u3a Group Details
Cycling
Alternate Weeks, Thursday, 10am-1pm
Venue: Meet at Market Cross, Glastonbury (Cars can be parked at Park Farm Road)
Leader: Charlie Beaton
Email: cbeaton@gmx.co.uk
Tel: 07802 422091
Schedule of Spring & Summer 2024 Cycle Rides
Meeting at Market Cross, GLASTONBURY, 10am
Next cycle ride..
Our next ride on the day of the u3a AGM on Thursday, 9th May 2024. The AGM is in the morning so we’re cycling in the afternoon, setting off from Glastonbury Market Place at 2pm. As we’re off to Baltonsborough and the route goes up the lower bit of Street High Street, the Street folk might prefer to wait by the Bear Inn, High Street, Street to join us as we come through at 2:15. We’ll have a tea break at The Lion, West Pennard and we’ll be back to Glastonbury Market Place by 5pm.
The cycle group sets off on a gentle ride alternate Thursdays (u3a W2) from Glastonbury Market Place at 10am. Routine rides are between fifteen and twenty miles with minimal climbing. On the way round, we always stop for a break at a local cafe. For this year, we’re introducing a periodic, longer ride. So, we’re off on the thirty-mile Somerton Circle on 11th April. Join our easy rides and you’ll be ready for Somerton by April. All welcome. Don’t worry about keeping up. We will always go at a pace that’s comfortable for everyone. And, don’t worry about a mechanical, one of us will stay with you until you get home. for information, phone, text or email Charlie: 07802-422091, cbeaton@gmx.co.uk
Routes & Maps of previous cycle rides
Thursday 25 April 2024Four members braved the persistent rain for a seventeen-mile cycle ride on the Westhay Circle today, with a nice coffee stop at Sweet’s Tea Rooms. Apart from the wet and the cold, it was a lovely outing with lots of wildlife to take in along the way. This was a change to our scheduled Coxley Circle due to ride leader availability. Heads up for our longer tour to celebrate the end the spring term when we’re off on the thirty-mile Somerton Circle. So, it’s time to prepare with getting your miles up. There’s a couple of climbs but lots of level cycling and spendid views to behold.Thursday, 11th April 2024 Five members enjoyed warm weather and nice views on a lovely, fifteen-mile ride out to West Pennard for a coffee break at The Lion, then back to Glastonbury via the Long Drove, today.Thursday, 14th March 2024 Four members enjoyed good weather for cycling the Somerset lanes today, led by Barry on a there-and-back, nineteen-mile route to Chilton Polden for a coffee break at the lovely Farm Shop at the Leather & Lace there. This was a little more challenging than usual with a number of climbs and a bit of wind. Thanks for Barry for recce’ing and leading our outing to Chilton Polden, much appreciated.
On 29 February, five members set off on the Wookey Loopey (the there-and-back route with David’s extra three loops to make it sixteen miles). But, unfortunately, as you’ll see from Tim’s photography above, the flood on Godney Road was too much and we had to make do with a trip to Middlewick Farm for our coffee break then back to Glastonbury via Cinnamon Lane, Street and the Beckery.
Four members were out cycling on the Westhay Circle with a break at Sweet’s Tea Room in the fine, sunny weather on 15 February. We had nice views on the way round, including a panorama of Glastonbury and the Tor.
We were out on our bicycles today, 18 January 2024, for our first proper ride since November. We were following the Coxley Circle, anticlockwise, but with an extension to Wookey for drinks at the Hub there, because the cafe at Browne’s Garden Centre was shut. It was a chilly outing of sixteen miles but we were compensated by brilliant sunshine and lovely views the whole way round. We encountered two patches of ice only. No casualties! See pics. and route map attached.
Hello and thank you to the five intrepid souls who joined me on the West Pennard Circle on 23 Nov 2023 and took on the floods on the Long Drove. This near-eighteen-mile ride was more demanding than expected and I had to have a snooze in the afternoon! I think it was the wind in our faces. Sorry for the unnecessary climb up Roman Way at the start. That might have contributed. We’ll skip that bit next time.
Five members enjoyed a gentle, seventeen-mile ride on the Avalon Marshes Circle via Shapwick on 9 November. Map attached. The weather was ideal for cycling, fresh and sunny. And we were very lucky to be back home just as the heavy rain arrived.
Four members enjoyed a nice, sixteen-mile outing on the Westhay “Circle” on 26 October. The weather was overcast but very suitable for cycling.
I’m pleased to report that we had another successful ride on Thursday 28 September, with eight members participating. We went on a fourteen-mile ride to Street and Baltonsborough in lovely cycling weather visiting the cedar avenue on the way. And, we had a puncture, our first “mechanical” of the series.
We had a lovely ride in lovely weather on the Coxley Circle with refreshment at Browne’s Garden Centre on Thursday 14 September. I’m pleased to report that we had a record number of nine members on the ride and we had a group photograph! See attached.
Two cyclists braved today’s rain (31st August) for a shorter-than-planned ride on the circular route around the outskirts of Glastonbury, stopping at Middlewick Farm Shop and Cafe for refreshment. It was a ten-mile, wet, wet, wet outing.
Six members enjoyed a sixteen-mile ride in warm weather across The Levels with one climb near Ashcott and a nice break at Sweets Tea Room, Westhay today, Thursday, 17th August 2023.
Two members cycled the anticlockwise, sixteen-mile route from the Market Cross to West Pennard, Long Drove, Middlewick Farm Shop and back to town on Thursday, 6th July.The weather was cooler that day so nice for cycling and we enjoyed a welcome refreshment break at Middlewick Farm Shop.
Two members cycled to Avalon Marshes and Ham Wall on Thursday, 22nd June in glorious sunshine. We enjoyed a nice refreshment break at the RSPB stall at Ham Wall.
Thursday, 11th May, 2023Three members took the fifteen-mile, mostly-level Westhay Circle today. We saw the peat extraction and the waterfowl lakes at Sharpham, the volunteer gardening plot on Bradley Stream Road and the RSPB Ham Wall, before taking the lovely Meareway through Meare to our coffee stop at Sweet’s Tea Rooms on Blakeway. Then, it was a level ride, flanked by rhynes past Westhay Moor National Nature Reserve and lovely Godney back to Glastonbury. We had nice warm weather throughout the ride. The next ride is a circular outing to Baltonsborough taking in some sights of Street, setting off from Park Farm Road BA6 9NN on Thursday, 25th May at 10am, back by 1pm.
Thursday, 27th April, 2023Three members took the fifteen-mile, mostly-level Coxley Circle today. We saw Godney, the curious motte and bailey at Fenny Castle, Coxley’s former railway level crossing and the lovely tea room at Browne’s Garden Centre. Then, it was a level ride flanked by rhynes and all the wildlife back to Glastonbury. We only had a little rain on our return. The next ride is to Westhay on Thursday, 11th May setting off at 10am, back by 1pm. All cyclist welcome: veterans, returners and new comers. Don’t be shy. If you can’t keep going or have a mechanical, we’ll see you home. Easy some fresh air and country scenes on easy cycling routes.
Thursday, 13th April, 2023The Middlewick East Circle. It’s a flat ride of 10 miles. Please details on right and map below. Set off 10am to cycle 50 minutes or so to the café stop; rest for 20 minutes; cycle for 50 minutes or so to the starting point. Ordinary clothing is suitable for this ride.