All posts by Dave Howe

Ivinghoe Velos Christmas Ride Sunday 15th December

One ride starting from Ivinghoe church at 10am for Sunday, the ride can be ridden in the traditional way or you can join a team to solve the ivinghoe Velos Christmas mystery. Puzzle teams will be split up depending on your favourite Christmas sweet rather than a particualr pace, this is a social ride not a race!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48349983

The Puzzle:

Maximus Minium, a new rider with the Ivinghoe Velos, is really looking forward to Christmas. He has bought his granddaughter, Ally, her first bike. Max imagines that in years to come he will be able to see Ally’s pro race results with pride, knowing he started the ball rolling. Max has locked the Christmas bike up at home and written the code down along with his favourite piece of cycling advice to pass onto Ally.

 Being security conscious Max has also written down a whole list of dummy codes to throw thiefs off the trail, these codes and associated advice won’t open the lock, keeping the bike safe.

Sounds perfect right? Disaster has struck as “local legend hunters” Richard Bembridge and Grant Mordey have stolen the sheet with all the codes on! They have come up with a cunning route with all the clues to discount each wrong combination, the route keeps riders off the strava segment these guys want to hold as local legend this Christmas!

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to ride the classic Ivinghoe Velos route looking for clues to help Max get the right code to unlock the Christmas bike. Each clue will give you a four digit number which can be discounted from the list leaving only the correct code, enabling Maximus to unlock the bike and save Christmas!!! 

 Once you know the correct code just report the piece of advice attached to it to Ivinghoe velos HQ at the Rose and Crown, we can then pass it on to Max and save Christmas!

To help keep things easy on the bike there is an “on road” short version with the clues and the possible combinations supplied at the start of the sunday ride alonmgh with a pencil to mark off the wroing codes.

Things will be tricky though because after the first combination code you find, (listed first on the answers), the rest of the clues are not in the same order as the list of codes, so you will need to cross off the answers as you confirm them and help release Ally’s new bike to launch her cycling career. There is also a gaming “easter egg” to hunt for during the ride.

The Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48349983

The Clues (long version, a short printed version will be provided at the start of the ride)

  1. Along Northfield Road find a Bridleway sign on the left as a track leaves the road heading towards Ashridge There was 4 numbers on this public Bridleway sign (including two in a fraction) Note down the 4 numbers to discount this combination code 

Background: This bridleway will take you up to the ridgeway, a long distance path running from Ivinghoe Beacon to Avebury in Wiltshire, it’s 87 miles to walk and slightly longer on a bike as there are some sections which are footpaths only. The ridgeway is known as Britain’s oldest road and it’s a track that follows high ground through the Chilterns and beyond, used regularly for over 5,000 years while on it you follow in the footsteps of Celtic druids, Saxon kings and victorian poets. Many Christmas trees can be seen along the route!

2) Into Aldbury turn left at the pond and look for cottage number 39. The name of this cottage, a hint to an old Aldbury cottage industry and a product used in Victorian times to decorate Christmas trees. Use the four letters in the name of the cottage with the code 1=a, 2=b 3=c etc. Use the FIRST number which corresponds with each letter to work out the combination to discount

Background: When you find this answer here you will be uncovering history from 1572 when refugees from France came to the villages of Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire with their trade, it’s the reason why some of our local villages have a Flemish & Huguenots flavour, In 1791 Amersham was the centre of production for this commodity.

3) Turn round and head for the tea shop on Toms Hill, look for the plaque, your next combination to cross off is the year the Albury Veterans Hall was established. Now head for Wiggington up Hemp lane.

Background: At the start of the first world war troops from the “Inns of Court” training corps came to train at Berkhamsted, nick-named “The Devils Own” the soldiers trained on the common in readiness for the battlefields of Northern France. 12,000 men passed through this basic training. The soil type here is very similar to that on the battlefields, so practice trenches were dug which can still be seen to this day a short distance from Aldbury. Troops heading to the front line in 1914 may have taken part in the “truce of Christmas” when an unofficial ceasefire took place and troops from each side met in no-man’s land, shared presents are played impromptu games of football.

4) Turn left down Wiggington Bottom and soon find a gate which looks like it was used on a railway, to help you identify the gate there is a red Christmas bauble on the gate post. Be careful not to pick up a fine here. Using the code a=1, b=2, c=3 etc, use the FIRST number of each letter to work out the combination from the animal name on the sign on this gate.

