Breeze Through Winter: CAFE2CAFE Cinnamon Cafe (one-way to Windsor)

Welcome to Breeze Through Winter!
Riders who complete 4 rides or more will receive a goody bag as a gift from HSBC British Cycling Breeze.

---

This ride to Windsor is intended to be faster than the Sunday Winter CAFE2CAFE rides. Road bikes please.

Average speed 20-22kph/13mph. Therefore generally riding along faster, around 14mph and up to 16mph on flat roads, road conditions and weather depending.

A good deal of this one-way route to Windsor will be on main roads (B-roads mostly).

You may wish to ride back to Bushy Park after the Cinnamon Café. For the return ride, book your spot here: https://www.letsride.co.uk/rides/breeze-through-winter-cafe2cafe-cinnamon-cafe-return-from-windsor
This return route is along the A-road at Runnymeade, and through the lovely Shepperton Lock. We can drop riders off Shepperton station (13miles from Windsor).

Riding tidily and comfortably. Pace of the slowest; no one left behind.

---

BRING
- Bike lights. A spare inner tube. A bottle of water. An emergency snack.
- One more clothing layer than you think that you need.
- A lightweight "café" lock to use as a deterrent when at café (if possible).
- Wear many thin layers, instead of one/two thick layers; layers trap heat.

DO NOT BRING
Big panniers. Heavy bike lock.

TIPS
- A great simple alternative to saddlepacks / panniers, stolen from ultra-distance cyclists, is to use a dry bag (eg. Osprey size small £10.99 various colours; via Amazon) and a bungee cord; strap snugly to the underside of the saddle.
- Use the second water bottle cage, and a water bottle with a wide mouth for storage

BIKE
Your bike too must be prepared for the ride! 2-3 days before the ride (to give you time to take it to the bike shop if necessary)...
- Clean it, and ensure that it is in excellent working condition.
- It should not squeak! as this is indication of a problem.
- Check tyres for embedded stones, flints, thorns. Gently pick these out (eg using a edge of a screwdriver); if not removed, these devils will invariably work their way through any tyre and puncture the inner tube. Inflate to 80-90psi (for winter) (90-100psi for summer).
- Clean the chain, cogs and moving parts (use baby wipes if like me you don't have a garden hose). The chain and cogs should normally be silver (!). Lubricate chain with "wet lube" ie lubricant suitable for wet conditions; spray cogs with GT85 or equivalent. Gently remove excess with a kitchen towel.
- Clean the rims and brake pads with baby wipes.
- Ensure that the brakes "bite" by the time you have squeezed the brake levers two-thirds to three-quarters of the way in.
- With thanks to the lads at Sigma Sports for this trick, if you want your next cleaning job to be easier, rub the frame down with a soft cloth sprayed with GT85 or equivalent; this will prevent muck from sticking hard to your bike.
- Thank you for reading all this! ... there is nothing nicer than a smooth trouble-free ride with no bike mechanicals - for rider themself of a well maintained bike, as a group and as ride leader.