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5pm is a bit early and Wednesdays aren’t great, but don’t let that change something that’s best for you; I’ll join if I can. Bitter experience of mud and jungle has taught me a few places to avoid at particular times of year.
Don’t do it! Trust route 544. Your proposed route has a chest-high locked gate at the end of Hillside, a muddy track (although currently fairly dry) past Aldfield Farm, then after Newbury Road a very rough section of Icknield Way currently with side-to-side puddles. And the proposed right turn after crossing Ginge Brook uses a private track. The Icknield Way does continue west after Ginge Brook but it’s very cut up by horses; can be OK-ish to cycle eastbound in dry weather, but westbound is uphill and pretty difficult.
A helmet-mounted light is easy to dip or raise, just by inclining your head! As it sits higher up, the ‘natural’ angle for illuminating the road / track a suitable distance in front of you is more steeply down than for a bar-mounted light, thus reducing the tendency to dazzle an oncoming car or bike. And you can look into the darkness round a bend before you turn. And you can – ahem – ‘remind’ a driver who’s about to pull out of a side-road in front of you of your presence. And you can follow the flight of the barn-owl that flits out of the hedgerow in front of you across the field.
And that’s with using only half the lumens.I spotted on my way home tonight that the sign at the top of the Winnaway had changed from ‘footpath closed’ to ‘beware loose chippings on footpath’, so I went down it. Had to dodge round some idle machinery (quite reasonably left in place by the contractors). Most of the surface is still the ‘base’ layer of rolled large gravel. Some of it has a layer of tarmac on top, but below the kerb level. One smallish section appears to be finished: surface is at kerb level and the top layer seems to be compacted granite dust, absolutely fine to cycle on.
Not usable during the working day and lots of care needed outside work hours: not only is there the machinery to avoid, but some hazardous diagonal raised kerbs where the drives to Winnaway Farm etc cross the path and the path infill isn’t yet in place. I’ll stick to the road for a while yet. Looking promising though, and no flint. chippings. 🙂I’ve cycled along this a couple of times in the last week. On a mountain bike it’s absolutely fine, even at speed, provided you avoid foolhardy swerving on the loose stuff. Probably better than the craters. I’ve been sceptical before about loose fills like this and indeed the larger aggregate takes a long time to bed down, but the finer material that appears to have been used here consolidates quite quickly.
Surely, a personal injury claim would very quickly result in permission for the route being withdrawn. To understand the impact of this, try taking the Icknield Way or the Hendred bridleway in winter, or go up to Scutchamer Knob and enjoy the ‘exciting’ descent off the Ridgeway to Betterton.
There are some similar repairs on the wide track from the Icknield Way south to Chilton, via the A34 underpass. I presume they’ve been carried out by the farmer. Just before the underpass there’s the remains of what looks like the original heap of stones, along with an older and untouched pile of finer material. The hole-fillings on that section seem to be fairly well consolidated and a mountain bike will cross them with no problem, even at speed.
Hurrah! All three elements of this proposal look good. The changes at the A417 are a welcome surprise.
This has been a long time coming though.>>> from David Young, Director of Environmental Services> 19/12/00 09:37:53 >>>
Thank you for your E-mail of 13 November which we have previously acknowledged. I am sorry to hear about the difficulties you are having. [turning right down the Winnaway, repeated attempted murder by motorists]There are, in the future, improvements proposed for this area as part of the redevelopment of the Harwell site. …
Unfortunately it is likely to be some time before these measures will be implemented …. In the meantime arrangements have been made with the Area Traffic staff to erect signs indicating the likelihood of cyclists in the vicinity.Having spoken to our Rights of Way Section about upgrading The Winnaway to bridleway status, it would appear that there is quite a lengthy legal process involved which can take up to two years to process. However it if is something you would like to progress further, please let me know. [I said ‘yes’, of course]
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A couple of years ago the 1:25,000 OS map started marking the Winnaway as a permitted cycle way. This was a small step forward, but it appears that full bridleway status (after 13-14 years rather than David Young’s two) is within reach. And resurfacing too – which was always the goal. Well done and thank you to all in Harbug who have helped to bring this to fruition.Although flashing lights are now legal, they’re not always a good idea. If they’re the only thing visible (i.e. if you’ve got no other lighting and the ambient light isn’t sufficient for you or your bike to be seen), then it makes it difficult for other road users to judge distance and closing speed, which is bad news if they’re emerging from a junction and you’re closer and faster than they assess / assume.
If your rear light has a short flash and a long gap, then during the gap you’re effectively invisible. Recently, when driving lateish one evening on the A4185 towards Rowstock, I overtook a couple of cyclists. The one on the inside had a constant rear light and was fine; the one on the outside was flashing. It was very disconcerting knowing that there was a second cyclist present but being completely unable to see him / her and judge how much room to give. (Yes, ‘lots’.) On country roads at night I’m persuaded that at least one constant light (or a ‘travelling’ flasher, where different LEDs light up in sequence) back and front is best.
I’ve got a bright light; I find that having it on my helmet gives me good control over where it’s pointing. So compared to the usual pool of illumination 3-10m ahead (OK for both road and off-road), I can ‘dip’ if there’s something coming the other way or tilt the beam up a little to try to see further when I’m going fast off-road. Also allows me to track the wildlife.
Frances: not sure where you’re cycling, but the Winnaway still had plenty of snow and ice this evening!