Fifteen left the Square for the B ride. A brief shower on the way to Rudford prompted one rider to call in at home for a bike change, then we lost another who saw discretion as the best option and left us at Clifford’s Mesne, wisely leaving us to manage the treacherous descent of Oaks Lane as best we could. Our caution proved prescient when we met a rider and her rather nervous horse.

Pressing on, the climbing began in earnest as Aston Ingham, Lea, and Mitcheldean were passed on the way to The Stenders. “Do we have to climb so much?” came the cry as we reached the day’s highest point, 244m. Out of Drybrook the ride leader struggled to find Bents Lane (well it did look like a poorly maintained private drive), our route to Nailbridge. Understandably, by the time we reached the A4136 there were some whose caffeine habit called and they followed the tarmac alongside Cannop Brook to the morning’s last climb, to Hopewell Colliery Café. The remaining and more adventurous eight found, with some difficulty, a rideable route from Brierley to the family trail and followed its gentle downhill grade through various family groups and cycling novices to the Cycle Centre from whence the ride to the Café seemed a piece of cake.

Spots of rain prompted the departure of some, but after it cleared the remainder avoided the traffic of Speech House Road by heading south, almost directly away from the nominated pub! Their faith in the route planning was rewarded with a pretty ride through Parkend, Soudeley, and, eventually, Blaisdon. “Eyes right” came the call, to prevent the temptations of the Red Hart decimating the peloton, and we began to really enjoy the tailwind through Huntley to Newent. A change of barrel at the Malswick Arms provided excellent refreshment before the final leg home. Alas, the more abstemious were not rewarded, as a heavy shower drenched the one early leaver. Sunshine blessed those who stayed the course, though even they had to navigate wet roads and full gutters.

All in all, a respectable 87km was ridden from the Square and back, with an even more respectable 1200m of elevation gain. Relive it by reviewing the GPX file