Background: Folklore suggests that in the 18th century London ejected all the pimps and prostitutes to Wiggington, giving it the nick-name, “Wicked Wiggington”. By the 19th century Straw Plaiting was a popular industry in Wiggington, so maybe the Londoners calmed down and earned an honest wage through providing material for local hat making? 

5) While in Wiggington Bottom check out the three houses on the left with cream fronts there are dates on these houses, which is the most popular year, this is the next combination you can discount 

Background: Wiggington Bottom has less than 20 houses, but there is a house numbered 243. This is because the first Lord Rothschild built many properties in the Tring Park estate and they were numbered according to his records rather than their adjacency to other properties. The Rothschild family have had a big influence on Tring and the surrounding area but for Christmas a Trip to The Rothschild owned manor at Waddesdon for the Christmas festival makes a great day out.

6) In Cholesbury can you find information about the Hillfont? (by the hall on the green) The next combination you can discount is the year at the start of the decade when excavations took place

Background: Cholesbury Camp is a prehistoric hill fort hidden in a beech wood within the village of Cholesbury, Constructed on high ground with two water sources, pottery and stones used to grind crops point to regular habitation in the late iron age. As time moves on the hill fort will have seen many Christmas traditions come and go.

7) Still in Cholesbury, opposite the turn for Rays Hill, the pub and the windmill, there is a Stone erected for Queen Victoria, what years was the stone put in place? Discount this combination

Background: Cholesbury likes to use stones to please queens of England, as well as this obelisk on the boundary between Cholesbury and Hawridge, close by there are some pudding stones dedicated to Queen Elizabeth for her diamond jubilee. Hertfordshire pudding stones are a rare formation of glacial sediment dating back 50-60 million years ago. The flints within the rock look like plums in a Christmas pudding hence the name.

8) Stopping by St Leonards church there is a sign post, your next combination is the distance to Aston Clinton, then the distance to Wendover, followed by the number of the cycle route 

Background: Saint Leonard of Noblac is the patron Saint of barrel makers among other things, his day of feast is 6th November, so after a hearty meal on this day there is plenty of time to fill those barrels with booze ready for Christmas celebrations!

9) On the road back towards Wendover Woods you will pass Chiltern Dog Rescue, can you spy the year this charity was established? 

Background: “ A dog is not for Christmas” was first coined in 1978 by Clarissa Baldwin, the chief executive of the national canine defence league. So if you are thinking of being a dog owner please make sure you train them well, keep them on a lead near bikes and clear up their poo.

10) Descend down the hill but slow your progress at the entrance to Wendover Woods, look up the drive for two numbers of wooden posts, make sure you are not speeding and note down this combination

Background: Haddington Hill in Wendover Woods is the highest point in the Chilterns at 876 feet above sea level. The 325 hectares of woodland at Wendover are managed by the forestry commission. Christmas trees grown within the woods are on sale at Christmas tree farm in Chesham and Christmas tree place in Berkhamsted. 

11) Heading down towards Wendover stop to admire some old cottages next to the pack horse pub, from left to right as you look at them your next combination is the numbers of the two Coldharbour cottages nearest the pub

Background: Coldharbour lane was a song recorded by anti racist and LGTBQ+ campaigner Tom Robinson, he also recorded a collaboration with Peter Gabriel for Capital radio “Merrily on high” for Christmas 1978 as usual for Christmas songs, it’s pretty awful. Now it’s time to get on the 2,4,6,8 motorway for the next clue!

12) Ride into the centre of Wendover take a break on the friendship seat, you are invited to chat to strangers here but don’t be distracted, for your next clue you are looking towards chocolate. What year was the redevelopment of the manorial waste? While here how about a group selfie in front of the Wendover Christmas tree?

Background: Manorial waste is not the mayor’s poo, it’s a piece of land within manor grounds which is not enclosed, often of low value, it retains the rights of a common. The 1925 properties act gave rights of access for air and exercise to the memorial wastes. Here in Wendover there is usually a lovely Christmas tree up for December.

13) Time for some Halton Heritage! Find the sign board on a grass verge, and use the year Sir Frances Dashwood bought the Manor to remove another code from your list.

