- Home
- About us
- Activities
- Shop
- News & events
- Support us
- Contact us
- Partners
Cycling Group
News and news archive
Some general notes for safe cycling
1. If you have a mobile phone with you, please switch it on!
2. Ride leader today is: WW and the Ride leader's mobile number is: XX
3. The 'last rider' for our ride is: YY and the last rider's mobile number is: ZZ
4. Please switch on your mobile and have in it the numbers for the ride leader and the 'last rider'. Telephone 'last rider' if you're in trouble and you think no-one has noticed.
5. Please let the ride leader ride at the front. Please don't overtake him or her especially when he/she decides we need to stop to make sure the rest of the riders can see the way we're going at a junction.
6. Lets try to set an example of how considerate cyclists behave. We can do this by riding in groups of four or five with a distance of about 100 yards between each group. This allows motorists to overtake each group and safely pull back in before overtaking the next. If we don't give them this courtesy and a vehicle comes the other way unexpectedly, remember - the cyclist is the soft option and you may get hurt!
7. On the same subject, if a motorist approaches from behind a group on a very narrow lane, please use any opportunity to pull in and stop in a passing place or gateway to let them pass.
8. By adopting courteous behaviour, we'll hope to we'll give motorists a better opinion of cyclists. It will take some time and we'll come across aggressive and abusive motorists. Remember, if you shout at them or gesticulate, they'll take it out on the next cyclist they come across!
9. Give parked vehicles a wide berth! Drivers sometimes don't look in their mirrors before they open the door and this could mean that you ride into the edge of a door or take avoiding action into the path of another vehicle!
10. These are the rides today: (description)
11. Something to think about for ongoing discussion. Some Chiltern Cycling Group members are generous enough to buy a round at the pub and that can be expensive! It's been suggested we have a kitty but this has been found to be equally inequitable in the past. Would you have a think about it and see whether it mightn't be better if we each bought our own food and drink and thus make sure that it's fair to all? If you wanted to make some contribution to petrol for shared transport, that could be a separate thing.
JUNE 2010
Ride report 29 June 2010
We, Bob, Jim, Keith, Iain, Rob, Steve and Pauline, Paul, John Shipley, and Frank all met at the Five Horseshoes at Maidensgrove on a refreshingly cool morning which was a great relief as we had some big hills. We set off over the top of Russells Water and continued along past the Christmas Tree barn to Christmas Common with lovely views over the valley. Turning right at Christmas Common we started off down towards Turville and I hope all enjoyed the long wonderful downhill into the village. From Turville, those with mountain bikes rode down Watery Lane while the rest of us rode the slightly longer route round on the road.
Due to the speed we were travelling and in fear of arriving back at the pub before 12 we cycled into Hambleden village and had a very pleasant and amazingly inexpensive coffee at the Stag and Huntsman. However this did not deter us from riding up the first hill on the schedule, Pheasants Hill, again lovely views if you had the chance to get your head up and look at them. We cycled along towards Frieth and then joined a section of the Chilterns Cycleway down to Colesthorpe Hill – shady and fast – back into the Hambleden Valley.
We continued along the valley and rode up Luxters Hill which I am sure is one of the steepest in this area – thank goodness it was in the shade. We all made the top but not all of us rode it so well done to those who did. Continuing along past the brewery and winery we turned left over the top to Fawley and then down the final hill of the day to the Stonor Valley. At this stage there was only one hill left! The journey up the Stonor Valley was uneventful and we turned up to Maidensgrove up the hill arriving at the pub at about 12.30 ish (forgot to check sorry!) As it was by this stage very comfortably warm we elected to have lunch, which we had pre ordered, in the garden. The lunch could have arrived quicker but it was very good and well worth the wait.
Almost exactly 23 miles, three lovely downhill sections and three quite hard up hills of interesting and at times reasonably challenging riding even though it was on the road. No punctures or any events which is even better. Almost as we left the sun came out and the day started warming up again. Great timing for the ride!
I am away for the next two Tuesdays so have great rides.
