Considering the annual GCCC dinner had taken place the previous evening there was a good turn out of riders in the Kings Square at 9 o’ clock.
However, as I watched the various riders pull off with their respective ‘B’ ride leaders it soon became apparent that there were very few riders for the A ride….not even a few…there were actually two, ride leader plus one.
This had never happened to me before, so a change of plan was discussed. A fast ride to Kilcott and a slow ride through the lanes to Ross on Wye
We left a lonely Kings square and headed for the B4215 at Over. Staying on the main road we passed through Highnam, Rudford , Malswick and on to Newent. From Newent we continued on the Ross road to the Kilcott Inn where, just after, we turned left on the road to Aston Ingham. This was the end of the fast section and we were looking forward to an easy run into Ross….however. At Aston Ingham we encountered the B ride stood like council workers around one man working hard at mending a puncture and trying to replace a wheel into one of those new fangled disc brake contraptions. Work completed we decided to join the B group for the rest of the ride. This in retrospect was a mistake re our planned easy ride, as this is where the hills started. Hills and a very long bumpy descent ensued. Due to the final hill and slow descent we lost the B ride at Parklands Country House. We then rode through Walford and into Ross on Wye where we joined the B ride for coffee and cake at The Engine Shed.The return journey was a simple affair sticking to the A40 all the way into Gloucester Quays where we had coffee before leaving for home.
Leader Ivan Bowkett (Tyndale 1891)