News for March 2016

Thursday 3rd March 2016. Bitton to Hinton Blewett. Report from Bill Balchin: Here's a teaser for you. "Who among our current riders was the first to ride with the BTOTC?"

Time's up. You won't guess. It was today's leader, Jeremy Hogan. Well it is a bit of a trick question because when Jeremy was a student back in the eighties he was invited out for a ride by Ernie Janes when Ernie was setting up some more social rides for members of the road clubs who were finding racing a bit too tough. You can see some of the history in the "What we do" section of the website. Thirty odd years later, after completing his education, a career in teaching and grabbing early retirement, Jeremy happened across some chaps in BTOTC jerseys a couple of years ago, quizzed them up and came back to the fold.

For his first time as leader Jeremy informed the twenty three strong peloton at Bitton station that the ride would follow the rivers Avon and Chew, have some hills and use some new roads. Yeah, well actually Jezzer, we have been doing this for years and have cycled EVERYWHERE so there are no new roads left. Starting down the cycle track towards Bath we passed the Saltford turn-off and then just before Newbridge took a new cycle-path exit that took us onto a shared path beside the A4 to the roundabout by the Globe. Crikey, ten minutes in and we are on a new route. There was more new stuff for many of us as we took the Wells Road into Corston and then the right turn into Ashton Hill. I don't know the gradient but it felt like riding up the side of a house, good job it was not too long. After a mile and a half we arrived at the crossroads that we usually reach from Saltford when heading south, so familiar ground again now.

Having already crossed over the Avon three times it was now time to meet the Chew as we passed through Burnett, into Compton Dando and over the river to Chewton Keynsham via Fairy Hill followed by the climb of Redlynch Hill to Queen Charlton - well we were promised some hills. There was a chance for some descending as we took the route through Norton Hawkfield into Chew Magna once the pothole menders had moved their truck to let us past. Then it was over the Chew again, into Bishop Suttton and the final climb up through Top Sutton bringing us to the Ring O'Bells at Hinton Blewett just after twelve.

With the Thursday weather luck still holding and providing us with yet another decent riding day in a generally iffy week you would expect a large crowd of cyclists and you would be right. The pub was pretty much full. I think a few non-cycling customers sat outside in the cold with nearly forty of us inside.

Joe Scally was on hand to ask a few final questions before he submits his dissertation. I don't know what he made of George's response to the question "How did it all start for you?" when George related that his scout group were required to cycle to the camp at Dawlish, most of them aged eleven with a few senior boys of thirteen. The fourteen year-olds would have been out to work. It was all a bit different in the nineteen forties. Slick service from the new management team saw us all fed and watered by one o'clock so we were back on the road for home a lot earlier than some of our recent rides. A blast down Stowey Hill set the path for Stanton Drew where I managed to sprint ahead to grab some pictures before the climb of Norton Malreward and the split for the Whitchurch Way or back via Bitton.

So there we had it. Rivers, hills and new roads. Jeremy, you can do this again. And maybe we have not been quite everywhere yet.

New roads or not, this map shows you the ones we used today.

Thursday 10th March 2016. Ashton to Portishead. Report from Bill Balchin: Thank you Ernie Janes for setting up the Bristol Thursday Old Time cyclists and not a Wednesday group. Yesterday the Wednesday was a washout with heavy rain and bitingly cold strong wind. Our Thursday weather started with bright sunshine in a blue sky and although it was chilly and clouded over, it was dry with light winds all day. Much to the delight of the twenty three at Ashton Bridge for John Upward's ride to the Windmill at Portishead. John started with a climb through Ashton Court but true to his form managed an unusual way to get there first by the underpass , then over a bridge, a shared path past the Ashton pub (formerly the Dovecote) and into the estate. But no way of avoiding the grind up to the exit by the suspension bridge.

After a short section of shared path on the Abbotts Leigh road we took a right into Leigh Woods for another homage to the Belgium cycling classics. Although more suited to a mountain bike the paths were easily rideable on a touring bike as we made a generally downhill loop through the bare trees to emerge back on the main road.

A quick left right jink into Sandy Lane and we were into the ups and downs of the small lanes through Failand before we descended into Portbury. Things were going to plan as we turned into Caswell Lane but got somewhat knocked out of kilter when a lane on the right that John had picked out on the Garmin did not materialise - probably a gate into a field in reality. But it was no hardship to cycle on that nice Gordano Valley with the lanes mostly clean and dry almost into Clevedon.

