The Reverse Quarter To; 2 Market Towns Joined by a Bit of Rough, a leisurely 4 hour (plus lunch) downhill ride.

Splashy bit

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A couple more shots taken on the roll.

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@hamrack expressed early interest but was unable to join us.
If there are, next Spring, a few more likely attendees, it will be no problem to run it again.

piks

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Whereabouts?

Putney and Mortlake

moar piks

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vid

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poo, give up with that then, chopped it from 30secs down to 7

Yes a top day, at home guzzling mArmite drink to warm up

Not Ovaltine?!

A truly riverside development, then?

http://www.kingslangley.org.uk/ovaltine.html

Ha! Perhaps should've been called the Ovaltine Ride?
Thanks @mespilus for organising & leading a nice day. Informative, fun, good company & cold. Also nice to bump into @towpathranger (don't know his forum name) and his fancy-huge new barge/home.
Got home about 5:30. Some of my pre-planned route back nice quiet back streets, rest busy A & B roads. Worst bit - the LCN87 (Belmont to Edware) car park. Really - what is the point of a cycle lane where cars are allowed to park?????

Worst bit - the LCN87 (Belmont to Edware) car park. Really - what is the point of a cycle lane where cars are allowed to park???

Tell me about it - my route twice a day - stupid and grim. I routinely hold up traffic by lane hogging (with delight) when the 'cycle lane' is obliterated by parked cars - the chances of getting close passed or doored are just too high.

There's a very small but quite nice section of trail (on the site of the old Wealdstone to Stanmore railway) which can offer brief reprive but really the whole area is a shit show in terms of cycle/car relations.

@ffm @mulv @tonyme
How was the tow path beyond Uxbridge?
I've only recently, (this year), walked along it, and found it not that good, especially the long straight stretch from Hayes past Southall 'Village'.
Did you notice the four angled blocks just east of the bridge in Hayes. The walls of the towpath are mighty gabioned constructions.
All part of the Crossrail effect. There is even a hotel right next to the Hayes & Harlington station!

@backstop
You proposed a further ride.
Train to Tring then the same gentle gradient down towards Watford, or t'other direction?

I was thinking uphill, Watford to Tring is only 17 miles, I might push it on a bit further to Leighton Buzard, but I don't know the going up there...

Saturday was 15 miles from Watford High Street station to Uxbridge station.
The downhill aspect meant we were coasting rather than exerting so barely besting the adverse temperature.
Beyond Watford, I've only walked a brief section of the canal near Hemel, and a couple of miles near Tring, as part of a longer walk with a group of Conservationist friends.

Looks like another recce ride upcoming.

@skydancer @Backstop @moorhen @ian(conker) @mashton @ffm @mulv @tonyme
Glad you all enjoyed the ride and got home OK.
Mea culpa: stickers to be handed out at Wests/ other rides, or you could pm an address.
Twas a pleasure to introduce you all to places I've 'used' for many years. I strive to avoid letting the familiar dwindle into the mundane and it was pleasing to introduce a bunch of fellow cyclists to my green hinterland.

I strive to avoid letting the familiar dwindle into the mundane and it was pleasing to introduce a bunch of fellow cyclists to my green hinterland.

Beautiful

this bit stuck in my brain cell

I strive to avoid letting the familiar dwindle into the mundane 

ooops , didnt fully read @mashton ‘s bit

I strive to avoid letting the familiar dwindle into the mundane and it was pleasing to introduce a bunch of fellow cyclists to my green hinterland.

I was, frankly, amazed at how much green space there was in that ride. As soon as we were out of Watford it felt like countryside pretty much all the way. The presence of the red kite helped too.

How was the tow path beyond Uxbridge?

It's pretty decent, and nothing that can't be handled on MTB, 'cross or gravel tyres, or even just wide slicks. We did some of it at a pretty reasonable pace (more so when @tonyme was on the front), but I wouldn't want to do the whole thing on skinny slicks. There are some slightly broken sections but for the most part it's hard-packed gravel with the occasional embedded cobble-sized stone, or worn concrete, with the exception of the stretch past Hanwell locks, which is lovely smooth tarmac.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Wellings

@ffm can confim the commemorative stickers do exist.