The tempo ride set off at a rather brisk pace, flying past the steady riders on Westgate Bridge, but settled down once the main road was left in Maisemore. The steady riders, having taken a more direct route, were passed again at Kent’s Green, before the slog up to Clifford’s Mesne, and descent of the awful Oaks Lane.
A puncture stop in Lea was followed by another sketchy descent, Hoovers Lane. In the Walford valley, we came upon a motorised bicycle that looked a bit like a Durney bike, but as we rounded the corner out of Bill Mills, the flag must have dropped, as the group sped past it. The Wye valley looked grim, and so we caped up before speeding along the lovely new surface to Kerne Bridge.
The climb from Lower Lydbrook fractured the peloton, and two front riders missed the turn to Worrell Hill, although, given the 10% sustained gradient, perhaps this was no accident! One rider flew past me on that hill, leaving me as if I was a spent domestique struggling to finish the climb. Coffee and cake was reached a little late, but was very welcome, and we regrouped there.
Returning via Parkend, we saw a lady in her wedding dress near Go Ape, which I thought was perhaps not the best choice of attire for such a venue. I got within 400 yards of home before the heavens really opened.
60 miles, 3,500′ ascent @ 15.4mph
