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Heading NW out to a cafe visited once before: Puddleduck Cafe at Holt Farm near Napton-on-the-Hill. A slightly longer and hilly route so bring sufficient drink and maybe some nutrition.

Distance: 58 miles / 94km, with the cafe at 30 miles / 49km
Ascent: approx 3600 ft / 1100m
Speed: 17+mph, no dropped riders

It would be great to see you on the ride, please sign up if you're coming!

https://www.facebook.com/p/Puddleduck-Café-Gallery-100091716860088/
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/286685228
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47509700

GPX file

A ride route now added

For the A ride this week we will head out to the Grain Store at Middle Aston. The route is front-loaded meaning a shorter return if the weather does turn wet; there is also an option to bail out early via Charlton if we need it - but current forecast seems dry. I've also ended the route at the Crown in Gawcott if anyone fancies a drink to finish.

A possible issue is that the road from Bucknell to the B4100 may be closed - if so we will need to divert towards Bicester and around Lords Lane (Bicester western ring road).

Distance: 53 miles / 86km (to Gawcott), with the cafe at 34 miles / 55km
Ascent: approx. 2300 ft / 700m
Speed: 17+mph (no one dropped)

Bring refreshment and maybe some nutrition (noting the distance to the cafe stop).

Hope you can make it - please sign up if so!

https://www.thegrainstorecafe.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Grain-Store-Middle-Aston-100090378930378/
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/278764744
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47114271

With the weather looking more like summer, I propose a gran fondo this Sunday, heading out around Banbury to take in a bit of climbing (Tysoe and Edge Hills) before the stop at the National Herb Centre. Having been off the club rides for a month, I may well be the slow coach so don't let the distance put anyone off - and the bigger group we get, the more help for us all! An added bonus is that you will get 10% of the Le Col 8848 climbing challenge done! (Link to sign up on Strava below for anyone not done so.)

NOTE EARLY START - plan is to leave sharp at 8:30, so meet up from 8:20, meaning that we won't be back too late. If we are tight for time due to a mechanical or anything, there is an option to shorten the route a little by going via Chacombe and Welsh Lane on the way home.

Distance: 63.5 miles / 102.5km, cafe at 39.5 miles / 63.5km
Elevation: approx. 3100 ft / 960m
Speed: 17+ mph (no dropped riders, inc. me!)

Hopefully this appeals - please sign up if you would like to come along!

https://www.herbcentre.co.uk/bistro/
https://www.facebook.com/NationalHerbCentre/?locale=en_GB
https://www.strava.com/challenges/4422?hl=en-GB
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/274313751
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46889386

Farm and Table, Wykham Park Farm
https://farmandtable.uk/

GPX added

Did I read free food?

Heading west to Quince & Clover at Great Tew to benefit from the WSW wind coming home.

Distance: 52 miles / 84km, with the cafe at 27 miles / 44km
Ascent: approx. 2000 ft / 630m
Speed: 17+ mph

Hope you can come along - please sign up if so!

https://quinceandclover.co.uk/cotswold-cafe/
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/260463555
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46175480

Quite a strong SSW wind is forecast (but otherwise warm and dry) so opted for a route that should maximise the tail wind home! Heading out via the Claydons and a few bumps at Waddesdon, Ashendon and Chilton. Then a loop south before summiting at Brill via the Oakley climb - and where we will try out the coffee van by the windmill for the stop. (Fallback option is the pub.) Then up and down Muswell Hill and freewheel home.

Distance: 51.5 miles / 83km, with the stop at 33.5 miles / 54km
Ascent: approx. 2400 ft / 720m
Speed: 17+ mph

Please sign up if you fancy it - should be fun!

