On arrival in King’s Square, every rider remarked how cold it was – maybe we have all gone soft through the summer! Although the air was cold, it was a perfect morning for a ride, and nine set off for Cropthorne. A puncture on Frogfurlong Lane caused a pause in progress, and may have caused consternation to the CCTV watchers at IMJIN barracks, as we lent our bikes against their fence. Two more riders joined onto the group at the temporary lights in Staverton, and we made swift progress to Ashchurch. A pause for a loose back wheel, was the only notable event on a route round Bredon Hill to coffee at Cropthorne.
Our progress through the Combertons felt fast, but we were still overtaken by the Porsche rally. Our last leg, the right bank of the Severn from Forthampton was an absolute joy with the tail-wind. It is a feature of Northerly rides from Gloucester that they are flatter, but its the first ride I have done where Garmin has not reported a single climb! A guest rider, who was re-visiting the area for the first trime for a while proved excellent company on a very enjoyable morning out.
62 miles, 2,000′ ascent @17.5mph