Today a number of riders, well eleven in total, set off from Kings Square bound for the home of the Woolsack races, namely Gumstool Hill in Tetbury, where brave souls run up this 1 in 4 incline carrying 40kg woolsacks (madness!). This generally happens on the last May bank holiday weekend so no danger of us not being able to get to our ultimate destination of the Goods Shed cafe today!
We made our way out of Gloucester via Nut Hill and Fiddlers Elbow then up through Cranham Woods where the fastest of our eleven disappeared off up the road, the rest of us then enjoyed a ride across the tops to Bisley then down into the Chalford Valley by the Old Neighbourhood descent (horrible surface it should be noted). We then took on Hyde Hill which some enjoyed more than others, then it was onto Tetbury via a mixture of lanes, some better than others!
Coffee and cake was duly consumed and we set off back for home, the ride leader decided he knew the way and got everyone confused by not following the given route, naughty, but we got to Frocester Hill eventually. Our usual fast descent was curtailed by a very slow tractor and a large queue of cars, but we had plenty of time to enjoy the views of the Severn valley on the way down.
The ride leader waved the troops off homeward bound when we got to Stonehouse as he had to visit his in-laws there, hopefully everyone got back safe and sound and had an enjoyable ride.
55.55 miles, 3297 ft elevation gain, 14.6 ml/h average
MB