RIDE 431 Sunday 20th November 2022.
A bright morning but a bit of a chill in the air for the first time this Autumn/ winter, but it didn’t deter you all from turning out. Brucie was back after his soaking on the last ride now with a dinner plate sized rear cassette able to take him up the steepest hills without struggling, and Doc Mike joining us as well.
Only Owen and Andrew were on the sporty ride the rest apart from me Brucie and Doc doing the Advanced and we were on the Intermediate. All the rides headed through Tirley and along the meadows to Chaceley and Forthampton we tagged along on the back of the Advanced ride until we met the Tewkesbury rd where we separated the advanced headed straight to Tewkesburt and we headed around Bushley the views from the top of the hill were fantastic before dropping down through the village to Tewkesbury, the three of us setting a decent pace, there was a lot of chatting between Brucie and Doc listening they have a lot in common and a enjoyment of the same places often frequenting the same paces with many tales to tell and I just ride along being entertained how they can talk and ride at the same time beats me but ride they did and it wasn’t long before we were through Bredon and on to Kemerton and took a lane called Back lane my favourite lane past the church and the beautiful little cottages some thatched, a very large vicarage and a Manor House before we were over the railway line by the Ashchurch army depot and I hadn’t realised before the amount of asbestos there is on all the rows of sheds there, it’s on the front the sides and the roofs, someone will get rich when that needs removing. Next the seven bends leading through to the Evesham rd a busy rd and today it didn’t disappoint but soon we were back on the quiet of Bozard lane leading us through to Treddington and the first sign of a strengthening breeze a proper westerly so along the A38 was hard going until we turned to Deerhurst and it was here that Brucie put that dinner plate sized rear cassette to good use on the climb up to Apperley. It was here that it became clear that the sun had gone and the sky had turned a little bit grey over towards May Hill so we pushed on not wanting to get caught in a storm again so with Tirley behind us the road under the scramble track was tough due west and the breeze doing its utmost to slow us down but we turned into the Barn lane and home where Di, Gill and Jan were already enjoying a brew. It wasn’t long before the Advanced minus Ken who had stopped at home on the way through Apperley were joining us just as it started to rain.
Thanks to everyone who joined us today.
Yellow leader.