About Three Hills and 10,000 km

If every journey matters…

For those of us who cycle, “every ride matters”. For me, this ride matters more than most because it was to be the last 200 km ride to achieve the Randonneur 10000 award for the second year running. For my earlier rides in October I’d been sticking as far as possible to roads where I would not encounter standing water. For this ride, I decided to follow a more challenging route with a couple of relatively demanding climbs; OK, nothing that would qualify me for AAA points but climbs nonetheless.

First Stop Goring-on-Thames

My route took me over the Thames at Sonning to the junction with the Oxford to Reading A4155. Usually I ride straight ahead through Playhatch to Dunsden Green but as this road was badly affected by recent heavy rain I took an alternative route through Caversham to join the road to Sonning Common and the climb to Stoke Row. From here I continued past the NCN5 route along Garsons Lane (very little motorised traffic because the surface has deteriorated badly) and turned left to descend Berins Hill. I turned left again at the foot of the hill, taking great care to negotiate flints and potholes, and stopped shortly along Well Place Road to take a photo of one of my favourite views towards Ipsden.

View from Well Place Road (foot of Berins Hill), looking towards Ipsden

Well Place Road becomes Church Lane. I stopped to admire the well and the tiny church of St Mary the Virgin and found a figure in the garden of the neighbouring house. Next time, I really must ask the residents who or what the figure is.

figure by St Mary the Virgin Church and well.jpg

From here I rode on, crossing the busy A4074 to take the quieter B4009 in to Goring. Knowing that Pierreponts cafe is closed on Mondays, I stopped at the Village Cafe for hot chocolate and cake; no bike stands but I was able to sit outside at a table with my bike.

Hot chocolate and cake at the Village Cafe in Goring

Three Views of the Wittenham Clumps - and Plovers

My route took me over the Thames to a right turn towards Cholsey and then north towards the villages of South and North Moreton. I had a my first view of the three Wittenham Clumps through the mist shortly after leaving Cholsey. They were to appear with increasing definition as the ride continued.

First view of the Wittenham Clumps through the mist

Shortly further, I stopped to speak with a man who was looking across the road through a powerful bird watching scope. He generously allowed me to look at what he told me was red plovers; he added that there was one grey plover, which was a rare sight. He was monitoring the arrival of these birds. Audax time limits are more than generous; there’s time for food stops and chats with other cyclists and interesting people.

Only a little further on, before the road drops to meet Hithercroft Road (from Wallingford), I stopped to take my second photo of the Clumps.

View of the Wittenham Clumps across flooded fields

My route continued through South and North Moreton, passing the former Victoria Pub which closed in 1999 and is now an attractive row of cottages.

Former Queen Victoria Pub at North Moreton

From here my route continued to cross the A4130 Didcot to Wallingford Road and descend Sires Hill before a left turn (signposted to the Earth Trust) for the climb and descent to the church at Little Wittenham for a closer view of the Clumps. There are footpaths here that I will take on a day when I visit by car.

View from St Peter’s Church, Little Wittenham

Next Stop Ewelme Village Store

My route took me through Brightwell-cum-Sotwell with its contrasting (dare I say “warring”?) EU and UK flags a reminder that the village is the home of Boris Johnson. From here I rode through Wallingford and over the Thames to Crowmarsh Gifford. On the left is a bench outside a cottage where the owner invites people to sit and chat with passers-by. I have stopped here on previous rides and enjoyed speaking with local people, including an older cyclist who was getting back into riding after a heart attack.

On this ride, I pressed on, crossing the roundabout to take Clacks Lane towards Ewelme. Too late for the Village Store, which closes at 1 pm on Mondays to give the volunteers some well deserved time off. I sat at their benches to eat one of my sandwiches before continuing my ride.

Aston Hill

I had planned a meandering route through Brightwell Baldwin and past the former Cutt Mill at Cuxham to the A40 for a short diversion to Tetsworth and then along lanes to Lewknor before joining the A40 again at the foot of Aston Hill. At just under 3 km at around 5-6% it’s not the Pyrenees but it is a climb with no free wheeling.

I am old enough to remember the days before the M40 when Aston Hill was part of the main route from Bristol and Oxford to London. I can recall climbing in heavy traffic in an old mini - days long gone!

The eventual reward for the ascent of Aston Hill is the descent through Ibstone to Fingest with an easily missed view of the top of the Cobstone Windmill (just before the road sign for the 10% gradient).

To Marlow and the Climb of Quarry Wood Road

From Fingest there’s an easy climb past the Prince Albert pub towards Moor End and the descent to Marlow. There was - almost inevitably on any longish ride - a ROAD CLOSED sign but Audaxers know that it’s usually possible to get through. At about 148 km into the ride I carried on, reflecting that a ride is never over until it’s over. Somewhere along the route I came to the road closure - it really was closed with fencing right across. Faced with the prospect of retracing my route and a diversion along a busy main road, I decided to push my way through hedging to reach the other side of the fence. I succeeded, I’m pleased to say, and continued my journey to Marlow with very little traffic.

The only remaining climb now was Quarry Hill Road with one hairpin at about 13-14% for just a few metres.

And Home

Cookham, Maidenhead, Taplow, Dorney, Eton, Datchet, Iver, West Drayton and back into West London.

Randonneur 10000

I was the nineteenth person to gain the Randonneur 10000 award for 2024; there were 21 in total, listed in alphabetical order. It’s not a race or a contest. The number was slightly down on 2023 with 26 riders; that was a PBP year when entrants have to complete a series of longer rides.

The Randonneur 10000 award requires rides of 200 km or more; shorter rides don’t count. With such poor weather in autumn 2023 and spring 2024 I did a number of shorter rides (mainly 100 km), so had to step up the number of 200 km rides to reach my goal. June with long warm days saw me completing 8 200 km rides, spread equally over calendar events and DIYs.

Now the “wrong side” of 75, I’ve been restricting myself to 200 km maximum but in 2025 I may test whether this limit is in the legs or the mind: we shall see.