Leslie
Ride report 24 June 2010
On a beautiful summer's morning some 22 riders met at Culpepers, Sandpit Road , Bledlow, where coffee, cold drinks and flapjacks refreshed us in readiness for an increasingly hot day. After some complicated introductions (we welcomed newcomers John McCarthy, Steve Waterhouse and Brian Offord) we set off east along the Phoenix trail towards Saunderton. At Horsenden it became clear that such a large group, facing two steep hills, was unlikely to reach the pub in time and we split, with the faster group heading for the steep hill (Wigan’s Lane) leading to Bledlow Ridge, whilst the more leisurely group, led by Jeremy and Peter headed for the flat(ter) lands of Owlswick and Ford and a circuit that brought them to Towersey, the Phoenix Trail and on to the Lions of Bledlow.
The faster group soon made the climb to Bledlow Ridge to enjoy the cool and gentle drift along the top before a mad rush down the S bends of Loxboro Hill, leading towards West Wycombe . Those who pedalled hard in top gear swung wide on some corners, but we all made it safely to the bottom before a sharp left up Slough Lane and eventually across the A4010 towards Small Dean Farm and a punishing climb to Lacey Green. Most of us pushed our bikes up the last sudden upturn of the hill, but three or four (I can’t be sure because by then I was pushing my bike and staring hard at the ground below me) of the group were notable for pedalling all the way to the top – oh to be so fit! The stretch through Lacey Green gave us time to recover before another exhilarating downhill dash past Wardrobes Lane along Woodway and on to the Icknield Way and the pub.
Amazingly and with no pre-planning, both groups arrived at The Lions within a short time of each other having covered almost 18 miles each and ready for the pre-ordered food delivered to our tables on the green, shortly thereafter (pictured). A pleasant lunch in the sun was followed by a gentle saunter back along Sandpit Lane to Culpepers where tea and shortbread refreshed those who were able to stay a little longer.
Many thanks to all who were able to attend the ride and sincere apologies to those who suffered on the hill past Small Dean Farm.
Sue and Mike B
22 June 2010
Five Descents Ride
With the weather warming up nicely ten cyclists gathered in the free and unmarked car park on the edge of Wendover Woods for what was billed as a tough MTB outing. We set off with myself, Steve, Pauline, Iain, Robert, John S, Paul, Les, Bob and Jim. Our Colorado cyclists would have liked this ride. With a journey length of 19 miles and 850 metres of climbing we all managed it and there were no complaints.
We made a gentle start along the Ridgeway heading east on hard packed surfaces so different from the mud that makes them almost impassable in the winter to descent one (-150 metres). No one took up the offer of the first opt out and all made it down the steep bridleway from Pavis Wood to West Leith . A tracked vehicle had grooved the surface of much of this bridleway and I was asked if it was an advertisement for full suspension MTBs, which did much to smooth out the ride. The first tough climb back up Hastoe was rewarded with the descent two (-55 metres) a one and a half mile smooth and steady downhill bridleway through the woods to the road at Cholesbury Bottom.
Here we made our way to the White Lion to pre-order our lunch. It was ominously closed with no sign of life. We agreed to check later before returning for lunch.
We then made our way past the drawbridged Dundridge Manor house and made our way back to the Ridgeway – this time going west – tantalisingly close to the car park for descent three ( -90 metres). One person took the opt-out with the rest of us plunging down the steep gulley of the trail down to the Hale. This was inevitably followed by a short but very steep road climb only again to be rewarded by descent four ( -60 metres) a 2 mile track and trail through Hale Woods down to the roundabout just outside Wendover. We made our way up Smalldene Lane to Dunsmore where we joined a steadily rising bridleway up to the top of Coombe Hill. Here we joined descent five ( -90 metres) back down through the woods to Wendover (-90 metres) for the final long climb back up to Wendover Woods.