Background: Sir Francis Dashwood was a Tory MP and founder of the notorious hell fire caves in West Wy combe. The caves were a product of mining chalk for the A40 road, Numerous illicit activities took place in the caves including sex parties, drinking, wenching and mock rituals. Sounds to me like any other office Christmas party?

14) As you cross the Wendover canal stop momentarily to find out what year the canal was built, the blue sign on the start of the towpath will help you

Background: The Wendover arm of the canal was built to supply water to the summit level of the grand junction canal, water from springs in Wendover was carried to Bulbourne in Hertfordshire, after a few years around 1800, the same time as Good Queen Charlotte introduced Christmas trees to the Queen’s lodge in Windsor, it was widened to allow boats to transport coal, wood, straw and maybe even Christmas trees. 

15) As you dash into Aston Clinton have a look for the date the Rothschild Arms was established, you should have too much trouble locating this as you ride past.

Background: Would you believe it! The Christmas cracker was invented in the same year this pub was opened! Tom Smith invented the cracker while trying to add some excitement to his bon bon sweets which he sold at Christmas along with love mottos written on tissue paper. The “crackle”, later to become the cracker, came from a chemical reaction from friction as the wrapper was broken.

16) Into Marsworth for your last clue, looking for the lovely old sign on the canal bridge (Watch out for Miquel Indurian’s ghost here, we may not have performed the exorcism yet!) What is the first year of the motor car act shown on the sign?

Background: Talking of ghosts, Charlies Dickens “a christmas carol” is a story about ghostly visitations to Ebenezer Scrooge teaching him the true lesson of life that kindness and compassion are more important that selfish money making, I’d like to think there is one ghost missing from the story, the one who tells Scrooge the n+1 bike rule.

At this point you have ridden the route so should have crossed out 16 combinations leaving only the one correct code that will unlock the Christmas bike and start Ally’s cycling career! I can see the headlines now “Tour De France Femme winner 2035 Ally Minium from the Ivinghoe Velos” Report back to Ivinghoe Velos HQ @ The Rose & Crown with the piece of advice attached to the correct combination to confirm you have solved the mystery. Thank you for your efforts! Merry Christmas

The Codes & advice (lose 16, keep one)

4934 The mileage is the key! Putting the effort in all year round brings cycling success, a bike is not just for Christmas & school holidays!

1515 Moderate intensity aerobic exercise is the best for fat burning, while higher intensity efforts are good for building muscle mass.

1930 When riding in poor conditions a slightly wider tire at a lower pressure makes for a safer, more comfortable ride, carrying a pump to inflate tires will stop you having to involve strangers with pushchairs.

1135 When taking a turn on the front on a group ride don’t increase the pace so that you blow up yourself or other riders, steady pacing is the successful way to ride as a group

1920 Carry a couple of new innertubes on rides to replaced punctured ones. If you are tubless and don’t carry spares make sure you have a direct line to international rescue (the wife)

1977 You are not too pro to wave.

1897 Cheesy chips have been proven to have highly effective virus repelling properties, they are an ideal post ride snack when gathering as a group.

1911 Spinning your legs in a high cadence and an easy gear helps protect your knees, but don’t rely on this too much as you also need to condition your legs to deliver the power  needed when climbing steep hills.

1963 If your other half criticises you for being out too long on the bike, just suggest that you look at buying a faster bike.

1012 Riding with cycle specific cycle shoes gives you more power, It’s been found that using “clipless” pedals returns a 16.6% increase in maximum power compared to flat pedals with everyday shoes.

1720 Riding in different areas can reinvigorate your cycling, plan trips away on two wheels, the best way to see new places! If you ever get lost you can blame “garmin issues”

2690 Cycling is better with friends, try to join others for at least some of your rides, so you can have a break from the wind, have a chat and share knowledge of routes, cafes and other cycling tips.

1847 If you work hard you can become a legend, you have to be born into the right family to be a king.

1896 Practise turning your head back while cycling in a straight line by relaxing your elbows and dropping the opposite shoulder to the direction you want to turn your head

4530 Whilst riding into a headwind is a bit of a pain, it’s actually pretty good resistance training, forget the speed and concentrate on the power (the first pint at the pub will taste better after a bit of hard work)

1974 Most riders don’t mind getting caught in showers, the general consensus is that you shouldn’t start a ride in heavy rain. Some other riders use zwift, or other computer games when the weather is poor.

