Another Sunday, another CTC club run.
Rain wasn’t forecast. If there’s no rain we ride, right? Actually if there is rain we also ride, but don’t include me in that plural. My OCD bike cleaning ways mean I ain’t getting wet for no one.
Which all made it slightly upsetting that there were a few drops of drizzle at the 9:30 am Leisure World rollout rendezvous. I did make a half joke about catching the train back home and giving it up all.
Ha bloody ha.
Except I wasn’t joking and was in two minds to turn around again.
I’m pleased I persisted.
We had nine riders rolling out from Leisure World, with others being picked up along the route.
I did fear a few years ago that the Sunny Colch Sunday CTC rides were dying out. Not so. We’ve got plenty of young blood coming through.
On Sunday morning this included a new rider who rocked up on a gravel bike.
Easy, fella.
There was also a tandem couple on a resplendent recumbent. We’re a very inclusive cycling group.
As ever I had absolutely no bloody idea as to where the route was taking us. We seemed to cross back around the half town/half city and ended up making our way over to Suffolk. The border was crossed.
Oh I see, so we’re rolling out over to Constable country.
11 am came. I think there were vague plans in WhatsApp to try and make some Remembrance service somewhere but we were running a little late, behind schedule.
No worries. We stopped by the roadside, got off our bikes, took off our helmets, and then looked around for a minute or so. At least that’s what I did.
It was quite a wildlife ride. I clocked some goats, a bull, and a field full of peacocks. That’s something you don’t see back in Sunny Stockwell.
Destination Flatford Mill was reached. We stopped here to replenish.
I know I’m very out of touch with all this cost of living shit but seriously, £16 for two cups of tea and two sausage rolls? That’s almost my entire Lidl weekly food budget.
Some of the riders then had plans to head on towards Weeley and then back towards the half town/half city. I was pretty much spent, both in terms of energy and what was remaining left in my bank account.
I tagged behind one group that was heading roughly back in the direction of Weird Wiv. One poor rider was having problems with electronic gear shifting.
I was back at base in time for the 2 pm kick offs in the Premier League. I couldn’t get warm all day. This felt like the first proper ride of the winter.
Chapeau!
