England : Oxfordshire The Oxford pie-cnic. Saturday 9th September

[CharlieB]

@Salty seadog , [USER=9263]@Mark Grant . Crikey, I thought it was just me got up early on a Sunday.[/USER]

 

[srw]

View attachment 372669

Kings Arms or Eagle and Child?

 

[robjh]

Kings Arms or Eagle and Child?

I would go for the King's Arms, but given my condition at that point in the evening I should leave it to my friends who are more familiar with Oxford's drinking gaffs to confirm that.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Alive and rolling home. T'was the Kings Arms.
Sorry @robjh we missed you this morning, had some errrands to run in Abingdon.

Great day of bonhomie. More words later!

 

[srw]

Did you know Haddenham and Thame station is in neither place's Station Road?

We rode through the old Thame station, which was on the Princes Risborough to Oxford line, and the internet reminds me that Haddenham Station used to be on station road, but shut in the '60s. It was reopened on its current site in the late '80s. I'd like to make the link with preparations for privatisation (the line had a lot of investment beforehand, and its new franchisees have pumped a lot more money in since), but I don't think I can.

Looking at the map, the line on to Oxford goes through what is now the Oxford services on the M40 - you can still see the remains of a bridge. There are two things stopping the extension of the Phoenix Trail to Oxford along the railway. The first is a tunnel through Shotover Hill near Horspath. The second is a bit more permanent - the Cowley works, which used to make the Morris Oxford, the Austin Montego and the Austin Maestro has now gone downhill and is home to the Mini. But the railway tracks are still laid, and certainly used to serve the works actively.

I trust that everyone who stayed over till today had a good day. If I'd known about the heritage day I might have joined you. As it is, I've put my feet up in preparation for a hard week at work* this week.


*One report to write for my successor, two or three dinners, one lunch and one leaving drinks (not yet mine).

[edit]
Howler corrected - but the evidence will remain.

 

[robjh]

...I might of joined you.

Steven, really!

 

[mjr]

Looking at the map, the line on to Oxford goes through what is now the Oxford services on the M40 - you can still see the remains of a bridge. There are two things stopping the extension of the Phoenix Trail to Oxford along the railway. The first is a tunnel through Shotover Hill near Horspath. The second is a bit more permanent - the Cowley works, which used to make the Morris Oxford, the Austin Montego and the Austin Maestro has now gone downhill and is home to the Mini. But the railway tracks are still laid, and certainly used to serve the works actively.

I rode past the works on the way to Horspath. The bit from the city to there isn't bad for an urban route IMO, although the traffic light timings stink for cycling and Cowley Road could do with a redistribution to get queuing motorists out of the way of cycling.

The climb out of Horspath hurt. 300m at 10% or nearly. A tunnel would be very welcome. I should have ignored the NCR sign and done two sides of the triangle instead. Then it was pretty good rolling country to rejoin our route out near Ickford.

I wasn't quite sure from my map whether a bridleway or track from Thame to near the station would be ridable, so I played it safe and kept to the roads. From looking at satellite photos, unless it's recently been improved, that was the right choice!

 

[Fab Foodie]

I rode past the works on the way to Horspath. The bit from the city to there isn't bad for an urban route IMO, although the traffic light timings stink for cycling and Cowley Road could do with a redistribution to get queuing motorists out of the way of cycling.

The climb out of Horspath hurt. 300m at 10% or nearly. A tunnel would be very welcome. I should have ignored the NCR sign and done two sides of the triangle instead. Then it was pretty good rolling country to rejoin our route out near Ickford.

I wasn't quite sure from my map whether a bridleway or track from Thame to near the station would be ridable, so I played it safe and kept to the roads. From looking at satellite photos, unless it's recently been improved, that was the right choice!

Sounds like the route we take for the Oxford to Londinium night ride. That climb is a nice little sharpener for Chinnor hill to come :-)

 

[mjr]

Sounds like the route we take for the Oxford to Londinium night ride. That climb is a nice little sharpener for Chinnor hill to come :-)

Why does NCR57 not go Cuddesdon Road and Wheatley Road and leave that hill with a T junction at its foot (preventing much of a run up up and halting any momentum down) to the masochists?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Why does NCR57 not go Cuddesdon Road and Wheatley Road and leave that hill with a T junction at its foot (preventing much of a run up up and halting any momentum down) to the masochists?

No idea! Bit then I question a lot of Sustran's work....

 

[srw]

Steven, really!

*hangs head in shame*

 

[srw]

Why does NCR57 not go Cuddesdon Road and Wheatley Road and leave that hill with a T junction at its foot (preventing much of a run up up and halting any momentum down) to the masochists?

Why does it not follow exactly the route we took?!

 

[mjr]

Why does it not follow exactly the route we took?!

Headington hill, at a guess. Busy, long, not sure how steep and some daffodil has put the street lamps in the cycle lane without widening the lane. I was glad we rode down it, not up, so even I was fast enough to keep in the main flow comfortably.