And then it was time for the kilter to be knocked again. With John waiting for some puncture menders some impatient types (led by some bloke called Bill) carried on along Harley Lane into Weston in Gordano where it was obvious to go straight across and along the coast road bringing us to the Windmill right on twelve. Good job John. John? Anyone seen John? It was a bit of a surprise to see John arrive with several others at half past while the rest of us were tucking into lunch. The plan had always been to go into Portishead via Valley Road, past the Police HQ and around the Headland before approaching the Windmill from the east.

The difficulty of herding our bunch continued after lunch when several departed with the nine-strong easyrider group, more left in dribs and drabs and I took off on my own. Well I have to go out this afternoon before five so it was a chance to do the report first. So I guess everybody got home from one of our favourite pubs, and thanks John for your efforts. Note to self - try to behave in future.

Touch here to see today's route.

Thursday 17th March 2016. Amcor to Brookend. Report from Bill Balchin: Another glorious day and another large peloton as Jane Chapman led the way from Amcor to the Lammastide at Brookend. One noticeable absentee was Mark Brough, due for an imminent hip replacement operation and hopefully back with us soon and stronger than ever - good luck to you Mark.

Cruising along the Old Gloucester Road towards Tytherington there was a bit of a chilly headwind but otherwise it was just ideal to ride in the sunshine, on clean dry roads, chatting with your pals. A climb up Grovesend Road took us under the motorway and across the A38 into Thornbury. Jane's route took us past Crossways school at playtime where a mass of excited kids lined the fence waving at us. Not too cool for school, we all waved back. Back on the lanes through Rockhampton and Berkley we arrived at Wanswell just before eleven thirty - about a five minute ride from our lunch-stop.

Ignoring the direct route we took the right turn and cycled through Halmore into Purton then crossed over the canal onto the towpath to bump along the gravel to our special point of interest for the day. On the banks of the Severn between Purton and Sharpness is an area full of wrecked ships/boats/barges. A monolith inscribed "The final resting place" marks the spot and although the remains have been pretty well beaten to death by fierce tides twice a day they are easily visible, especially as it was low tide today. Back down the towpath and a little way on are the remains of the railway bridge which spanned the Severn until it was smashed by two tanker barges in thick fog in October 1960 with the loss of five lives. Details here. All that remains on the Gloucestershire side now are the towers either side of the canal.

Carrying on we rode the towpath to Sharpness and crossed back over past the rather haphazard looking docks and a few minutes later arrived at the Lammastide. Again there was a large crowd, and again the service was slick and the meals good. But just one more item from Jane - misbehaving gears. Once we had finished lunch the technical team took a look and the cable to the rear mech was obviously broken. Luckily I had a spare so after checking with Dennis Gealy how a Campagnolo shifter works managed to fit it in. But it didn't work. Stuart to the rescue. He pulled it back out, seated it correctly in the shifter and got it working. He was even familiar with the device called a J-Tech shiftmate fitted between the cable end and the mech. So we were all back on the road. and my knowledge had increased regarding broken railway bridges, wrecked ships and rear mechs. Plus the realisation that it has to be Shimano components for me from now on. There are some extra photos in the photo gallery for today's outing.

And a bit extra from Pete Campbell: Bill was deep into learning all about non- Shimano shifting when Jane delegated ride leader duties to Sean Hudd. He took ten of us back to Tytherington via Stone, Tortworth and Cromhall. Our tyres had managed to soak up all the punishment the Sharpness towpath could offer, but Peter Ralph found a thorn in the road south of Michael Wood which was completely unnecessary for someone who had just got back from two weeks in Peru and Colombia., The rest of us did the usual: stood around in the afternoon sun thankful our tyres were still intact.

Today's route? Touch here to see.

Thursday 24th March 2016. Bitton to Yatton Keynell. Report from Bill Balchin: Chris Hume had his name down as leader today but it was actually a joint enterprise with wife Shirley. After they had both been out checking the route more than once, Shirley took the lead with Chris appointed as back-marker and the task of bike-cleaner later. How much bike cleaning would be required? The day started overcast and dry but with rain forecast for the afternoon. Maybe the forecast dissuaded people or maybe it was the proximity to Easter. Either way it was an unusually small group of thirteen that rode out of Bitton and along the Golden Valley to Wick, Doynton and climbed the Cotswold edge via Dyrham. Once on the high ground there were a few spots of rain but not enough to make you wet as we rode over the high ground with its various ups and downs to arrive at Castle Combe - seen recently on TV in the mini-series Doctor Thorne. The rain had another half- hearted attempt as Shirley led us through the village and back to the Yatton Keynell road a mile from our lunch stop.

