Leadon vale cycle club ride 450 Sunday 7th May 2023.
This was our 450th Sunday ride that is quite a milestone for our club, and after the rain most of the day yesterday if was great to see the sun out when we got to the club. We welcomed Gary Fardon out with us on his first Sunday ride he was going to join us on the advanced while Andrew Owen and Bob went out to tackle the Sporty ride. With the coronation yesterday we welcomed a king in his own right the legend known as Gerry McGarr, from Glos city cycle club, he popped in to see if Owen was sticking to his training plans as they rode together many years ago, and he decided to join us for the ride or part of it he was riding a fixed wheel time trial bike no gears just a huge ring on the front and a tiny one on the back. Riding out down Blackwells end through the roadworks to Highleadon and on through Tibberton to Huntley. Blaisdon next and it was here that strangely there were hoards of people walking down the road the road was closed so we ended up pushing our bikes through the crowds lining the road getting told off by a steward as there was a soap box race down the hill through the village, Adrian Peter, Michael and Julie were helping out at the finish Peter was drawing a finish line across the road with a brick so we moved on out of the crowds and waited just round on the Flaxley rd. They soon caught up and we now rode up the Flaxley Valley to the Littledean hill the wooded slopes covered in bluebells and the delicate white flowers of the wild garlic which smelt amazing as you ride past. Littledean hill and the legend Gerry was first up pushing that huge gear up that hill tapping on the pedals making it look easy. We regrouped in Littledean and sId goodbye to Gerry as we continued down past the Soudley ponds, the reflections glistening off the clear water in the sunshine, we wound our way through to Rusbridge and on to the Vally road through the bottom of Cinderford, it was along this stretch that a group of 4 broke away probably for the best the group was quite large so leaving 4 of us to push on to Drybrook and the climb past be rugby club up the Stenders before dropping down to Micheldean and the Lea. From here we climbed to the penny Farthing and dropped down through Aston Ingham and on to Newent . Back to the club along the Tewkesbury rd with David setting a strong pace obviously got a scent of the teapot. .
Thanks to everyone who rode today and helped out a wonderful day in the saddle.
Hope Gary got to his dinner in time.
Yellow Leader.