With no cafe timetabled for today’s ride, after a short discussion outside Broadway’s Matt suggested Hilltop Garden Centre. As we haven’t been there for a while there were no dissenters, so off we set. Conditions were overcast but mild, and – importantly – dry and negligible wind.

Route was via Harwell, Steventon, the Hanneys, Buckland, Bampton, Brize Norton, Leafield and (for the slightly faster group – who rode to the front entrance – while the others used the back door) Finstock.

At the cafe some HUGE slices of cake were on offer, which we then had to carry up and down the rather lumpy start to the ride home as we retraced our steps back to Didcot. At the turn off for Harwell, a splinter group of Matt C, Kevin S, Phil R and me extended our route via Rowstock, Chilton and Hagbourne Hill. Phil, at least, had an excuse living as he does in Chilton. The rest of us – well…

My stats said 68.5 miles in 3h 51′. RR