But that's not the plan. Arrive at half past eleven? No chance. As the sounds of the petrol-heads enjoying themselves on the race track boomed around we took a left turn onto a little track that I have noticed before but never been along. This was real country lane cycling and it brought us into the charming village of Sevington. No I have never heard of it either but it once housed the estate workers of Joseph Neeld. If that names seems familiar it is because the pub in Grittleton is the Neeld Arms (Joseph also owned Grittleton Manor). Our education (and photo opportunity) stop was at Sevington Victorian School. No lecture but you can view some history here. As we rode on Chris told me that when he was a youngster he went to a similar looking school where the pupils had chalk and two wood-framed slates, one with lines for their writing and one with grid lines for arithmetic. I'm not sure if he was joshing me.

Continuing on the lovely country lane we crossed over the motorway and reached another village where you could see a huge car park behind the trees. Ah, Leigh Delamere, the back of the services. Back over the motorway again we headed into Stanton St Michael on the intriguingly named Honey Knob Hill before turning right into another small lane which despite a general lack of rain for weeks managed to be quite wet - keep away from the few people without mudguards. Up the end of the lane was a signpost for Yatton Keynell, and just past was a name-board for Yatton Keynell, and just past that was the Bell - right on twelve, terrific.

Some pubs are quick with the food. That does not do the Bell justice. The first people got their meals before the last people had ordered their beer. We sat in the area to the right of the entrance where you could hear the rain hammering down on the plastic roof. Oh dear, that's not good, but at least we got here in the mainly dry. There was a slight embarrassment when the landlady asked if there were some more on the way. Just the thirteen after weeks and weeks of numbers in the thirties. But five of the Bath team arrived to make it a little more respectable. Soon after one it was time to get the homeward leg under way during a lull in the rain. That did not last long as we were soon battling against a cold, blustery wind blowing rain into our faces past Castle Combe. Shirley and Chris had really put a lot of planning into this ride as we turned left at The Gibb then right at the Fosse Farmhouse into Nettleton village, much more pleasant than the main road as it brought us out on the road from Burton to the Marshfield bakery.

This is a route that deserves some better weather. With British Summer Time kicking in this weekend maybe will get some soon. And now get on with cleaning those bikes Chris.

Which wet and dirty lanes did we use today? Touch here to see. Thursday 31st March. Ashton to Shipham - report from Steve Hicks: Today was our first British Summer Time ride of the year with appropriate weather to welcome the warmer days to come. A sharp frost for us rural dwellers was soon forgotten as we assembled at Ashton for Phil Hodgson’s ride to Shipham. But what was this? Some early arrivals had decided to gather on the west side of Ashton Bridge in order to gain full advantage of the warming sun, while those of a more traditional nature stuck to the “dark side.” So, a group of two halves numbering eighteen in total set off along the Festival Way and out through Wild Country Lane. Kingston Lane produced the only significant ‘road water’ of the day but this was soon put behind us as we circumnavigated Winford and headed down Featherbed Lane into Chew Stoke and across the western end of Chew Valley Lake.

We re-grouped in West Harptree where Phil announced that we were going up Ridge Lane which is a ‘four jelly-baby climb.’ This prompted some rustling of sweet papers and a rather bizarre discussion regarding the obscure places that packs of Haribos turn up! We began the ascent with Jane cautioning us to pace ourselves as the climb was going to be long and steep in parts; fortunately, there proved to be some more gentle sections to regain our composure while the reward for all this effort was a fabulous view over Chew Valley Lake before we turned west and headed for Charterhouse

Some less strenuous climbing, followed by a long descent, brought us into Shipham at just after midday. A number of independents were already enjoying the warm sunshine in front of the Penscott Inn where we soon joined them. The choice of draught beer was limited to Butcombe Bitter but it was in excellent condition and prompted a number of our group to refill at least once. The food delivery was not the quickest but nobody was complaining, after all we were sitting in the warm sun with great beer and the company of our cycling buddies. At this point Andy, who is gaining a reputation for undressing in public, decided to remove his shirt and catch some rays (those of a nervous disposition should look away now!).

We were joined at lunch by John Upward, a man of many talents who was busy promoting a play of his own writing to be presented at the Backwell Playhouse. Entitled ‘Below Stairs’ (Downton Abbey without the posh bits), it is running from the 7th to 9th April with curtain up at 8pm. Tickets are available from the Box Office (01275 462621) or direct from John (01275 462569) and cost £8 (£6 for members). Our journey home was the direct route down into Churchill, through Brinsea into Congresbury, Claverham, Brockley and Backwell, to pick up the Festival Way. Our thanks to Phil for an excellent route and a challenging climb that was new to most of us.

Today's route? Touch here.