Poor weather discouraged many from riding this morning and in consequence we were able to consolidate groups without them becoming unmanageably big. The two candidates for “Sports B” ride in the Square elected to try to ride with the Training Ride. The smile on the Captain’s face as he wished them well suggested that he thought it would all end badly. With a strong headwind, they decided to demonstrate their wheel-sucking skills, declining every opportunity to put a nose into the wind, and thus managed to keep up. In this they were assisted by a tractor slowing the group around Frocester, which allowed some recovery. Cam Pitch and on to Stinchcombe split the peloton, which also exposed them to the wind but a navigational error allowed the group to reunite.
As the group headed to Damery, it was an easy decision that it would not survive the climb to Tortworth intact, so the two interlopers thanked their domestiques for their efforts and bade them farewell and opted for a quick coffee at the Eastwood Garden Centre near Falfield. The return was a leisurely affair through the lanes via Berkeley, with tired legs making each of the short climbs between Haresfield and Brookthorpe feel like the Poggio.
Twelve riders selected the ‘A’ ride (there being no takers for the easier AA option) to Tewkesbury on this dull and damp morning. The rain held off but the roads were quite moist as the riders took in the first climb of Woolridge Hill. Soon they were on the undulations to Upleadon and enjoying a tailwind down, crossing the river Leadon. Little traffic on the lanes and progress was good, crossing into Worcestershire after a muddy and underwater stretch just past Hethelpit Cross. Little banks to Eldersfield failed to split the pack, but the road debris resulted in a deflation for G near Lime Street. Soon fixed and reinflated with a proper sized pump (so much quicker!) it was onwards along Corse Lawn – with assistance from the strong backwind. Another deflation hampered progress, this time for S, our new member. He was running tubeless tyres and the strategy was a rapid pump and sprint, which succeeded, at least to coffee. Over Mythe Bridge and back into Gloucestershire for the third time, we turned into the wind, a sign of the what was to come on the return home. The group split, coffee being taken by one group at a chain and at the recommended Café au Chocolate by the other. Excellent bike parking in their hidden storage area – recommended. Also worthy of note was that all twelve riders made it to the designated destination! Congratulations to the ride leader.
The second stage to lunch began with a trip towards Bredon for a final section of tailwind assisted riding; then to Northway and the first motorway crossing as well as the third and final visit to Worcestershire. The lane to Tredington is mercifully twisty, meaning the headwind was broken into sections. Four riders made their way to the House in the Tree for refreshments, involving four more crossings (climbs) of the M5. We timed it well, grabbing a freshly vacated table in the bar: maybe the ladies did not like the look of us. Beers consumed, it was back into the cool afternoon and a windy final stage to base camps. Just on fifty miles covered.