Cycling

[Bewster]

Thats ace - gotta love him

[Bewster]

The plot thickens about Bertie's broken bike frame !!

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/07/news/timeline-details-alberto-contadors-tour-ending-crash_336328

Edit : more here

http://road.cc/content/news/123757-so-what-really-happened-alberto-contadors-broken-specialized-tarmac-yesterday

[Reg Smeeton]

 I did a decent circuit today for anyone looking for approx 25 miles mostly off road. So from Old Town out to Coate via Lawns, pick up the cycle path to Chiseldon, then follow Marlborough link on old railway, as far as Ogbourne Maizey, turn off rail path and follow lane to Rockley....decent hill out of Ogbourne Maizey, but nice and cool sunken lane type.

Go right through Rockley, until lane ends, then take a left up the hill, into Fyfield Down Conservation Area.  Follow ancient Saxon Herepath for a bit, but rather than keeping on it down to Avebury, stick to the top of ridge and follow tree line, nice grassy track laid out, through the sheep and sarcens. At the corner of last copse, follow the path running north along edge of copse, to meet track coming up from Old Totterdown, (it looks possible to pick this up earlier, but woods look a bit overgrown). Then a lovely smooth greenway which leads to the Berwick Bassett dew pond on the Ridgeway. Follow Ridgeway to Barbury and then drop down on middle track, avoiding the 2 roads up, to Overtown, then back to Old Town by Ladder Lane.

At this time of year doable on my hybrid.

[Bewster]

Sounds fantastic Reg

[Reg Smeeton]

Sounds fantastic Reg

Yeah. A lovely day for it; there's heaps of routes out that way depending what sort of mileage you're looking for.

[Samdy Gray]

I can imagine Reg haring it down Ladder Lane on his penny farthing

For anyone unfamiliar with it, it's balls out hold on for dear life in the dry. When wet, it's drag the back brake and try and keep the front upright.

[Reg Smeeton]

That's ace...TBF, I do the flat bit at the top, then wheel where it's super steep, then hop back on once the gradient lessens. That's scary enough for me what with roots and overhanging branches, not to mention this year the odd blown down tree.

It was, of course, originally the Swindon to Sarum coach road; I quite often imagine what it must have been like rattling down there being pulled by horses..

[Bewster]

It was, of course, originally the Swindon to Sarum coach road; I quite often imagine what it must have been like rattling down there being pulled by horses..

Never knew that Reg - very interesting.

As for ladder lane........its bad enough on foot

[Reg Smeeton]

Never knew that Reg - very interesting.

As for ladder lane........its bad enough on foot

I do love a good old road, especially hollow ways or sunken tracks....they definitely have a quality, which oozes history and fires up the imagination.

One of my faves locally, runs up between Compton Beauchamp and Woolstone, it's proper land that time forgot, Hobbitshire. Only maybe 2Km at most, but the land around Uffington follows an essentially Iron Age pattern of tracks and boundaries, and the Hardwell Way as it's called on old maps, has to be pre Roman and feels like it. Never tried it on a bike, more of a walking thing.

[Bewster]

I do love a good old road, especially hollow ways or sunken tracks....they definitely have a quality, which oozes history and fires up the imagination.

One of my faves locally, runs up between Compton Beauchamp and Woolstone, it's proper land that time forgot, Hobbitshire. Only maybe 2Km at most, but the land around Uffington follows an essentially Iron Age pattern of tracks and boundaries, and the Hardwell Way as it's called on old maps, has to be pre Roman and feels like it. Never tried it on a bike, more of a walking thing.

I think we should all come for a ride with you Reg - it would be fascinating. “Reg’s Guided Tours”

I want to do that ride you mentioned the other day but I’d get lost

[Reg Smeeton]

I think we should all come for a ride with you Reg - it would be fascinating. “Reg’s Guided Tours”

I want to do that ride you mentioned the other day but I’d get lost

The problem would be that I go about half the pace, that I used to, I like to pootle along, other cyclists invariably overtake and disappear pdq.

One of the great things about cycling is you can use it, to suit your requirements, whatever they are, whatever your age.

[Bewster]

The problem would be that I go about half the pace, that I used to, I like to pootle along, other cyclists invariably overtake and disappear pdq.

One of the great things about cycling is you can use it, to suit your requirements, whatever they are, whatever your age.

I'd happily ride at anyones pace - as long as I don't get lost 

[Samdy Gray]

I'd happily ride at anyones pace

I'd like to see you try and keep Tony Martin's wheel

[Bewster]

I'd like to see you try and keep Tony Martin's wheel

Maybe if he wasn't moving 

[STFC_Chris]

About to attempt replacing rear brake inner cable on shimano sti. Any tips? To lube or not to lube?