A truly mixed bag of a ride.
First off, what a day for it. Amazing weather from start to finish. Even at 7.30am, it was cool but not too chilly. Loved seeing the swans gliding through the mist on Ruislip Lido first thing.
As has been said already, the first leg to Quainton, 55km of delightful gently rolling countryside, is sublime. Especially the bits through Eythrope and Waddesdon Parks. I spotted my first red kite of the day in Eythrope Park - well, heard the characteristic shrieking first, then looked up and saw it hovering about ten metres above me. Beautiful. Then saw a couple more swooping around each other in Waddesdon Park. Excellent spread at the first control at Quainton Memorial Hall. Had a cup of tea and a splendid slice of Victoria sponge cake. And the couple stamping cards were really entering into the spirit of the train theme, which made me smile.
The next section to Oxford was a bit more exposed, so the southerly wind was a slight nuisance, but it was equally pleasant terrain. Only the run in to St Aldate's was less than ideal - not just for the traffic but for the appalling road surface. Though I did enjoy drafting a coach at 25mph for a couple of miles.
Having missed/misheard the announcement at the start, I was expecting to find iddu outside Starbucks, but he wasn't there. Someone suggested there was another Starbucks nearby, so we looked for that but it proved a wild goose chase. So after trying three different cash machines and failing to get a receipt from any of them, I opted for a coffee from Pret. All that faffing about meant the Head Of The River was well and truly open by then, so I might has well have gone straight there... where, apparently, I discovered later, I would have found iddu. (Note to self for next time: there's also a Tesco across the road from the pub.)
I felt it was still too early for lunch, so rather than waste any more time, I pressed on to Didcot. Encountered a few navigational conundrums in Abingdon - partly caused by the fact that the gpx track conflicted with the routesheet, having been altered to use the diversion avoiding Peep-O-Day Lane. But I was soon back on track.
The last few miles down to Didcot are a bit dull, and the station itself is grim. Thanks to Phil D for manfully sitting in the blazing heat stamping cards with a bunch of skateboarding yoofs for company. I stopped briefly to scoff my packed lunch of cheese sandwiches and bananas, and refill my water bottles, before getting back on the road.
Can't say I especially enjoyed the "Homage to the Strade Bianche" section of cyclepath on my 23C tyres, but at least it wasn't too long, and hard to see how it could have been avoided with the bridge being closed. After there down to Wallingford was more pleasant rolling countryside. Almost missed the Wallingford turn because the signpost was pointing the wrong way, but fortunately there were two riders just behind me who alerted me just before I started climbing a short but steep hill... Went slightly off route again in Wallingford itself, possibly because the road layout appears to have altered since the routesheet was written, though it seems I could have just continued following the main route through the centre rather than the official "back route". After that, I decided to rely purely on the gps track, which seemed to be fairly reliable and easy to follow.
The section after Wallingford was red kite city - in the space of a few miles, I think I counted about 20 of them, including a group of at least six sitting in/hovering around a cluster of trees.
Got caught by a few other riders on the road up to Chinnor, and found myself sitting on the front of a train belting along with the tailwind at >20mph. Then I let someone else have a go on the front for a bit - a chap in an SWRC jersey on fixed who I'd been crossing paths with throughout the day (anyone here?), before a group of three who I'd also been passed by a couple of times earlier in the ride, took over and promptly dropped us all...
Also encountered some truly terrible driving on this section, with several impatient idiots making dangerous overtaking manoeuvres rather than wait a few more seconds until it was safe. And one motorcyclist inexplicably gave us the finger as he passed, which made me laugh.
Almost rode straight by the Chinnor control - a couple in a campervan by the side of the road just before the turning for Chinnor Hill... Decided not to take on the weight of refilled bottles at this point, with the climbing ahead, so stopped only briefly before pressing on. We'd seen Bledlow Ridge looming Ventoux-like* in the distance for a few miles, and Mr SWRC had enquired "Is it steep?" Hmmm, well, let's just say I'm glad I wasn't the one doing it on fixed.
More nice rolling countryside after that, then High Wycombe... Coming out the other side of town, I realised the gps track wanted me to be on the other side of the dual carriageway to go through the park, so I made a cheeky manoeuvre at the traffic lights to switch across, and realised that I had two riders following me, so I thought I'd better warn them I had no idea where I was going! The bit along the shared path through the park was slow going thanks to the number of dog walkers letting their dogs run loose, or people just generally blocking the whole path and reacting like you were taking some kind of liberty for wanting to come through. Ho hum. This was one of the few points where I almost wished it had been a cold, rainy day - would have been far fewer people out.
Back on the roads and then the short but tasty climb of Windsor Hill - complete with the added ignominy of the official Willesden CC photographer at the top to capture our suffering - followed soon after by the charmingly picturesque section through Burnham Beeches.
Stopped briefly to take on more water at the Co-Op in Iver, where the chap serving me commented on my Vetements Z jersey. I spared him a lecture on cycling history and just thanked him.
And then the run into West London and the interminable slog down the Uxbridge Road, where every single bloody set of traffic lights contrived to be red for me.
The inestimable Mel K blasted through as I sat at one red light, commenting "You're too good", and then soon after paid for his haste by missing the turning for the Southall info control. I tried to call after him but he was away down the road before he heard me. I caught up with him a few km from the finish, sitting in a bus shelter repairing a puncture. Still smiling, of course.
Got to the finish a few minutes before 6pm, having spent 8hrs 39mins riding, so slightly longer riding time than on the KVR last week, but slightly quicker overall. Would have been quicker on both counts without the numerous red lights, shared paths and minor diversions, but I'm happy with that performance.
Didn't much fancy the Water's Edge, which seemed to be packed with people who'd been enjoying a day out at Ruislip Lido, so was soon on my way home, which took flipping ages due to congestion on the M25. But a thoroughly splendid day out, with the high points of the ride outweighing the negatives. All I would say, Tim, is next time, please drop the Southall bit. I don't care if some pedant thinks Ruislip isn't Londony enough. There are more important things to worry about.
*slight exaggeration