1112 When the start of the ride includes a really big hill it’s probably best not to go for seconds of a full English breakfast.


Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 8th December 2024

On Sunday last week, typically the 10-1 slot was the worst weather of the weekend, but we still had a good group of hardy velos riders out. It’s pretty rare to have weather that is unridable, we do occasionally shift to fatter wheels in the deep mid winter for a bit of added stability!

Remember if you don’t ride with the group when you can, one day there might not be a group for you to ride with!

Three routes for your enjoyment this Sunday, all starting outside Ivinghoe church,

The shortest option is a 10.30 ride of 20 miles, which has a reasonable amount of elevation, but it’s well spread over gradual gradients. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49183516

The medium route at 10am visits Tottenhoe and Wingrave, it is 8 miles longer than the short ride but mangages to come in with less elevation. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49183910

The slightly longer route at 10am takes riders to Latimer and Chenies Hill, it’s 32 miles on Buckinghamshire lanes. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49190394

Thanks to route planners Dave & Richard who have devised the short and medium options for us. If anyone else fancies a go as guest route planner please come forward!

All routes finish close to the Rose and Crown pub where we can refuel and debrief! The routes are not designated as slow medium or fast. We want everyone to enjoy the group ride experience so we aim to stick together which ever course you choose.

Diary dates- Friday night is curry night at the Haldi, this is our festive get together and may start or finish with a beer at the pub! The following Sunday is our Christmas ride with just one route for everyone to complete, hopefully with a bit of added colour to our usual blue outfits! There will be an optional mystery puzzle to solve with clues spaced out along the route and chocolate prizes for puzzle finishers.

Luckily this year Christmas and new year don’t interfere with Sundays so we can maintain a programme of rides throughout, also look out for ad-hoc rides posted on social media, some riders may have a bit of time on their hands and a few calories to burn off!

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 1st December

Three routes to pick from this Sunday, all starting from Ivinghoe church. Depending on rider numbers we could ride as single groups or split into a couple of pace options, the aim of the game is to give everyone the group ride experience.

10am 32.5 miles to Trowley Bottom https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49094321

10am 28.5 miles to Stewkley https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49092807

10.30am 20 miles around Tring https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49097283

All routes can be adapted to the conditions, so if it turns out to be rough on Sunday riders can decide to shave a few miles off. The pub will offer a warm welcome to recover and debrief!

Diary dates to plan in: Christmas curry night 6th December, Christmas Ride 15th Decmeber, Weekend away in Ludlow May 16th-19th 2025.

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 24th November.

Three routes to pick from this Sunday, all starting from Ivinghoe church. Depending on rider numbers we could ride as single groups or split into a couple of pace options, the aim of the game is to give everyone the group ride experience.

10am 32.5 miles to Trowley Bottom https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49094321

10am 28.5 miles to Stewkley https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49092807

10.30am 20 miles around Tring https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49097283

All routes can be adapted to the conditions, so if it turns out to be rough on Sunday riders can decide to shave a few miles off. The pub will offer a warm welcome to recover and debrief!

Diary dates to plan in: Christmas curry night 6th December, Christmas Ride 15th Decmeber, Weekend away in Ludlow May 16th-19th 2025.

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 17th November 2024

Three different routes for you this Sunday all starting from Ivinghoe Church. Each group will ride at a pace suitable for all riders joining With rain forecast rider numbers are likely to be low.

The longer 10am ride this weekend takes us into the beautiful chiltern hills for a trip up Bryants Bot, 37 miles with a chance to check out some stunning colours as the autumn leaves hang on for a while longer https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49041278 author Dave H (thanks for the suggestion Clive)

The medium 10am ride this week is 27 miles visiting Tring and Halton after heading through Aldbury, the woods at Ashridge should be stunning as you ride beneath them as will Wendover Woods on the way round. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49034326 author Richard Freeman

At 10.30 Riders will be exploring the Wingrave area with 20 mile route, with very little climbing this route should get you knocking on the pub door at 11.55 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49035165 author Dave Bembridge

Anyone looking for a bit of blue kit in time for Christmas, you have a rare chance to order NOW! visit the website and click the “Team Store” link in the top right and enter IV1 (that is, capital I, capital V and number 1) https://champsys.uk/

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 10th November 2024

This week we mark remembrance Sunday by looping back to the church to join the congregation for the outside part of the service. We aim to be back at the church by 11am.

