LEADON VALE CYCLE CLUB RIDE 471 Sunday 22nd October 2023.
Thank you to everyone who attended the AGM on Thursday evening a very constructive evening from everyone who attended, we were able to keep subs at the same rate of £15 For the year, which are now due.
Today’s rides were difficult as the recent rain had caused flooding in certain areas where we were intending riding so instead of changing the route I just altered them slightly to hopefully view the floods but miss them at the same time.
The sporty boys left first followed by a slower sporty and David Michael and Stuart on the Advanced leaving David, Adrian Myself and the returning Doctor Mike, it was great to see Mike out again after a long layoff. The Sporty ride would climb up through Upleadon through Collin park over the Leadon and climb up onto Redmarley where the road was blocked by a tree across the road meaning they had to climb through it to get on their way, the Advanced went via Sladbrook and Staunton mill to Dobbs hill and we just headed straight to Dobbs hill which was very muddy and slippery but past that the roads were very dry considering the drenching we’ve had over the last few days, cooks lane and Camers Green led us to Rye Cross Doc was pleased to be back and we were pleased to have him back out and he was going well, along Birts street and winding our way via Castlemorton church to little welland where it got a bit windy through to Upper Hook lane which took us towards Upton where the fields as we dropped down through the town were flooded both sides of the road but thankfully the town remained dry but the Hanley rd was flooded but over the bridge and along to Ryall and all the time I couldn’t help thinking that the flood plain on the left was reasonably dry surely this should fill up before the road floods it just seemed weird, the only difference now is that there is a quarry on the flood plain and it looked like the flood banks had been raised to prevent it from flooding which didn’t seem right. The little loop around Strensham rd then over to Ripple where on a first for me we turned left along Brockeridge common a well surfaced road through a lovely village leading out on to the main rd by the M50 roundabouts, I was a bit nervous every here as we had to turn at the second roundabout as if we were entering the motorway but the just after the roundabout there is a turning taking us into Twinning and Church lane and out on to the Tewkesbury rd and up the Mythe and then glimpsing the flooded flood planes up the Bushley rd lots of water we were working well David pulling us up the long drag up to the Forthampton turning, the little pull up and the drop down to Chaceley once again the flood planes were full, cars parked around the church and the bottom rd under water which was our original route but instead we headed for higher ground and Corse Lawn common no floods now just the main rd back to the club into a south westerly headwind which made it a bit tough, but we made it back first, then followed by the slow sporty and the Advanced and then the sporty group who had added in the loop through Bushley village. Di and Gill were back too and I felt a little guilty as Di’s bike was a little muddy having also ventured up Dobbs hill.
A lovely morning in the saddle so thanks to everyone who rode and helped out.
Yellow leader.
