Reading - a welcome sight.

Monday was yet another sunny day, a relatively prompt start which was good as I had a train ticket to Gloucester for 2 pm. Cross country past Greenham Common and down to Thatcham where we re-joined the tow path - we followed this all the way to Reading. This was probably to least bike friendly section of the route - narrow grooves between ridges of grass concentrated the mind as you could easily loose control of your front wheel as it was loaded with front panniers. We were taken across fields and potholes tracks - at one stage repairs had been done and we hit piles of loose stone just like the escape lanes on some main roads to stop out of control vehicles on the down hills. The good thing was there were virtually no people or bikes - we had the tow path virtually to ourselves. Then there is Fobney Locks - about 2 miles short of Reading. This was a long distance cycle route we were following which until now was friendly to bikes with panniers. No so at Fobney locks - at either end the obstruction designed to stop anything but bicycles and pedestrians using the route were such that we had to unload the bikes and lift them through - we were now not just weak and feeble we pissed off as well. However just down the track Reading was waiting and a relaxing cuppa.

Arranged at the last minute, some friends of our, Stuart & Margi, meet us there and instead of me having to catch a train to Gloucester, Stuart gave me a lift while Margi entertaining Gilly and Tony to tales of daring doo's in Africa. John bid farewell and caught a train toward Woking.

Was the trip a success - yes, John started getting used to his kit - I am sure he will review what he has and what he needs and he will no doubt get quicker at setting-up and breaking camp. As regards my aims - I came though in good shape and feel I can now move on to harder stuff.

Dist 22.36miles Total Distance 150.71 miles

Just before bed in Newbury

 

 

 

Fobney Locks - nightmare!!

Sunday - some respite

A slightly delayed start as JP mis-timed his breaking camp and then back on to the bumpy tow path.  After a few miles the route took us off onto proper tarmac - the change was remarkable -  the effort required to propel the bike was reduced, no pain on the btm where we had developed bruises on the bruises!! and smiles came to peoples faces. The weather warmed up and by midday we had just done over 10 miles - the children were tired. Jo brought us lunch in the van and we sat on the grass verge and had 30 minutes dozing in the sun. It was time for the Kirk family to depart and for us to tackle the remaining 35 miles or so remaining to our campsite. Cycling with youngsters brings a certain dynamic to the group - the main folk who are the through cyclists are itching to forge ahead but conscious not to push on too fast as the children need to enjoy the experience as well. They done good - 30 miles in 2 days was a wonderful achievement.

Our cycling through the Berkshire countryside was interesting, rural and mainly flat although a couple of hills came up and sorted the men from the boys!! Yet again we meet a fellow cyclist who came up and spoke to us and said he had already done 35 miles and it was only 11 o'clock - why are you guys resting?? They have no idea how weak and feeble we are and to be continually reminded of this fact could make us really depressed! Our campsite on a farm about 3 miles south of Newbury turned out to be great, more good clean facilities and a flat grassy camping field. In camp eating of cold chicken and salad was easy and we were in bed and snoring well before 10 o'clock.

Dist  44.38 miles  Total 128.35

Early morning - there was a frost on the ground and windscreens!!

 

Devises Locks - seemed to go on forever

 

 

Taking a break

 

Saturday - the bone shaking starts

Jo Ian and family joined us in good time on Saturday morning and off we set - a wagon train of some considerable length - me with the map searching out the cycle routes, Ewan & Evie behind being somewhere being told what to do, how to cycle, where to go, how fast to go, when to change gear by at least 3 loud voice somewhere behind me all at the same time with 3 differing instruction - no wonder Ewan kept falling off!! Jo was trying out her new bike pulling Harry behind in a trailer - he seemed to love it and slept a lot of the way.

Bristol is a cycle friendly city - we got from Adrian's to the Bristol - Bath cycleway virtually on traffic free cycle paths. We arrived in Bath some 20 miles later where we were accosted by a bloke in a van - Ian jumped out from the undergrowth near a Lidal's - time for lunch.  The youngsters left us there and we continues on the Kennet & Avon Canal. The tow path doubles up as a cycle path and a foot path and on a hot June afternoon at times there was not a lot of room. The surface at times was good but most of the way was uneven, rough and bone shakingly hard - bruised btm's or what - at least the bikes held together. Still life on the canal was interesting there were bright & shiney boats as well as the not so shiney occupied by some long haired hippies obviously living an alternative lifestyle to me! Who's got it right - who knows?

