22 'A' groupers set off on this ride with the help of our very enthusiastic co-leaders (Dave Bartholomew, Steve Duffin, and Neil Croker, in order of departure). They, and Frances Stewart (see below) had given up their time to put in a lot of recce rides beforehand and try to make it a seamless experience for you in the face of my (unintentionally, I can assure you) fiendish route! The weather was capricious, alternating between warmth and sun, and coolness and menacing cloud, with a niggling southerly wind that was never really helpful, but some lucky groups were actually spared any rain despite the constant threat. Those unfortunate riders living furthest from the start easily turned in rides of 80-miles home and back, so while I would happily join Nauticalia and Velolife together in another ride in the future, I would perhaps link them by a more straightforward route! Staines, Datchet and Wraysbury aren't so bad! Everyone seemed to enjoy it anyway!
First Group
Second Group (Report from Steve Duffin)
Having completed a recce with Frances and Dave Bartholomew I knew it was a long, fast route, but spectacular with bluebells off-road. Sadly, we heard that Frances' father in law was taken ill and so she had to drop out. I do hope he recovers successfully. Geoffrey Shields had pulled a muscle playing tennis. What is it with tennis? It seems a very dangerous activity, because Frances pulled her calf muscle the week before engaging in the same sport. So my group was down to four with Neil Warland, Dave Vine and Mike Reynell and myself. Well we had an uneventful, fast ride to lunch apart from me going wrong twice. We particularly enjoyed the route through Windsor and Bray and the quiet off-road section with the carpet of bluebells.
On the return route Neil got a puncture in his rear Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tyre caused by a triangular piece of flint shaped like a half inch arrow head. Of course it then rained while Neil and Dave wrestled with the tyre to inflate the new tube! Then back on the bikes and warp 10 to Walton. It took us 2 hours 15 minutes to lunch and 1hour and 55 minutes to tea. Thanks to Dave Ward for a fascinating way past Maidenhead and a pretty slick round route of exploration to Velolife. (Too kind! Ed). Thanks to Mike for his reassuring back marking. Sorry I went wrong twice on the return trip too!
Third Group
Neil's group welcomed Jackie Townsend and Sue Foster. This is photographic evidence of an unauthorised detour from the official route which almost led to my group catching them up!
Fourth Group
Ably assisted by back-marker Simon, who even managed to ward off the rain, we had a largely uneventful ride. We were all on top form before lunch and perhaps pushed the pace a bit too much, paying the price on the return ride when we were more into the wind! Imagine our dismay then, having turned down a tea stop at Virginia Water, to arrive at The Wilde Bunch, and find it had closed its shutters early due to lack of custom! Every cloud has a silver lining (and there were lots of them today), and Walton Marina nearby proved to be an oasis of tea and cake in the riverside desert! Thanks to my group for their company and good spirits!
No comments:
Post a Comment