Author Topic: A blast from Bath  (Read 11496 times)

Adam

  • It'll soon be summer
    • Charity ride Durness to Dover 18-25th June 2011
A blast from Bath
« on: 17 August, 2009, 10:19:48 am »
A tale of two cities or how to tire yourself out.  

As Pippa had bought herself a nice new bike, clearly, in a moment of madness, last Saturday she decided to cycle from Bath back to London, and wanted to assemble a crack team of elite cyclists to assist her, in her bid to become a better cyclist.  As such a team wasn’t available, she had to make do with me, Jurek, Adamski, TimO and Alan.

As cycling there would have been a tad overdoing things, we all assembled at Paddington Station at silly o’clock to get the train.



Adamski decided it was still too early and caught up on a bit more sleep.



Anyway, after getting aboard the 7am train and filling all 6 cyclists spots, we installed ourselves in the quiet carriage and promptly got a bit noisy.  Adamski was however still able to get a bit more sleep.  After arriving at Bath, where it was a bit dark & drizzly, it was time for lunch second breakfast, so we popped into a nearby café.

Pippa checking no-one has stolen her bike.



Eventually we set off at 9.20 over the footbridge behind the station, turned a corner and found a hill.  Not just a hill but supposedly the steepest hill in Bath.

Widcombe Hill


Eventually we wound our way up and had some splendid views.




Of course the best bit about going up, is that you then get to go down, as we then descended Brassknocker Hill towards the A36.  That was a blast!  If I wasn’t a) a bloke so unable to multi-task by cycling downhill and shoot a camera at the same time and b) wanting to stay alive, I could have got a fantastic shot of Jurek doing a fast rate of knots leaning over round a hairpin bend with a lovely backdrop of hills.  Of course that does give us an excuse to try this route again.......

There were a few more up and downs, but nothing as steep, although going up Winsley Hill, a bus tried to take out the back of the peloton, whilst on the A365 after Melksham, a lorry came about 2 inches away from me & Adamski at the front.  Which made me wobble a bit.   :o

The ride almost turned into a silly names ride when we turned up Cock Road into Rowde (is it pronounced “rude”?), followed by Conscience Lane, where Jurek wanted us to confess all our sins.  

Most of this ride had been designed to try and avoid the A4, which we managed to do quite well, and followed some lovely country lanes through quaint villages and rolling countryside.





 There were even some White Horses (although they looked rather brown).  After stopping in Marlborough for a comfort break, we realised that their lovely High Street was missing a mega Tesco, Primark, Poundstretcher, Aldi, McDonalds and all the other famous names which make shopping such a wonderful varied experience.  

Rolling on, we could tell without looking at the signs that we had entered West Berkshire, as the roads instantly deteriorated. On the plus side, it was brightning up with some sun appearing.  However, we were now getting a bit hungry, so we pressed on, and rolled into Hungerford.

And the Tutti Pole café.



I think it was after 2.30 pm when we finally left.  After skirting south of Newbury, we were now onto some roads I was vaguely familiar with, although they were ones I hadn’t cycled on for 30 years, so things had changed a bit.

We made a slight detour to the boarded up control tower at Greenham Common.



I gave a brief history lesson to the younger ones.  As time was pressing on, we headed off into the countryside again until we came across the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermarston.



Clearly, magic hats protect you from radiation!

We detoured slightly off track a couple of times either because I knew the road, although twice it was due to side roads we were supposed to turn down being marked with a different name from that shown on Google maps, although as both Pippa & Tim had GPS, they provided a quick shout to turn us around.  In both cases, the road signs showed the expected name after a few hundred metres.  :-\

For a tea break, I’d organised a slight detour to my sister’s house in Twyford, where she provided a little snack for us all!



At 5.45 pm with full stomach’s we headed back onto the road, carefully avoiding the bollards.  I had gone over the final section from Reading last week, and I knew there wasn’t any major hills to cover, and it was either flat or rolling roads so generally we all stuck together.  Going on the back roads, we went round to the north of Bracknell and dropped down into Ascot.  Sadly the racing was over, so it was all a bit desolate there.  We then headed eastwards, going parallel to the A329 initially, as I knew that road would be quite busy and narrow in places, and not much fun, especially as it was starting to get dark.  Heading through Virginia Water, then under the M25 and over the M3 we followed the River Thames.  On this stretch, it was surprising how little traffic there was, considering how built up the surroundings were.  