Note the front-loaded route so please bring any nutrition/drink you need.

https://brillcoffee.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/BrillCoffeeBucks
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/258587128
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46084951

GPX file for Garmin course above

Don’t forget that the clocks change overnight! A 9am start will be an hour earlier than normal if that makes sense

Thanks John for posting

CONFIRMED START AT 10am at Swan Pool - meet from 9:45/50

UPDATE - considering a 10am start to avoid more of the rain…

👍

This week we will reuse a route from @DaveB last year and head to Woodstock. Out via Finmere, Somerton and Wootton; back through Bletchingdon, Middleton Stoney and Caversfield.

Suggested option for the stop is Woodstock Coffee on the main road but previously we have stopped at one of the pubs and a small cafe we found on the High Street.

The weather forecast is a bit variable - hopefully we will avoid any rain although the roads may be wet. It will be fairly warm for March and there will be a SW wind to help us home.

Distance: 53 miles (85km) with the cafe at 28 miles (45km)
Ascent: approx. 1900 ft / 600m
Speed: 17+ mph

Hope you can come along - please sign up if so!

https://www.facebook.com/woodstockcoffeeshop/
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/253637429

Sorry A riders but I don’t fancy it today with the forecast still looking wet!

The forecast is currently looking wet for Sunday, so not sure if I will be out or not, but in the hope that we can get out, here's a route to Salcey Forest. It is deliberately shorter than usual in case we need to squeeze it into a dry spell between showers, we do get wet and simply want to get home - or even want to skip the stop altogether (!). If the weather turns out ok there are various ways we can extend it.

Distance: 37 miles / 60km, with the cafe stop at 20 miles / 32km
Ascent: approx. 1600 ft / 500m
Speed: 17+ mph

Sign up if you're game and we can make the call on Sunday morning if we feel like going out, or if we need to adjust the start time.

https://groundscafe.uk/salcey/
https://www.facebook.com/GCsalceyforest/
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/252515695
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45788502

GPX file

OK, managed to edit the route. Attached is something that should be feasible starting at 9am:

Still fairly front-loaded so bring some nutrition/energy: 50 miles / 80km total, with cafe at 35 miles / 57km

Still need to keep an eye on conditions tomorrow, will make a call before 8am for those who may be travelling over, so silence your phone if you don't want a ping at that time!

Hope to see you tomorrow

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/250461095
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45679157

NOTE - start moved back to the usual 8:45 for 9:00. Idea is to cut a few km from the start of the route - I may not be able to update the route today but hopefully we can work it out.

It's the monthly club meet up and we're heading back to Westbury. Rather than repeat the previous route I am proposing something different: meet up 8:15 for an 8:30 start with an almost entirely front-loaded ride that takes in a big loop through Northants through Hanslope, Gayton and Blakesley before the stop, and just a short hop home afterwards.

Distance: 50 miles / 80km with the cafe not until 43 miles / 70km
Ascent: approx. 2300 ft / 700m
Speed: 17+mph (no dropped riders)

Hopefully this will be a good stretch so please sign up if you fancy joining the ride! However if not let me know (comments below or to me on WhatsApp) and I will come up with something else that works!

If we do this please make sure you bring some food to keep energy levels up as well as sufficient drink.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/250131521
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45661963

Heading to the Greenhouse Cafe at Barn Farm Plants, Wardington - but a different route to when we went in January.

Distance: 49 miles (78km) with the cafe at 28 miles (45km)
Ascent: approx. 2300 ft / 700m
Speed: 17+ mph

Hope you can come along - please sign up if so!

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/249026505
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45601134

This week all club rides are meeting up at Westbury Community Cafe at around 11am. For the A ride we are looping into Northants to get some rolling roads in, including a few that we don't often ride to give some variety. Note that it is a front-loaded ride so you may want to bring a bar or gel to keep your energy up.

The weather looks cloudy but dry, a little warmer than last week at 11-12C, and with a 15mph WSW wind which won't benefit us much!

Distance: 51 miles / 82km with the cafe at 34 miles / 55km
Ascent: 2300 ft / 700m
Speed: 17+mph

It would be great if you can join us - please sign up if so!

https://www.facebook.com/westburyshopandcafe/?locale=en_GB
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/247084339
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45488782