N Somerset / Mendips ride

[adds21]

A couple of us are going for a ride on April 3rd, starting from Winford (just off the A38 near Bristol Airport), down into the Chew Valley between the lakes, up and over the Mendips via Cheddar Gorge (descending, for once!), then back up the Strawberry Line to Yatton, and the new cafe at the station. Then, after a cake stop, up Brockley Combe back to Winford.

Should be between 35 and 40 miles, and will be at a steady pace to suit whoever turns up. Currently myself and BlueDog are confirmed, and I think our last ride of that distance was at an average of between 11 and 12 mph, so we're in no way sprinters!

Probably setting off from Winford at about 10ish. PM me for the exact address.

 

[Davidc]

Not a good day - I have a vision of my (88 year old) mother chasing me up Burrington Coombe brandishing a rolling pin!

 

[adds21]

Not a good day - I have a vision of my (88 year old) mother chasing me up Burrington Coombe brandishing a rolling pin!

Bring her along. I've got a tandem you could borrow .

 

[Chutzpah]

Sorely tempted, but I'm working on Saturday for the first time in four years and as Davidc points out it's a "special day" Sunday....

I'll check with the boss.

 

[adds21]

Sorely tempted, but I'm working on Saturday for the first time in four years and as Davidc points out it's a "special day" Sunday....

I'll check with the boss.

It'll be good if you can make it. Still just me and BlueDog at the moment.

 

[Chutzpah]

Sorry the late reply, but it's a no go I'm afraid :-( The wife does indeed have plans.

Maybe we should start planning the "next next ride" now?
...I'm not available next weekend

 

[adds21]

Sorry the late reply, but it's a no go I'm afraid :-( The wife does indeed have plans.

Maybe we should start planning the "next next ride" now?
...I'm not available next weekend

I think planning the next one soon is a good idea! - I can do weekend of the 16th April, or 14th May.

We had a good ride yesterday, despite a couple of showers towards the end. We cycled up, what I think must be, the steepest hill in the world (this one, although it doesn’t look too bad in Google, my OS map says about 500 feet in less than a mile, which felt like quite a lot), we obviously had to have a bit of a sit down at the top to… errrm, admire the view

Then down Cheddar Gorge, and to the Strawberry line. Unfortunately the tunnel at Winscombe was closed, which meant a diversion over the hill via a footpath, then down an extremely muddy bridle path. In hindsight we should have stuck to the roads, but by the time we were halfway down the path, it was too muddy to get back out, so we had little choice but to continue. Nevertheless, it was quite entertaining, even if I did have to remove my front wheel just to get it spinning properly once we were out.

Good ride though. Just a tad short of 40 miles.

 

[Davidc]

Burnham to Weston-s-M and back with fish and chips for energy before setting off, fish and chips at Weston to keep us going, and fish and chips at Burnham again to refuel at the end of the ride?

(Only joking!)

 

[Chutzpah]

We had a good ride yesterday, despite a couple of showers towards the end. We cycled up, what I think must be, the steepest hill in the world (this one, although it doesn’t look too bad in Google, my OS map says about 500 feet in less than a mile, which felt like quite a lot), we obviously had to have a bit of a sit down at the top to… errrm, admire the view

I've done one of the hills near there - I think it was the Limestone Link from South Widcombe to Hinton Blewitt. That one doesn't look too bad on google maps either, but I remember it being pretty stiff. My excuse is that the hills there have a bigger gravitational pull. Or something.

 

[Chutzpah]

I think planning the next one soon is a good idea! - I can do weekend of the 16th April, or 14th May.

Either of those are potentially good for me, even if the thought of 40 miles is... interesting... as it would be the furthest I've ever done

Maggot's idea of a FNTTC-style ride interests me too, if anyone fancies a late night!

Incidentally, I ended up taking the family to the East Somerset Railway (as my son is really into trains at the moment). I was thinking of you as we were trundling slowly down a line in the pouring rain!

edit: forgot that 14th May won't be good, we'll be having friends around as it's Eurovision that day (I know I know I know)

 

[BlueDog]

Latest ride on the levels (this Sunday) is posted here