Some walking was noticed as we made our way to the summit and I used this as an excuse to ring the White Lion only to find the chef had not turned up so no lunch! A quick phone call to the Old Swan at Swan Bottom gave us a cheery welcome and we arrived for a rapid service of good food and beer and the best value soft drinks in the Chilterns – a pint of Lime and Soda for 30p! When I queried the bill the landlady said this was right and that she made more money out of this drink than from a pint of beer! This is a big improvement on being charged more than for a pint of beer for orange juice and soda.
No punctures, no injuries, a few minor fallings off, a significant brake failure requiring a return to the pits for Paul – caused by brake pad bonding failing on nearly new pads. Iain suffered some frame damage from his metal drink bottle denting his frame when the rear suspension was on full compression – use plastic from now on Iain.
A good ride out and an exciting collection of descents to test your skill and an equal number of climbs to test our stamina – stiff legs all round the next day! Not quite the 5 Stanes but great cycling on our door step.
Frank
Ride report 10 June 2010
On a grey windy day 15 of us (Sue, Jenny, Jan, Mandy, Ken, Peter H, Peter A, Tony, Jeremy, Paul, Roger, John, Penny a new recruit and a friend of Jan, and last but not least it was good to see Barney complete with his three wheeled machine), gathered at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium. This stadium and the work that it does came as a surprise to some of the group. From the start we divided into two groups with Jeremy, Barney and Jenny taking a less undulating route to the pub. The main group set off through the Council-funded cycle route through Fairford Leys and then out into the countryside of Quarrendon and Quainton where we stopped to admire the windmill. The only serious hill was Waddesdon Hill but this presented no major problems to the group and everyone enjoyed the long slope down into Eythrope Park perhaps a little more than the ascent out of the park. Lunch after about 18 miles was at The Harrow at Bishopstone who looked after us well (pictured), even if they had sold out of some items (According to the lady behind the bar this was due to excessive popularity!) A leisurely ride back to the start completed the 23 mile ride.
Thank you all for joining today's ride
Mike
Ride report 8 June 2010
As we set off from home to cycle to the start it was raining quite heavily. My thought was if nobody has turned up we can be back home in half an hour and dry off etc… Imagine our surprise when we got to the pub just after 9.30 to find Frank, Iain, Robert, Bob, Paul, Richard, Ray, Les, Keith, John S, & Jim, there ready to go! After a few attempts to dissuade them it seemed that we'd have to go through with it and do the ride!
When I say ready to go Keith was in the process of changing his back tyre and tube, a process he obviously enjoyed as he managed to do it twice more in the first 3 miles of the ride, probably a record…
We set off towards Marlow using the odd (Thames) path and into Marlow. Over the bridge, always lovely views even on a miserable day. By now it had stopped raining. Past the Complete Angler, where due to the previously mentioned delays we had to cancel the booking for coffee on the lawn! On to Longridge and up the only real hill to Winter Hill to enjoy the vista of Marlow and surrounding area. Crossing Pinkneys Green & Maidenhead Thicket, where Jim was attacked by a branch leaving him with a nasty scratch by his eye, Leslie emerged poring blood with cuts all over her arms claiming she'd lost an armful of blood, & apart from me falling off whilst trying to bunny hop a log there were no real incidents!
On to Burchetts Green where we turned north towards the Thames dropping down to Hurley and on to Temple where it started to rain again this time very heavily. Still we rufty tufty bikers pushed on to Marlow back over the bridge and along the Thames path (sorry about all the gates) taking the track past the gravel pits to Little Marlow.
The Kings Head did us proud with the food served in good time and good quality at a reasonable price.
Many thanks to everyone for turning out to support us on what was at times a very wet morning.
See you all next week
S&P
Ride report 3 June 2010
After receiving a number of phone calls from riders who were having trouble following my instructions about where to meet, 17 of us gathered in the High Street at Long Crendon - I must send out clearer instructions! We were pleased to welcome two new riders - Anthony Bibbings and David Cooper, both friends of Jeremy. Other riders were Paul, Jenny, Gordon, Davids Kealey and Rose, Peters Anderson and Hawkes, Johns Newman and Driver, Mandy, Sue Ashton, Ken, Roger Bangs, Jeremy and Alan Robertson. We had expected that Mike and Sue Britnell would join us but unfortunately Mike was stung whilst attending his bees before he left and had to receive medical treatment.
