure rides for enthusiastic cyclists

Ride Reports

9SundayOCTOBER

Inkpen

 68 km  812 m  03:08  x5  x3
Ride Category
With many members away or ill this weekend, and those confirmed on the ride planning to join en route, it was a delight to see John Groves join us (me) at Wantage, otherwise it might have been a bit of a Billy-no-mates start to the ride. The weather was very pleasant, if a bit nippy - plenty of blue skies and sunshine

Up over Hackpen we stopped to natter with a group from Childrey and then caught Alan and Matt in Lambourn before heading up Eastbury Hill and down through Poughley to meet Phil in Hungerford. The route up Combe Gibbet from Inkpen is the one featured in the 100 Best Climbs book, and it didn't disappoint. A tough ascent, claiming 18% at one point! Before long Phil and I were at the Crown and Garter for coffee, meeting the others who had more sense than to attempt the climb.

On the return, we dropped off Phil near Kintbury and Alan and Matt near to Clapton, before braving the headwind-retarded climb up to the Ridgeway on the A338 - job done!