Cotswold Ride-Out 31st August

First topic message reminder :

As I've already posted in the Senate, I think I've got the makings of a Cotswold ride-out route, probably starting somewhere on the outskirts of Swindon (i.e easily accessible via M4/A419).

I'm looking at a southern loop in the morning, with a coffee stop near Cirencester, then a northern loop in the afternoon including an ascent of Fish Hill with a stop at Broadway Tower.  Not sure about lunch yet, but possibly the Cotswold Gateway at Burford. Whatever, some beautiful scenery, pretty villages in abundance and hardly any 50 limits (unless things change a lot between now and then).

It's just a question of finding a date.  I can only do 11th, 24th or 31st Aug or 1st Sept.  7-8th Sept is ToL and after that I'm committed every weekend until 12-13th Oct.  So do we go for sooner, or wait until the autumn?

Right, confirming the start is at the Esso service station/coffee shop at Chiseldon on the A346, about 1/2 mile south of J15 of the M4.

Meet up at 09:00 for a briefing at 09:45 and departure at 10:00 prompt.

See you Saturday!

Stretchie wrote:I was nearly 4ft deep once, it was by accident and I was in the Land Rover

Hmmm, not sure that qualifies you as an expert but I'll be interested to see your technique.


Btw,  I'm afraid I'm only going to be able to join you for the morning

Sadly stuff has come up and I can't join this.  Really sorry and really disappointed, as it is all around my neck of the woods.

Booo looks like I'll definitely have drop out of this one as I can't get my new tyre fitted in time and my current one is almost showing canvass

Sorry Bob... hope you have a cracking rideout

Was it something we said?  

No.... something the wife said!

Will see you in the morning, won't be there at 09:00 though, more like 09:30. Will have a mate on a big KTM bike with me and MAYBE another two will join, one on a 1954 Suzuki SV650 (well it looks and sounds that old anyway) and another but not sure what bike it is

Hope y'all have a great time.

Ride safe.

Cheers
Rosco

gutted i can't make this, weekends been totally written off by work!

have a cracker chaps , looks like all the sun dancing has paid off  

See y'all in the morning!

Checking in. Great ride Bob, thank you very much, I must remember to plug my sat nav into my pc and save it.

Lovely to meet you too SEK

SEK wrote:

Stretchie wrote:I was nearly 4ft deep once, it was by accident and I was in the Land Rover

Hmmm, not sure that qualifies you as an expert but I'll be interested to see your technique.

So now you've seen my technique what do you think?

 

Thanks to all who came along, great company and you all stayed shiny side up despite the gravel, single tracks, fords and other obstacles - perfect.

I know there are several folks who couldn't get along this time - maybe I'll do a repeat in late October when the trees are golden brown and things look even more ravishing than they did today. What say you?

bobh wrote: . . . What say you?

Ooh Ooh me sir me, . . please sir ! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]. . . . .

I'd like to if everything pans out [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Yes please! I'll be around all year come rain, snow or shine  

Bobh wrote:Thanks to all who came along

THANK YOU Bob for organising it, big gold star and lots of brownie points    Great ride - loved the variety of roads and interesting cambers, excellent company, and scenery as well good watering holes.  All in all a most enjoyable day out and much appreciated - well done you    

maybe I'll do a repeat in late October

Maybe next time there'll be a few more 'cats to keep mine company

Stretchie wrote:So now you've seen my technique what do you think?

Call that a technique  try keeping your eyes open next time.

Really great to meet you and Cheryl, and Toni & Mark - looking forward to the next time (that's if the doctors let you out to play  )

Anyone take any happy snaps per chance ?

dependent on dates I would like to tag along to the oct re run if it goes ahead. sounds like it was a good day had by all!

Right, back by popular demand (as the saying goes). I'm thinking of Saturday 26th October, which I'm guessing is the day before the clocks go back and it starts to get dark in mid-afternoon (boo, hiss).

I'm also thinking of running it in the reverse direction so it wouldn't be boring for anyone who came this time. Though I'll make a few tweaks so the start point is a bit easier to find than the pub-in-the-middle-of-nowhere we we finished on Saturday. Also I'll make sure we go up, and not down, Fish Hill (it's the only way).

So - I'm thinking of starting at Hein Gericke on the A40 west of Oxford, where there's a service area of sorts - well, a burger van, a filling station and a decent-sized car park, at least. Then the coffee stop will be at Broadway Tower, lunch at the Organic Farm Shop near Cirencester, and finish somewhere near where we started on Saturday, though I'll maybe try to find a pub or somewhere that's a bit more convivial for post-run pi$$-taking than the Esso filling station.

Any thoughts?

Sounds good Bob, any chance of a fuel top up stop on the ride?

We were on the orange light for a while before we got to the garage on the way home, cheers ears, was a great ride, we all really enjoyed the day out, you are a pleasure to follow and set a great pace

stretchie_ wrote:Sounds good Bob, any chance of a fuel top up stop on the ride?

No worries - there's a petrol station very close to the proposed lunch stop at the Organic Farm Shop near Cirencester.

I must have been pushing the little MT trying to stay ahead of you - the fuel light came on at 140 miles instead of the usual 150.  

Hope to see you in Oct.

I think you might have been pal cos you weren't bloody slow, you must have been through the red line

Unless there are dark forces at work then I will be there, funnily enough, that was the very service station we filled up at on the way back

stretchie_ wrote:I think you might have been pal cos you weren't bloody slow, you must have been through the red line

No, never went above 6K, honest - the redline's at 7.5. All my fillings seem to have have survived, and the blurred vision has just about cleared up.  

Unfortunately I've promised to pass that bike on to my daughter, who will no doubt love and cherish it and never ride above 4K. I shall miss it - it's darned good fun. That new MT09 looks pretty tasty, mind.... 

Oldcat wrote:Anyone take any happy snaps per chance ?

Toni took some, and I have one or 2 but can't work out how to get them on here - will try again when brain is functioning a little better (could be a long wait  )

Night, nite

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