At the Square sports ride numbers were severely depleted by our team’s commitment to the Betty Pharaoh Legstretchers road race in South Wales and perhaps some tired legs from yesterday’s University of Birmingham one day stage race. Still, there were more than enough attendees to support a B ride that Simon considerately routed up Frocester Hill, thereby ensuring a good appetite at the café, and an A ride that was more appropriate for our lone fixie rider, though the 10% incline of Field Lane as it rose to The Quarry in Stinchcombe did force him out of the saddle!.
Overnight rain had riders confused about clothing choice: some wore rain capes in case it returned whilst others braved shorts in the hope that the emerging daffodils and narcissi augured spring. In the end both had their moments as the ride south into the still damp wind was chill but the sun that emerged from behind clouds, allied with the following wind home, meant that winter clothing became uncomfortably hot by midday.
Toby’s A ride passed the curiously named Honest Coffins on Wick Lane and a barn mysteriously full of desert camouflage military vehicles. we hoped they were not connected! After crossing the M5 and, for the umpteenth time, the railway Toby probed a minor road that lacked a highlight (which would indicate he had ridden it) on his famous OS map. Though the map clearly showed it leading to Heathfield and the A38, its poor condition and muddy covering led to a unanimous decision that it should be saved for another day, preferably one where Toby could explore it alone.
The Berkeley tea rooms did us proud and even managed to accommodate a group from Patch Wheelers and two lone lady riders as well. After tea, cakes, and the occasional cooked breakfast had been savoured we went our several ways home with one rider pausing to enquire the reason why Berkeley School was bedecked with brightly coloured bicycles. It seems that promotion of the “Berkeley Square to Berkeley Square” ride to raise funds for CJD support, Meningitis Now, and Sue Ryder had just begun with the motto “140 Miles, 35 Cyclists, 3 Charities, 1 Goal‘. We wished them well.