After phoning through our food order we set out just after 10.30am. We headed north through the villages of Easington, Chilton, Dorton, Ludgershall and Piddington before cycling past the large military base at Arncott. The weather couldn't have been better with warm sunshine, a cloudless sky and just a light breeze. However, when we turned south we realised that the wind was stronger than we had realised, having had it mostly behind us for the first half of the ride. After a short stop to fix a puncture we passed through Horton-cum-Studley and reached our lunch stop at Common Leys Farm (marked as Waterperry Common on the Landranger OS maps!) at 1.00pm. This was somewhere that Jeremy had introduced to us on a Monday ride earlier in the year and everyone enjoyed the good food and beer and very friendly, relaxed surroundings - I recommend it to anyone who hasn't been there (no, I'm not on commission!).
After lunch some had appointments to attend and some wanted to explore one of the local bridleways so we made our way back to the cars via Worminghall and Shabbington in a number of separate groups.
The ride was just over 26 miles in total with 19.5 before lunch. We saw some of the best of the English countyside along very quiet roads with near perfect weather and everyone enjoyed some glorious views across the edge of the Aylesbury Vale.
Ken
Ride report 1 June 2010
This ride marked a small but important step in my education as a ride leader. Not only does the leader have to know where the route goes but, when it is wet and there is vegetation growing over the route the leader must go first to knock the water drops off the vegetation so that the remainder of the group do not get so wet!
There was light rain as the select group of Pauline, Steve, Leslie, Frank, Keith, Iain, Robert and the leader set out from the Peacock. When we turned off the B482 in order to go down the bridleway to Bluey's Farm we were faced with a field of long wet grass with no track but this was avoided by discreet use of a footpath (on foot!). The group sped past Bluey's Farm and on to the end of Mundaydean before turning up to Copy Green. The steep bridleway defeated everyone but did not delay us too long and we were soon speeding down more bridleway to come out on Seymour Court Lane. Across the B482 and more bridleway took us down into Marlow Bottom. Where the Marlow Bottom road turns steeply up towards Handy Cross we carried straight on more very pleasant bridleway. At Hill Green we turned up towards Booker Dump, initially taking the farm track on the edge of the field . At Booker, a short section of road took us back across the B482 before the group enjoyed more very pleasant bridleway (once the leader had de-watered the vegetation). The road beyond Bluey's Farm marked the end the bits of bridleway which were used to justify the ride on the grounds that some of the group had never ridden them before. Quiet roads led to Parmoor and the well known bridleway down to Skirmett where we had the only puncture before going via Watery Lane, Fingest and Hanger Farm up to Cadmore End. A short spin along the B482 brought us back to the Peacock by 12.30 for an early lunch.
This marks the last ride in the area which I consider as 'my patch', bits of which may be new to members of the group.
Bob Cheesewright
MAY 2010
Ride report 27 May 2010
16 keen riders set off from Lake End; Mandy, Dave R., Chris, Ken, Peter H., Peter A., Clive, Paul, Jan, Sue A., Tony, Bob, Alan, Mike P., Jeremy and Uncle Tom Cobley and all. The Jubilee River was really pretty and had a good surface so we made good time to Eton where we enjoyed the start of a cadet parade at the college.
Winding our way through Windsor we got separated a bit but thanks to some mobile phoning and Paul forming a one-man search party we all made it into Windsor Great Park together.We rode right down to Virginia Water and enjoyed the views across the lake. Coming back through Windsor, all together this time, we then crossed the Thames and rode past the racecourse to Dorney. Barney was waiting for us at the Palmer Arms where we had a good lunch.
Best wishes, Mandy
Ride report 6 May 2010
We assembled at Chesham Moor where we were able to use toilet facilities in the adjacent local authority swimming pool.
