It was a cold cloudy start this morning but with the daylight saving change a good opportunity to get out and beat Sunday drivers onto the roads. The plan was a quick breakfast run upto Fox’s diner leaving around 7.30 to arrive just on opening time at 9am. I’ve made this run a few times now but I wanted to put down a circuit taking in the good bits from last runs and trying to add new bits to enhance the route a little more. Its still not perfect but is a nice little run on the Sunday morning if you want to get home before the racing starts or wife starts beating the drums to get home.
The roads were damp and moist but with little to no traffic around it was a nice opportunity to step up the pace a little and practice some of that road positioning and observation.
The route starts by cutting up the back towards Windsor from the A30 around the back of Windsor Park, past Lego Land and then onto the A308 once through Windsor. Head towards Maindenhead and then through towards Marlow past Pinkeys Green. There is a nice little hill that winds down a little gorge and onto the A404. Cut back off the A404 through Marlow and follow some nice twisty roads along the river past Hurley and onto Henley. Take a right here and follow the double lanes and back onto some fast A roads just before Nettlebed. I hooked a left here and followed the back roads back towards Reading before pushing north again towards Wallingford and upto Foxs diner. Got into Fox’s around 9.15am.
It was still early in the day and the staff were all fresh eyed and ready for a busy day. Foxs seem to be a little tidier from last time I was there (October) - looks like they have done a little work on the place and the breakfast baps still hit the mark.
On the way back there is a nice set of fast country roads and a shorter route being a little quicker. If you hook a left at Shillingford it opens up to fast A/B bends and twists. Turn right at Stadhampton back and enjoy the 10 miles or so all the way back through Watlington and into Henley. From here cross the River at Henley and follow the signs back towards Maindenhead for some more fast A roads. I hooked back onto the A3024 and this took me back to Windsor where I cut back through my favourite stretch again onto the A30 and home again. Round trip was a little over 120 miles and I got back in just before 11am to meet some sleepy eyed kids watching cartoons on the tele.
