Club run reports - 7th December

Category 6 ride led by Ian Bailey
 

A small select group chose the challenging course set by TdS for cat 6. There were many hills, and the training and preparation of the riders was evident in the way they tackled them. Three of the group had clearly done the work needed to sustain their late-season fitness. 

The other, the ride “leader” had toned his body with a week of beer, sausages, Wiener Schnitzel and beer. 

Fortunately, numquam deserere quis, so we all arrived early at Mill End for the celebratory sausage baguette and Bakewell tart. 

The pace didn’t let off there as the riders persuaded the “leader” to leave early, as well so we sped back though the lanes to arrive home hardly wet at all.

Category 3 ride led by Graham Knight

In an unusual conjunction, three rides started in the same place at the same time, thus allowing several old acquaintances not to be forgot.  By a happy coincidence the destination chosen by Cat 3 turned out to be precisely the one chosen for Tony and Lisa's Xmas Mystery Ride so, although we all set off in our separate ways, we looked forward to meeting again at  Mill End Plants.

The Cat 3 route was due north, west through Wyddial then through Throcking and Cottered. I have not ridden through Throcking for some time and had forgotten that it seems to be at the top of quite a long hill. I say "seems" because the beating heart of Throcking is not obvious when passing through; I had to look at a map when I got home to identify it with the small collection of farm buildings I had seen. Just after this agglomeration we passed the track/footpath that offers a short-cut to Mill End. We decided to forego this option, not being quite sure of its legality, surface or whether indeed it did go to Mill End. So it was down to Cromer then up the hill to the A507.

We arrived at Mill End to join the queue behind Cat 5. It was good to see so many Wheelers present. Many thanks to Tony and Lisa for organising, and to Mill End Plants for coping with such an influx.

Our return was to include an eastward loop to Furneaux Pelham, then home via Hadham. We did discuss cutting out this loop as the rain had morphed from a fine drizzle to something more like a downpour. However, all four agreed on the delights of riding on muddy roads in pouring rain so we stuck to the original plan. We made good time on the way back, the only incident being me falling off while negotiating the comically awful road surface just south of the Little Hadham traffic lights. Fortunately I was propelled into bank that was nicely softened by all the rain - though it was a bit more glutinous than would have been ideal.