Our group of 7 met up at Putney Bridge, about a 3.75mile bike ride from our flat, to begin our journey. There was actually a Stroke Association ride going on at the same time, so there were a lot of cyclists out on the road.
Our route took us from Putney, to Barnes and through Richmond Park (luckily missing out most of the big hills). It was quite windy out on the bike, but the terrain was pretty easy and I felt confident on my bike. I’d taken Victoria Pendleton’s cycling tips and invested in some new padded shorts and a padded seat cover- very comfy!
Going through Bushy Park, the winds picked up even more and my pink jacket started to resemble a kite, picking up all of the wind, making riding feel more difficult and my pace slow dramatically. I felt that at times I was holding the group back, although I’m not sure how much of that was my 10K run the previous night, and how much is my lack of cycling strength and fitness.
We pulled in a little after Bushy Park to have some water and snacks. I tried out a new to me Trek Cocoa and Oat Protein Flapjack- it was chocolate covered and delicious. I also took my jacket off to see if that helped me speed up!
We lost 2 of the boys at this point when they took a wrong turn, luckily we hand our official guide, Tom, to lead us into Windsor.
One final pit stop before pushing onwards, and straight up to the top of the hill and to Windsor Castle.
We made our way back to The Alma pub where we met up with the other boys and tucked into an absolute feast of a lunch. Those that chose the Roast Dinner enjoyed 4 yorkshire puddings each! I ate chilli in a bread bowl topped with cheese- the perfect warming lunch. Can’t recommend The Alma enough for great food, friendly staff and a beer garden to leave bikes!
We’d planned to catch a train home, which couldn’t have been easier. We piled our bikes on, taking up most of the carriage, and enjoyed some warm coffees on the way back to London. Our total mileage for the day was about 30-35miles. The route was fairly simple over easy terrain, and made for the perfect Sunday ride. It was the ideal way to get our bike legs back, and inspired us to organise a few more outings. We’ve already started talking about our next ride.
This sounds like a great ride-I’m going to have to find a good route round Cambridge (with a good pub at the end!) 🙂
a good pub at the end is all the incentive I need to keep going!
This looks like such a wonderful day! I can’t wait to buy a bike! Until then maybe we can find a way to squeeze in a bike ride when I’m in town. Did you clip in?
no but I really want to try it. Waiting until I swap to a road bike to try clip ins.
Try going a bit further and go to Bray and then really treat yourself to lunch. I do it couple of times a year to the Hind’s Head and then train back. Give it a go!