As this point was where I’d got a little lost unsure of my position on my recce ride, Jurek then lead us through some back streets to Richmond Park, where we stopped to have some of Adamski's lovely cake.  The park was a delight to cycle through at night, as no cars were in there, just us, some cyclists with no lights (!), a family doing some star gazing and of course the deer.  There were loads of deer, standing around either on the road or right next to it.  I didn’t take any photos inside the park, to avoid creating a stampede.  



After coming out of the park and saying goodbye to Tim who was going to brave the South Circular back to Croydon, the rest of us headed across Putney Bridge and into Chelsea and then into central London and past the House of Parliament.  Someone then suggested heading off to either Southend or Whitstable for a night ride seeing as it was now rather late……

I left the others going along the Embankment and headed back to St Pancras and managed to get a fast train back to Luton, where of course I was welcomed by a passenger of a speeding Corsa with the traditional greeting of “w…er”.  I’d promised my wife I’d be back sometime between 11 and 12, and managed that time frame with a few minutes to spare!  About 144 miles in total for the day, in 10 hours of cycling.

A really good day out in excellent company.

A few more photos here.


“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #1 on: 17 August, 2009, 11:52:00 am »
Here are the few shots from the ride that I took (click on image for original):


On the train, preparing ourselves for the ride ahead.


Pippa looking far too happy, obviously still unaware of the first hill!


Adam getting in some serious preparation.


A quick test shot that the camera was in the right place, hence the shocked looks!


Sort of a group shot, as I ran across the road, and almost managed to miss photographing the car with the self timer.


The first hill, look at the walls to see how steep it was.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #2 on: 17 August, 2009, 05:10:31 pm »
This is the route that we took.  I've edited it slightly, since my GPS hadn't quite locked on at the start of the ride, so I've had to manually add this bit in (but I think I've got it correct).

I've also removed the bit where we went to Adam's sister's place (for privacy), and the route just continues at the point where we turned off.  It also only goes as far as the point where I continued along the Upper Richmond Road towards Wandsworth, and everyone else turned off down towards the Lower Richmond Road, and then crossed the river at Putney Bridge before continuing along towards embankment.

For these reasons, the distance of 120 miles is quite a bit lower than any of us actually cycled.

(Normal rules apply about Bikely, you'll probably have to retry multiple times to get it to work).
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #3 on: 17 August, 2009, 09:26:59 pm »
Incidentally, the Roman looking ruins that we went past near Virginia Water are actual Roman ruins, but they don't originate from there:

The Ruins, Virginia Water, The Crown Estate

This famous feature was imported from the Roman site of Leptis Magna, near Tripoli in Libya in 1816

Initially the artefacts were stored at the British Museum before being brought to this site in 1826.  The arrangement of the ruins was conducted under the direction of the Royal Architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville

In order to protect the stonework and avoid any of risk of injury to visitors the area was enclosed in the 1950's
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #4 on: 18 August, 2009, 12:29:59 pm »
Widcombe, I'm afraid, is by no means the steepest hill in Bath. It's got a bit of a sting in the tail, sure.

The one you used to descend, Brassknocker, is much steeper, but still not the steepest.

border-rider

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #5 on: 18 August, 2009, 12:37:21 pm »

Most of this ride had been designed to try and avoid the A4, which we managed to do quite well, and followed some lovely country lanes through quaint villages and rolling countryside.




Ramsbury :)

We used to live near there.

Good call on the Tutti Pole in Hungerford - a classic cycling cafe and he control on many an audax.

That looks like a great day out :)

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #6 on: 18 August, 2009, 01:22:57 pm »

The one you used to descend, Brassknocker, is much steeper, but still not the steepest.

Brassknocker had me grinning like a loon fresh off a fairground ride  ;D

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #7 on: 18 August, 2009, 02:45:29 pm »

The one you used to descend, Brassknocker, is much steeper, but still not the steepest.

Brassknocker had me grinning like a loon fresh off a fairground ride  ;D

You will have been going downhill then...

It's a bit scary in the wet.

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #8 on: 18 August, 2009, 03:58:37 pm »
Pity I missed this, looks like a great ride.

Let me know if a repeat outing is planned, I can provide the local knowledge from Reading to Staines.

Matthew

Adam

  • It'll soon be summer
    • Charity ride Durness to Dover 18-25th June 2011
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #9 on: 18 August, 2009, 08:33:28 pm »
Widcombe, I'm afraid, is by no means the steepest hill in Bath. It's got a bit of a sting in the tail, sure.

The one you used to descend, Brassknocker, is much steeper, but still not the steepest.

Ah - I'd been told Widcombe was the steepest actually in the city itself, as Brassknocker is out in the countryside.  I can definitely believe there are even steeper hills in the local area though.  

