I’m fortunate (in a cycling training sense) to live about 10 miles from work. This gives me a good opportunity to get some rides in during the week. The distance is about right for a decent ride and it’s very flat so I can push myself a little harder than I would on a longer ride.
There is a good network of minor roads as well so I can vary the route and make it longer or take in a hill or two if I want. I usually cycle home a different way to the morning. Yesterday I was a bit pushed for time so I went for the quickest routes, unfortunately my GPSr and PDA got disconnected about halfway in so I’m missing part of the log, I did however have to go home after the first couple of miles as I’d forgotten something so the total distance isn’t far off! I was cycling with two reasonably full panniers as well with a change of clothes, shoes etc.
On the way in there is one short sharp climb up to Sire’s Hill and then a long descent. I sometimes vary this by following the NCN route which goes through Long Wittenham, Little Wittenham and past Wittenham Clumps, this is a longer steeper hill.
On the way back I chose the very direct route from Wallingford, through South Moreton to Didcot. This does include one of my hated cycling roads though, the Hithercroft. It’s a narrow, exposed, busy stretch where cars often give you little room and there are frequent potholes that a cyclist needs to avoid. Despite being a minor road it is well used as a rat-run to avoid the A4130 and to get to the A417 near Blewbury. If the wind is up or if it’s raining, it’s also a miserable stretch as there are open fields on both sides with no shelter.
This route is very flat, the only ‘hills’ are crossing the railway bridges!
Distance :: 9.36 mi (GPSr track is 13.91 mi)
Time :: 39m24s
Average Active Speed :: 14.25 mph
Run.GPS Training Profile
Distance :: 10.28 mi
Time :: 40m31s
Average Active Speed :: 15.22 mph
Run.GPS Training Profile