Twenty riders set out Chris, Richard, John N, Phillip, Ken, Tom, Peter, Mike P, Paul, Mandy, Jan, David R,David K, Tony,Jenny, Alan, Roger B, yours truly plus two new riders Shaun & Yvette to whom we extended a very warm welcome.
An enjoyable ride on quiet country lanes, cold and drizzly at the start but as the day wore on the weather steadily improved
There were just two minor problems, a loose rear wheel axle on Tom's bike which Ken & Peter kindly sorted out,plus a slow puncture on Shaun's bike which was repaired over the lunch stop.
Lunch was at the Full Moon @ Hawridge Common and they looked after us very well indeed.
Distance travelled was 16 miles to Lunch and 7 miles back to the cars, 23 miles in all - a few testing hills which everyone coped with well; we must be getting fitter!
Cheers, John
Ride report 4 May 2010
It was a cold but dry morning when Les, Brian, Russell, Hazel, Patrick, Pauline, Steve, Jim, Richard, Keith, Robert and the leader assembled in the large car park at the Crown. After a last minute ordering of lunch choices we turned left out of the car park and in 150 yds turned down by the school. This was the first bit of track with no clear indication on the OS map of its status but the landlord at the Crown had told me that he was sure that long ago this was the line of the road and that in the snow of the past winter it had been extensively used by tractors and 4X4's when the present road was blocked by jack-knifed lorries.
It provided an interesting descent and I did warn the group to observe it carefully as we would be coming back up that way at the end of the ride. It was then road all the way to West Wycombe and on to the Pedestal roundabout where we crossed the Aylesbury road. The status of the road up past Cookshall Farm to Downley Common is also in doubt but I have used it from time to time for more than 50 years and have never been stopped. Turning left along the Common we proceeded mainly on the line of the bridleway but with the odd diversion to avoid mud holes. When we turned half left into Naphill Common the line of the route became far from straight and some of the party thought that we might end up back where we started. Certainly there was some surprise when we came down to the intended crossing point on the Bradenham/Walters Ash road.
Through Bradenham Beeches and Park Wood we mainly followed the permissive riding tracks which took us nearly out onto the top of Smalldean Lane before turning down a newly opened riding route down to the car park. A pleasant run down Smalldean Lane , across the Aylesbury road and then through Saunderton brought us to the start of the familiar bridleway leading up into the heart of the Chilterns. Rather than follow this all the way up to Wigans Lane we turned right to join the Ridgeway, coming out onto the road just before Princes Risborough golf club.
Observation of ground conditions had suggested that the intended off road climb up to the top of Chinnor Hill from the Ridgeway just beyond Hempton Wainhill would be unpleasantly muddy so we turned and climbed up Wigans Lane all the way to the top of Bledlow Ridge. At this point Hazel, Patrick and Jim wanted an easier route back to the Crown so they turned down Radnage Lane . The remainder of the party proceeded along the Chinnor road before turning down the bridleway through Sunley Wood.
This soon became narrow, steep and winding, giving a very enjoyable descent, to be followed by more than ½ mile of wider single track along the Bledlow Circular Ride.From the exit onto the road at Town End it was a short road run to the bottom of the track which we had descended earlier. Russell, Steve and Richard all cleaned this while Pauline and Keith came close. From the top it was only 150 yds back to the Crown.
A nice ride with no mishaps and no punctures, approx 20 miles. I think that I managed to maintain my reputation for finding at least one bit of the route that no one in the group had ridden before. The food was good as was the service and the cost was very reasonable.
Bob Cheesewright
The Chilterns Cycleway official guide book has all you need to know about the Chilterns Cycleway: 23 detailed maps (one for each section), a few suggested short breaks, plus additional route and accommodation information. Ring bound. £7.99. To order please phone 01494 771250.Re-cycle it!
Sustrans is the leading sustainable transport charity. It has developed more than 1,100 miles of cycle routes in the UK and organises ‘Active Travel’ to encourage people to make more journeys by bicycle.
They need used bicycles (in reasonable working order if possible). Ring Jeremy on 07836 208752 or Chris on 01525 22105.