What hills do you recommend for the next expedition out that way?  :demon:
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” -Albert Einstein

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #10 on: 19 August, 2009, 08:49:46 am »
Widcombe, I'm afraid, is by no means the steepest hill in Bath. It's got a bit of a sting in the tail, sure.

The one you used to descend, Brassknocker, is much steeper, but still not the steepest.

Ah - I'd been told Widcombe was the steepest actually in the city itself, as Brassknocker is out in the countryside.  I can definitely believe there are even steeper hills in the local area though.  

What hills do you recommend for the next expedition out that way?  :demon:

OK, by that definition there are other hills that I can recommend: Clarence Street is a bitch as is Fox Hill

I've used both for running but wouldn't even contemplate cycling up them. Or down for that matter. If you're looking for a nice 'lumpy' route around Bath, I can recommend this route. I've done this on 63" fixed and only had to walk 2 hills.

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #11 on: 19 August, 2009, 09:15:35 am »
Widcombe, I'm afraid, is by no means the steepest hill in Bath. It's got a bit of a sting in the tail, sure.

The one you used to descend, Brassknocker, is much steeper, but still not the steepest.

Ah - I'd been told Widcombe was the steepest actually in the city itself, as Brassknocker is out in the countryside.  I can definitely believe there are even steeper hills in the local area though.  

What hills do you recommend for the next expedition out that way?  :demon:

OK, by that definition there are other hills that I can recommend: Clarence Street is a bitch as is Fox Hill

I think Rosemount Lane is a contendor.  Used to be a tad tricky to keep enough speed on to balance in 1st gear on the MTB.  For extra challenge try it in autumn with wet leaves...

Quite nasty to go down too.

AC
'Accumulating kilometres in the roughest road conditions'...

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #12 on: 19 August, 2009, 11:39:36 am »
I think Rosemount Lane is a contendor.  Used to be a tad tricky to keep enough speed on to balance in 1st gear on the MTB.  For extra challenge try it in autumn with wet leaves...

Quite nasty to go down too.

AC

How could I forget that one. It's on a regular running club route. Most people have to stop at the top to take a 'breather'. Only to find that there's a sting in the tail a bit further up.

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #13 on: 23 August, 2009, 05:55:33 am »
If you're looking for a nice 'lumpy' route around Bath, I can recommend this route. I've done this on 63" fixed and only had to walk 2 hills.

That's nice, and very familiar. (On a good day, I can just about get up Southstoke on my 18" gear!)

gonzo

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #14 on: 23 August, 2009, 10:30:40 am »
Ah - I'd been told Widcombe was the steepest actually in the city itself, as Brassknocker is out in the countryside.  I can definitely believe there are even steeper hills in the local area though.

For most of those who cycle to bath uni, Widcombe is the preferred option. There's a reason why Bath is considered one of the most athletic universities in the country!

The steepest hill I ever found was the one from southstoke into Bath. It's so steep that the back wheel couldn't get traction so I had to stop, walk back down to the bottom and have another go!

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #15 on: 24 August, 2009, 08:43:37 am »
If you're looking for a nice 'lumpy' route around Bath, I can recommend this route. I've done this on 63" fixed and only had to walk 2 hills.

That's nice, and very familiar. (On a good day, I can just about get up Southstoke on my 18" gear!)

....so I had to go and see if yesterday was a good day. And it was....   just.  Terror (I prefer the front wheel to stay on the ground) changed to delight! Made the other hills feel easy. Thanks for provoking the ride, Blah.

Gonzo - if you're talking about the same hill (climbing up from the south, with the steep up before a dip, and up again into Southstoke), you were probably riding 81" rather than 18" !

gonzo

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #16 on: 24 August, 2009, 09:49:52 am »
Gonzo - if you're talking about the same hill (climbing up from the south, with the steep up before a dip, and up again into Southstoke), you were probably riding 81" rather than 18" !

From memory, the lowest gear I had on my bike at the time was a 39x25. Still, it's one of those hills that I wouldn't dare go down!

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #17 on: 24 August, 2009, 11:52:09 am »
If you're looking for a nice 'lumpy' route around Bath, I can recommend this route. I've done this on 63" fixed and only had to walk 2 hills.

That's nice, and very familiar. (On a good day, I can just about get up Southstoke on my 18" gear!)

....so I had to go and see if yesterday was a good day. And it was....   just.  Terror (I prefer the front wheel to stay on the ground) changed to delight! Made the other hills feel easy. Thanks for provoking the ride, Blah.

Gonzo - if you're talking about the same hill (climbing up from the south, with the steep up before a dip, and up again into Southstoke), you were probably riding 81" rather than 18" !

You're welcome Tony! Needless to say that this hill is one of the 2 I walked...

