One of our many calendar highlights is “The Benson Finger” a finger shapped ride down to the Thames in Oxfordshire for a coffee at The Waterfront cafe. Through some stunning chiltern hills scenery on the way there and then a flat blast back. This year the ride is timed to coincide with the Benson Veteran Cycle Club Rally which starts from the Sunnyside playing field in Benson. All the bikes in the rally were manufactured before 1936 and riders often wear outfits in keeping with the vintage of the bikes. We should get to Benson just for the start of the rally at 10.30am, or see the Veterans riding in the other direction along our route. The Waterfont cafe is a cyclists favourite with plenty of seating and food and drink options. This ride is 72 miles with 3,500 feet of climbing. We set out from Ivinghoe church at 8am.

At 10am we have a route planned through Bishopstone, there is a planned long term road closure in this area, so we are getting a ride in there while we still can! At 10.30 we invite riders to tackle Hemp lane into the back of Wiggington.

Please to aware of areas of gravel at the bottom of some of the hills on the routes, care is needed after recent heavy rain has washed debris into the roads.

8am The Benson Finger 2023 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43457092

10am Out To Bishopstone While We Can https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43469295

10.30am Up To Wiggo https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43469335

All rides start at Ivinghoe church, please arrive before the start time with a good idea of where you are going! We may split into pace groups if rider numbers are large- after watching day one of the TDF I’m sure you will be itching to get on your saddle, can Pidcock start Sunday in yellow?

Optional post ride rehydration and ride bebrief will take place at the Rose and Crown.

Wow not sure were the summer is going, by the time we get to Sunday we will be past the longest day light day of the year! So now is the time to get out and enjoy summer miles on two wheels! Three great routes for you this week, thanks to Richard F who has crafted the medium and short routes.

On Sunday 2nd July we have our “first Sunday of the month coffee stop ride”, this will be a trip down to Benson and the Waterfront cafe. It will be an 8am start and we hope to bump into the Benson Veteran Cycle club who will be setting off from Sunnyside field in Benson at 10.30am, their old bikes and vintage clothing are quite a sight to behold. So keep this in mind and plan an early night on Saturday 1st july!

For more gentle cycling options, the tea ride on Saturday morning meets at the rose and crown and heads out to find tea drinking opportunities in the local area!

Sunday Routes:

9am Wicken Wanderers https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43373339

10am Cubblington Circuit https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43355855

10.30 am Whipsnade the easier way https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43355534

The usual three routes to choose from this week. A large proportion of our number are fathers and this Sunday is fathers day. Some of our little darlings might have the misguided opinion that we might like to do something other than ride our bikes on a Sunday morning. With this in mind the number of riders might be lower than normal so the 9am route is an add-on to the 10am route, so if there are not many riders to keep you company at 9am you can do the 17.7 mile extension then possible catch up with the 10am riders.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43306764

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43262142

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43266456

Roll on Sunday!

The. Usual three route choices this weekend, with many riders taking part in recent training rides like London, Cambridge and Oxford everyone should be fit and ready for a good local ride this weekend! As usual we meet at Ivinghoe church before the suggested ride start times and split into pace groups if rider numbers are large. This enables riders to ride with others of a similar pace and also reduces the group size so we don’t take up too much road. We ride road bikes and welcome new riders who can fit in with the expected pace of our rides. The longer routes are generally 15-17mph while the shorter routes can be 13-16mph depending of how hilly it is. The 9am route this week gives riders a chance to complete their 100km Grand Fondo for June. The 10am route travels through Ashridge on a 28 mile circuit and the 10.30 route is 20 miles through Tring and Wingrave.

So hopefully something for everyone! Roll on Sunday!

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39378255

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43205067

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43205111