Please wear your Ivinghoe Velos kit for this one.

Please park your bike across the road from the church, by the park, to avoid blocking the entrance to the church.

Thanks to Dave B for putting together the routes for this week

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41396166

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44869993

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 3rd November 2024

Great to see so many faces out on Ivinghoe Velos rides last Sunday, we managed to fill the pub garden, not bad for an October day! We did well with all the rides finishing at a similar time, coming together towards the end of the rides, so this week we will aim to do that again, tqo routes, with the shorter route 7 miles and/or 30 minutes less than the longer route.

10.30am 25 miles Soulbury Searching https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48922490

10am 32 miles Long Vile Newton https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48922441

Next Sunday is remebrance Sunday, so we will plan routes with a stop at the church for 11am

Rides start at Ivinghoe church and we aim to leave no one behind!

Futher down the road, don’t forget next year we have a weekender planned- “The highs and lows of Ludlow”. Make sure you have booked time off to attend this social riding weekend in Shropshire, from 16th to 19th May 2025, 4 days of riding, meals and beers without needing the car after arriving! Short rides on travel days, Friday and Monday and longer options on Saturday and Sunday, maybe check out accomodation for yourself too!

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 27th October 2024

Two routes for Sunday, depending on numbers we may split into different groups depending on expected pace, however last week there were only five riders who all took on the longer option, so if numbers are low we will ride at a pace to support the slowest rider.

Rides start in Ivinghoe, at the bus shelter outside the church and finish conveniently close to the Rose And Crown public house. Please make sure you have a road worthy bike with spare tubes, pumps etc and a good knowledge of the planned route (or better still a bike computer which tells you the way).

10.30am Petite Witt https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48845322

10am Driving you to your Witts End https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48854480

Some riders may have seen a lot of activity in the fields this week as local farmers harvest their corn crops. This has led to a fair bit of mud on the roads, so care is needed in some areas! The corn grown locally is not usually of the sweet variety, it’s primarily used as animal feed. The corn kernels are harvested using a combine harvester which sorts the kernels from the rest of the plants, these kernels are often ground to a powder and stored dry, with other nutrients added to make a great animal feed for over winter. The corn stalks are also havested and can be used a flooring in barns, reducing moisture and providing insulation. The roots of the corn plant can be left in the soil to avoid erosion before the next crop is planted, usually a cover crop to add nutrients to the soil.

Ivinghoe Velos Routes For Sunday 20th October 2024

Three routes to tempt riders out this Sunday, thanks as always to route master Dave Bembridge for the short and medium routes. I’ve patched in the same final 10 miles on the longer route, making use of the forecasted southerly wind to blow us home!

We have two routes starting at 10am and one at 10.30am. As always please arrive ahead of the planned start time with a good idea of the route and enough repair items to be self sufficent out on the roads. We aim to leave no one behind but wrong turns and detached riders can happen.

10am medium long https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48794047 32 miles 1550 feet of climbing

10am medium https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48789861 29 miles, 1440 feet of climbing

10.30am back to the pub before 12 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48790330 22 miles 1193 feet of climbing

We have a kit order poll currently open. We have 9 items of promised orders and we need 10 items to justify opening the order. If you ride with us regularly and don’t currently have the “team” kit, now is the time to update your wadrobe.

Treasure hunts!!…… Two live cycle hunts active right now (watch out for the November “Elevation Game” coming soon).

Two weeks left before we draw a line under the ghost ride treasure hunt, we’ve had a number of successful ghost busters so far…. with halloween fast approaching, now is the time to give it a try! Please see previous posts and the facebook event for this mystery to find the clues and route etc.

As of yet, no one has solved the cheesy chip mystery! Here is the clues so you can give it a go!

Ivinghoe Velos Cheesy Chips Mystery

For this magical mystery tour you can make your own route up, ride on road or off-road and start from Pitstone, Berkhamsted, Chesham or Tring. You could even make a note of the clues needed and do the challenge over several rides.

Following complaints regarding enhanced cycling performance within the Ivinghoe Velos the UCI have banned post ride carb snack cheesy chips for all cyclist. To enforce this ban all copies of the recipe have been destroyed, or so the UCI thinks!

