Slippin’ and a-slidin’ in Oxon
Posted on Wednesday 6 January 2010 by Martin Hayman
“I counted them out, and I counted them in again…”
It could all have been so different if we had got unlucky.
A surprising nine of us took the train to Twyford for another of Keith’s South Chilterns routes hinging around the marvellous Reformation pub in Gallowstree Common, Oxon. Most of the lying snow had gone but it was very frosty, so we rode gingerly on some of the bigger lanes. The pace was pretty slow as we kept a sharp eye out for patches of frost, but though freezing, the weather was glorious, banishing that frowsty feeling of the too-many days of Christmas.
Not more than an hour out, on one snaky open lane as we approached a frosty section where a stand of trees shaded the road, a white van came barreling towards us. As he went past me on the bend’s apex, I heard the the vehicle’s wheels start to slide and thought oh hell, I hope this is not gonna be like that ghastly episode in North Wales a couple of years ago where a club run was wiped out by a car skidding on ice.
I turned round to check the riders behind me to see the van in the ditch, pointing back the way it had come. Our lads (and lasses) were mercifully unscathed; a quite unfazed Stephen remarked that its penduluming rear end had passed within 5 feet of him. Three of us pitched in to get the van out of the scenery and he drove sheepishly back the way he came.
We completed our planned route, which of course included a majorly convivial session at the Reformation, one of our favourite Chiltern haunts. We even speeded up a bit after lunch, but there was no (potentially breakneck) plunging down the descents; from time to time I rather wished I had taken my Saracen with its 50 mm tyres.
By the end of the day we hadn’t really racked up a 3* mileage: alone of us, Gerard thought this fell short and proceeded homewards (to Leytonstone!) by bike. So actually we only counted eight in. But all of us were in one piece. Another great outing, thanks, Keith.