Marlow to Billingbear and back - 72km

Another lucky Wednesday!

After a couple of really naff wet and windy days the sky cleared to allow the sun to shine on our Wednesday ride.

A rendezvous at the Bourne End Garden Centre is, I’ve found, typically followed by a climb up Harvest Hill towards Hedsor and Burnham Beeches. So the coffee refills are followed by the coughy uphills! It certainly seems like a lung-buster on a cold November morning. Anyway, onward through the Burnham Village High Street on Market Day towards the Olympic 2012 Rowing Centre and our Thames crossing near Monkey Island. From there we passed through Fifield and headed up to Drift Road and turned left towards the Great Park. After about 2km we turned right down Winkfield Lane and traversed, on a cross-country route, towards Billingbear Golf Club where a gammon steak with chips awaited me. It looked a nice little pay and play club. There a nine hole course (£8.50) and a par 3 course. From there we headed off home via Shurlock Row, Walthan St Lawrence, Maidenhead and Cookham. To be honest, without the organised ride, I would not venture out on my bike at 09:30 on a cold November day. So it’s a good discipline as well as being great fun.