One remaining copy of this magical recipe is apparently hidden on a usual Ivinghoe Velos route. The task to find the recipe will be a tough one. We have enlisted the services of some of the world’s top cycling detectives, Hercule Pinot, Felt Maulder, Dawes Scully and Bikelock Holmes, .

Sadly none of the detectives have managed to locate the recipe! We need some local knowledge for this one…. It’s time to get on your bike and use the clues provided along with your best detective abilities, come up with the location of the hidden recipe. Can you bring cheesy chips back on the menu and enhance our performance for ever more?

The recipe is hidden in a secret location. Using clues you will be able to identify the location on the “what three words” app or website.

The clues will provide letters to fill in and the numbers of the clues correspond to the position of the letters in the puzzle- it’s a bit like hangman! You never know the cheesy recipe might be closer than you think!

To make life more tricky the clues list destinations but how you get there is down to your own planning skills- road routes, off-road, hilly or flatter, the choice is yours! Start at any clue you like, as long as you find all the letters you should be able to input your words into “what three words and find the location we are after!

The puzzle and clues should fit into two sides of one piece of paper, don’t forget your pencil to mark your letters onto the puzzle.

Good luck!!!

Letter position is dictated by the clue number……The recipe is located at…..

word 1

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1 8 10 10 12 12 11 9

word 2

_ _ _ _

3 2 8 6

word 3

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

4 2 1 5 8 7 9

The clues!

1) From Pitstone roundabout turn up vicarage road and opposite the park seek out the big roller. Read about Castle cement works. In line 7 of the paragraph below the heading the second letter appears three times in total in the information provided (all in the same word repeated 3 times). This is the first letter you need, write it in the first space!

Pitstone museum opens periodically through the year and celebrates lots of local history including the castle cement works which dominated life in Pitstone

2)Time to appreciate the old church in Pitstone, ride up and leave your bike by the gate, after peering in the door, turn round and pay your respect to Mrs Runham, wife of Jno H Hawkins.. What is the first letter of her first name?

Pitstone church dates back to 1250, while it was declared redundant in 1973 it is still a well loved local landmark.

3) Head to Tring station, The railway line through Tring was built in 1838 because the station was so far from the town a dual purpose building was built just outside the station, one use was a post office to sort mail from the trains, what was the other use for the building (first letter please)

Robert Stevenson planned to run the railway much closer to Tring but local land owners objected, meaning modern Tring commuters have to suffer from a very remote station.

4) From Tring station we head into Berkhamsted and need to find the castle. Looking at the sign at the entrance, what is the first letter of the name of Robert of Mortain’s half brother?

Berkhamsted castle was originally a timber framed motte and bailey Norman castle, important in controlling the northern approach to London. It has a rich history of occupation by key historical figures such as Thomas Becket and the black prince.

5) Now circle round through Waitrose car park and look for the dark sign by the bench which tells us about the grand union canal. From the sign what type of Chilterns stream is the Bulbourne? (first letter)

Waitrose has been in Berkhamsted since 1969, originally four small shop units, it was rebuilt into a 7,000 square foot supermarket on the highstreet, it remained in this location, providing beer money for a certain A level student, until moving to the current location 31,000 square foot location in December 1996

6) By the torch beacon on Ley Hill Green (near the pubs) there is a big seat with a sign close by. Have a look at the sign to find out more about the local area.In a boxed off paragraph talking about a form of transport from the Swan pub what is the last letter of the paragraph?

Beacons were used across the country to warn local people of approaching enemies. In more recent times the fire beacons have been used in commemoration ceremonies like the anniversary of D day in June 2024 and Queen’s jubilee in 2022.

7) Near the bottom of white hill in Chesham there is a green with a gravestone in the middle, easy to miss if you are flying down the hill! Find out who was executed close by, he was tied to a stake with a fire lit underneath him because of his beliefs. To solve this puzzle look for the first letter of the single word on row four on the stone

Chesham was known for it’s three Bs, Baptists, boots and brushes, this may have been useful for a different clue!!!

In Chesham park, the place with the big pond take to the cycle path, it’s part of the national cycle network, which was 12,739 miles of signposted recommended cycle routes, look for the national cycle network mile marker, Two destinations share the same first letter, what is this letter?

Chesham was named in the Saxon period Caesteles-hamm which means “the water meadow by the stone heap”. It’s still as glamorous as this in modern times.

9) While in the Park have a look at the information board close to the park road exit, what is the first letter of the name given to the cute “historic” cottages in Church Street?

