A few of the regular Tuesday riders were away but the return of Andy and John made a nice compact group of four. After Lambourn the hard bit heading into the SW wind was over and we could enjoy the quiet road and scenic downland valley over to Ashbury and on to Shrivenham.

Bloomfields provided some decent cakes, gargantuan in the case of those chosen by Andy and Neil (I didn't see them!) and we had the rear coffee garden to ourselves. Neil's wheel upgrade project led on to a wide-ranging conversation about bike wheels - we briefly considered swapping our wheels for the Zipp carbon wheels on two very smart new Canyon bikes parked in the garden.

The flat return ride to Wantage was a breeze, thanks to the breeze. Andy left us at Charney to head home and after a photo opportunity at the bridge (see photo - thought at first it might be Ken!) we soon found ourselves back in the market square.

Nice sociable ride - thank you all.

Pleased to have Nick and Louis along for a bright and breezy bike across to Coleshill. Some stiff headwind on the out leg was balanced by lots of assist homeward. Blake's cafe was super busy with cyclists and dog walkers but the trio of cinnamon buns and coffees arrived nice and quickly once ordered.

What an amazing day of Autumnal sunshine which we enjoyed as we headed over the Lambourn Downs and onwards to Ramsbury, including a quick detour to the brewery / distillery. Great coffee and nibbles were consumed outside in The Forge courtyard in the warmth of the sun. Luckily we didn't go straight up the hill out of Aldbourne and we had a windy route back to Wantage.

Thanks all for a great ride!

Persistent rain did little to deter this well-disciplined group. We detoured through Charney and Lyford to avoid the road closure between Denchworth and Hanney. Thereafter, all was straightforward to coffee at Java in Abingdon marketplace. Half the group dropped off at various points on the return leg, leaving just me and the Stokells to finish the ride. We avoided the Ginge loop - which would have been unpleasant after all the rain - and kept on the 417 to Ardington. We were back 10 minutes before the pub opened, so opted for home and warmth rather than a reviving beer.

A bit of a chilly start, but we soon warmed up as we headed North West from Wantage along well trodden routes before we got to Clanfield and entered lovely Cotswold lanes and villages.

The Coln Valley was beautiful in the sunshine and we had a great stop at the cafe and village shop in Coln St Aldwyns, sitting outside with a good selection of food and coffee.

The route back was a bit hillier after Lechlade but all arrived safely back in Wantage by early afternoon.

An enjoyable Autumn ride...thanks to all who joined

A beautiful sunny day in the Chilterns. Three riders with Pete C. as a guest for the first 30 km which, despite including Swyncombe Hill, were promptly dispatched. After a brief tourist stop at Hambleden village, we crossed the Thames at the lock and continued into Henley. First visit to Viv's Cafe with some lovely outdoor seating by the Thames - although the views and the addition of some green garnish to your bacon/sausage bap sent the price soaring to unprecedented levels! Pete was beaten by his huge stack of pancakes. All too soon we were climbing out of the Thames Valley again onto the Chilterns, looping around via Stoke Row where we stopped to take in the Maharajah's Well. The superb views from the top of the Chilterns across the Vale were appreciated, before descending back to Wallingford for the short return to Benson. All-in-all, a great early Autumnal day out.

Nine set out with a nice tail wind as far as Marcham when one got lost. Eight became seven at Cumnor when one headed off to Henley for a more pressing engagement. Seven arrived at a very blustery Farmoor and settled down for a coffee and snack, and to wait for the lost one, who duly arrived. Re-starting, one failed to notice the temporary traffic lights at the junction with the B4044 - he was informed of this by another who noticed them but must have ignored the red light. Happily the eight regrouped and, after a secret (dare I say cunning?) cut-through to Cumnor Hill, fought first the hill and then the headwind back to Charney Bassett. After riders dispersed in different directions, four made it back to Wantage. Thank you all for your excellent company.

The ride was not the usual Sunday Corallin ride, we joined the Abingdon and Vale Triathlon Club for the Simon Chesher memorial ride in aid of the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. The ride started from the Loose Cannon Brewery in Abingdon through the vale and up White Horse hill and back via Dalton Barracks to the airfield to meet some of Simon’s family before heading back to the Brewery for beer and food. Fittingly, Pam won the Queen of Mountain trophy for quickest time the “Dragon Hill Steep bit” segment. Simon was Pam’s triathlon training partner. We were also fortunate in that the expected heavy rain did not come until after 2pm, so everyone stayed dry.

Good ride on a very pleasant autumnal morning. No mechanicals, no punctures and no close passes!