A Campsite on the back of a pub - the Thee Magpies at a place called Sells Green was our abode for the night and after 15 miles on a the tow path it was a very welcome end to a good day.

Dist 35.15mls - total 83.97

 

Big team start

 

 

Joining the Bristol Bath Cycle Path

 

 

                                                         Tony chatting up the 'birds'

All Shipshape & Bristol Fashion

We are in Bristol in good shape and no injuries apart from a bit of sunburn.

We left at about 09:00 on Thursday and picked up Tony at Exeter. We bombed up the M5 to a small village just outside Gloucester - Highnam - were a buddy of ours is associated with an energy company and arranged for us to leave our car. A 4 mile cycle into Gloucester and we met John at the railway station and the core of the team had assembled. A short cycle throuh town and we were at the start of the Gloucester - Sharpness canal. We had planned about 15 miles down to Slimbridge. The tow path started well but gradually detiorated to a rough narrow track which I thought would shake my new bike to bits. We then met a chap - the type I seem to meet at least once on evry trip. I guess I must look like a novice as he started telling us how to do it and are you only going to Slimbridge - well you should do better than that. I am sure his 2 mates enjoyed his company.
We stayed at a great campsite - The Tudor  - flat, good grass and fantastic facilities.
Today was a great ride and the conversation from yesterday continued. It was all about getting your leg over. Tony pushing 80 was saying that now he has geat difficulty  and John  was trying to give him some advice but he also was having great difficulty, Gilly now with arthritis in the hips was also having trouble - me being the youngest was keeping stum as I can still manage it. Later Gilly 'came out' and as I said to her it is a bit late in life for such announcements.
Great cycling country rural, little trafic and pretty flat. We are now ensconced in Tony's son house and Adrian & his wife Saaniya have fed and watered us and given some of us soft beds. Great!!
Jo & Ian and family are joining us at about 08:30 tomorrow morning for a couple of days.

The weather has been fantastic - almost wall to wall sun, a little wind but not enough to hinder our progress.
Distance - 48.82 miles

Severn Thames Cycle Route

Hi Ho Folks

Tomorrow, Thursday 4th June, Gilly & I plus Gilly's brother John and Tony, a cycling buddy, set off for a long weekend to cycle from Gloucester to Reading on the Severn Thames Cycle Route. Jo my daughter, Ian and their 3 children Evie 7, Ewan 5 and Harry 2 will join us on Friday night and accompany us for a couple of days and head for home on Sunday evening. We plan to arrive in Reading at about midday on Monday.

This route as the name implies is from the River Severn in Gloucester to the River Thames in Reading. Initially we head south down the Severn to the upper Severn crossing, then turn east into Bristol. We then pick up the Bristol Bath cycle trail on a disused railway. In Bath we join the Avon & Kennet canal which takes us all the way to Reading although in places we are directed off the tow path as it is very uneven and slippery in places.

Why are we doing this - well two reasons apart from we want to and it seems like a great ride. The first is that after our last ride along the Pacific Highway from Vancouver to Mexico I have had a heart bypass op - this was on the cards for a number of years and things seem to come to ahead while cycling in the States. I had the op last August (2014) so I am now 9 months recovered. We plan to cycle across France in August - St Malo to Nice about 1000miles - so I would like see if I will be OK for the longer ride. The second reason is that John would like to join us for the France trip. He did a short tour in Holland last Autumn and since then has thrown his trailer into the bin and bought some panniers (sensible lad) so this will be a try out for his new kit.

We have both invested in new bikes - me a Genesis Longitude and Gilly a Trek FX 7.4 both set up for touring. This will be a good test for these.

Sandy's bike - please note no scratches yet !!

 

 

                                                  Gilly's bike - still faster than Sandy's