The lowndes family owned the land as part of their estate, after if was requisitioned by the arm for the second world war if was gifted to the council, the top part of the land is now used for a school, while the lower grounds are a well used public par

Now we are heading for Tring, you might want to rest and refuel from all this detective work at Chiltern Velo cafe in Hawridge,there are no clues here but they do great coffee and know a thing or two about cycling nutrition.

10) You may have chosen to blast down Hastoe Lane into the back of Tring (close to the dead animal museum), as you reach the T junction there are some timber framed houses named after a lady, What is the first letter of her name?

Among the grandest Almshouses in the country, it’s believed they were named after Walter Rothschild’s mother; she had these houses built for estate workers and Tring locals.

11) now to Tring memorial garden near to the Robin Hood pub roundabout. As you enter the garden you will see a big sign board all about the Royal British legion. A lady featured on the right has the same letter three times in her name, what is that letter?

The memorial gardens were created in 1950 to commemorate those who had fallen in the second world war, with fish pond, trees and beautifully planned beds it’s a perfect place for contemplation.

12) in Wilstone we are going to pay respects to those who gave their lives in the first world war. Once again you are looking for a letter that appears three times, this time it’s in Earnest’s surname.

In 1751 Wilstone was the scene of a horrific witch ducking. A crowd of 4,000 carried a couple to their certain death at the pond and a proprietor named Colley collected money from the crowd for the “enjoyment” the ducking had provided.

So thank you, you have completed the quest, have you found the location from the three words you have found? Hopefully the answer is yes and we can retire to the Rose And Crown for a drink and that banned post ride snack!

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 13th October 2024

At this time of year we like to help you plan your Christmas list, so we are considering opening a kit order so you can get your hands on some of our lovely blue clothing. We need to make a minimum order quantity so have a poll on facebook so people can commit to placing an order. If we reach the minimum order quantity we will communicate ordering details. The kit has been specialy designed to feature the contour of the iconic Ivinghoe Beacon. It’s always good when we have a large contingent of riders in “team kit” and we regularly recieve compliments on the design of the kit.

Three rides for your enjoyment this Sunday, all starting from ivinghoe church, they should all finish around the same time back in Ivinghoe. that’s the way we roll.

10am 33 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48712966

10am 30 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48713000

10.30am 24 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48714158

The different rides do not denote ride pace, they are just different lengths. Last Sundays longer route averaged 14.8mph. If rider numbers are low it’s possible that we would prefer to go out as just one 10am group so we can keep the group ride feel.

Save the date: On Sunday 15th December we will host our Chrismas fun ride. At 26.90 miles it should be doable for everyone. We will also be having our annual non-lycra Friday night Christmas get together during December.

Gather together for our usual Sunday ride for this 27 mile route provided for ALL riders on this Sunday. Tinsel and red outfits will be preferred for this ride. There will be an optional Christmas themed treasure hunt on this ride to go along with the route, which will be completed by teams of up to 4 riders, radomly selected NOT based on rider pace! https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48170794
Post ride social lubrication at the Rose and Crown, you might even get some cranberry sauce for your cheesy chips.

The Treasure hunt:
Maximus Minium, a new rider with the Ivinghoe Velos, is really looking forward to Christmas. He has bought his granddaughter, Ally, her first bike. Maximus imagines that in years to come he will be able to see Ally’s pro race results with pride, knowing he started the ball rolling. Maximus has locked the Christmas bike up at home and written the code down along with his favourite piece of cycling advice to pass onto Ally.

Being security conscious Maximus has also written down a whole list of dummy codes to throw thiefs off the trail, these codes and associated advice won’t open the lock, keeping the bike safe.

Sounds perfect right? Disaster has struck as “local legend hunters” Richard Bembridge and Grant Mordey have stolen the sheet with all the codes on! They have come up with a cunning route with all the clues to discount each wrong combination, the route keeps riders off the strava segment these guys want to hold as local legend at Christmas!

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to ride the classic Ivinghoe Velos route looking for clues to help Maximus get the right code to unlock the Christmas bike. Each clue will give you a four digit number which can be discounted from the list leaving only the correct code, enabling Maximus to unlock the bike and save Christmas!!!

Once you know the code just report the piece of advice attached to it to Ivinghoe Velos Towers and save Christmas!