LEADON VALE CYCLE CLUB RIDE 472 Sunday 29th October 2023.
A sunny morning greeted us with a gentle breeze, but the roads were wet so I had to return home for the mud guards then it was off to put the urn on and with the clocks going back it seemed later than it was, but there was a nice few of you turned out out today, including Maggie who was back out after a brief layoff.
Once again the sporty ride split into 2 groups with Andy, Bob Alan and Owen on a sporty sporty and Steve, Wayne,Andy and Chris on a sporty leaving Maggie, Stuart, Adrian and myself on the Advanced with David joining us in Gotherington.
We were off and with the groups spaced out along the Worcester rd it was a good sight but it wasn’t long before they had pulled away from us and as we passed through the now open Haw Bridge rd the sun was reflecting off the flooded fields either side of the road but it was open and so on through Apperley village but not attempting the Deerhurst part of the ride instead we dropped back to the main rd to Hattecets pitch and along the A38 to the Odessa turning through Treddington and on to Gotherigton where we passed the sporty ride and Andy mending a puncture which would eventually need him to be rescued, but we had pushed on hoping to meet David in the village but he was a no show and as we raced a steam train along to rd to Dixton just catching the back of it as we crossed the railway bridge through to Allstone and Alderton, riding this ride in reverse gives it a completely new feeling catching glimpses of things you don’t normally see, and Alderton with its stone houses looking as lovely as ever before we crossed the Evesham rd into Beckford as a pair of red kites glided over the village looking so graceful against the blue sky. Now we started the long drag up to Conderton and Overbury where the sporty sporty ride passed us Andy and Bob shot passed with Owen and Alan not far behind but soon left us again and in Kemerton we turned down Back Lane a beautiful village windy lanes and chocolate box houses which led us through to the Cheltenham rd and on toAstin Fields lane leading us through to Northway, up and over Hardwick bank and out on to the Bredon rd and Tewkesbury, which like Tirley looked flooded as we crossed the Mythe and like last week the drag through to Longreen only this week we carried on to Upper Pendock and through to Pendock the clouds were gathering towards Gloucester but it was still dry and Stuart and Adrian started the push for home and soon after Gadfield elm they were out of sight leaving Maggie and myself to cruise home where the sporty sporty ride were back and had made a brew which was very welcome, Chris soon joined us having taken a short cut home and then Wayne and Steve were home. Di had ride on her home this week and was home safely, and checking my phone Andy was home having been rescued. We managed to get home in the dry and considering that was the last ride in October it was a very nice day and a super ride.
Yellow leader.