LEADON VALE CYCLE CLUB RIDE 481 Sunday 14th January 2024.
I must thank everyone who joined us Friday evening a time to catch up with friends over a beer and a dirty boys burger which were very nice, thanks to the Hub for hosting us and Steve for organising it.
And on to todays ride.
With the forecast of a cold morning it was nice to wake and see the bird bath was frost free and a slight cloud cover so we were on, so with a few layers on I rode to the club and thecod air bought tears to my eyes but the sun was trying to burst through so it would get warmer fingers crossed.
The urn was on and with only Bob and Andy out on the sporty ride, these sporty riders must be a little bit cold weather adverse but there were 7 of us on the Advanced and Ken and David joining Di and Adrian on the scenic.
So we were off straight out of town and up Dobbs hill which still has a lot of mud on the road and on through Windybrook lane to Egg tump and Albright lane to Bromsberrow. The pace was a good one making us work and keeping us warm through to Greenway cross and the climb up to the letter box field by the wind turbine before dropping down into Much Marcle, where David o traduced is to his tractor mechanic, the man who knows all there is to know about those things, proving that David knows everyone, and with Steve and Brian deep in conversation they missed the turning back towards Kempley, we shouted but Maggie reminded us they are both a bit hard of hearing so we knew they would realise so we kept riding at a slower pace while they caught up, along the newly tarmac’d road to Kempley.
With Queens wood before us David encouraged Steve and Brian who were on their gravel bikes to do a bit of gravel riding taking a detour through the woods while we waited at the bottom on the sun, and with Andy and Bob speeding passed us as they were emerging out of the wood and they rode with us for a while well until the steep hill just before Oxenhall which they flew up and we didn’t see them again.
Now up Watery lane all the way to Clifford’s Menze where we turned off towards the Glasshouse through the woods and down Judges lane and on to Huntley and the Huntley road back to Tibberton and back into that Northerly cold wind to Highleadon and back around the lanes which were showing the signs of being well used while the flood water was out in Maismore, pot holes and worn roadsides were evident all along to Blackwell’s end this is where Brian made a break for home Steve and myself struggled to close him down only for him to give us the slip for a while but we stuck with him to the main road.
A good catch up and a well deserved cup of tea and a sense of achievement had.
Thanks to everyone who rode and helped out.
Yellow leader.