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #18 on: 24 August, 2009, 01:55:33 pm »
Widcombe, I'm afraid, is by no means the steepest hill in Bath. It's got a bit of a sting in the tail, sure.

The one you used to descend, Brassknocker, is much steeper, but still not the steepest.

Does the one from Weston up to Lansdown count?  That's a brute!  Brassknocker is a toughie too.
Let your mind unravel ... down that road you're travellin' ...

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #19 on: 24 August, 2009, 03:35:32 pm »
Does the one from Weston up to Lansdown count?  That's a brute!  Brassknocker is a toughie too.

It certainly is a brute. I've never actually ridden up it. Hang on, maybe I have, is it on the Cheddar Gorge 300?

I didn't know you were a local scampi?

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #20 on: 24 August, 2009, 05:51:07 pm »
I didn't know you were a local scampi?

I'm not a local as such as I live in Romsey, but Bath is within the radius of places and interesting destinations I can get to on a summer's day when there's plenty of daylight ... I've had a few good rides out that way over the years :)
Let your mind unravel ... down that road you're travellin' ...

Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #21 on: 25 August, 2009, 07:35:33 am »
Does the one from Weston up to Lansdown count?  That's a brute!  Brassknocker is a toughie too.

It certainly is a brute. I've never actually ridden up it. Hang on, maybe I have, is it on the Cheddar Gorge 300?

CG300 climbs the Cotswolds above Dyrham I think.

Hmmm. Better go and see if I can climb that Weston one again. Plenty of ride ideas on here!

this hill  [Southstoke]  is one of the 2 I walked...

Guessing the other was Iford up to Westwood, which usually seems to pack a "surprise" factor by turning out to be steeper than it looked.

Bath is within the radius of places and interesting destinations I can get to on a summer's day

Extra respect for riding our local hills in the middle of a long ride!

Blah

  • Not sure where I'm going
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #22 on: 25 August, 2009, 10:53:00 am »
this hill  [Southstoke]  is one of the 2 I walked...

Guessing the other was Iford up to Westwood, which usually seems to pack a "surprise" factor by turning out to be steeper than it looked.

No! To my surprise, I managed to get up that one. Before I set off I told my (geared) companions I told I was expecting to walk 3 hills.

It was the one from Midford to Twinhoe actually. There was a wet patch, rear wheel slipped and that was it.

Pippa

  • Busy being fabulous
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #23 on: 04 May, 2013, 07:43:11 pm »
Adamski and I decided to recreate this ride today. Except we decided in advance that given the last bit into London added nothing to it, and also given my lack of cycling recently, to cut it short and end the ride in Ascot. So it was more Bath to Berkshire.

We were off at sparrowfart o'clock for the 7am train for Paddington, but on arrival into Bath we didn't stop for another breakfast. I had got pretty cold on the train so my legs did not at welcome the almost immediate ascent of Widcombe hill. We winched ourselves up, me in a more grunty way, adamski in a more sprightly way. We whooshed down Brassknocker but agreed it was not very fun on account of the slippy rain that was tumbling out of the sky. Another up and that was most of the climbing done for the day.

The next 15 or so miles were remarkable for being completely unmemorable. If I didn't know I had already cycled these roads, I would have sworn I had never come across them previously. Adamski and I agreed that any future route could do with improving.

Then we turned off the dull and bland road and it was lovely. The sun was out and lanes were quiet and gorgeous. It was obviously the best possible decision in the world to be cycling heading east given the stonking tailwind, and we flew along. We stopped in Marlborough for a quick snackette and pushed on to Hungerford. Neither of us were hungry enough to stop at the tutti pole so we pressed on and eventually had lunch somewhere that neither of us can remember. The Craven arms in enbourne or something I think.

Then we hit the delights of Newbery etc and at one point thought about jumping on a train back. It's really not nice cycling around there. Well not where we were anyway. It improved a bit but west Berkshire - do something about your road surfaces! Ugh ugh ugh.

The last 11 miles were horrible horrible horrible. The nine mile road/ride is something to be avoided. We got to Martins Heron and jumped on a train back to London.

In hindsight, I loved this ride last time we did it. Today, I thought the beginning and end left a lot to be desired, but the middle was lovely. I'm sure there must be better ways back from Hungerford.

105 miles on the clock and home by 7pm is no bad thing. Legs and knees seem intact.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A blast from Bath
« Reply #24 on: 04 May, 2013, 07:49:16 pm »
Not sure of your exact route out of Bath, but it sounds like you could have avoided the initial hills by taking the Two Tunnels. Hmm, I might have to do this myself one day!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.