Seven riders assembled in the small patch of sun on a bright, but cold spring morning. A brisk pace over to Leckhampton warmed us up for the first of five punishing climbs. Bright sunshine and great views greeted us once we had suffered the climb up Hartley Lane, and a herd of deer were spotted after Upper Coberley. The surface through Hilcot is as dire as I remembered, and while safe to ascend, in my opinion descending to Hilcot would be foolish.
The final climb before coffee, Withington Woods, was lined with beautiful patches of bluebells. Nothing was seen on the descent of the Whiteway, as the predictable dash of 7-up required focus on the wheel in front, and resulted in an average speed of 26.7mph. With our usual coffee shop, Fora, being closed, one of the riders navigated us to the very popular “Rave” for great coffee.
The return from Cirencester always feels as if its uphill all the way to Birdlip (Ed. It is!), and tired legs made it feel more so today. However, lambs in the fields enjoying the sunshine were further evidence of a beautiful spring day.
57 miles, 3,500′ ascent @ 15.1mph
