As the mizzle settled in King’s Square for the 09:00 start, the riders might have imagined that they were in Glasgow, taking part in the worlds. However, the stop-start nature of Painswick Road, and numerous stops to cape up and cape off quickly shattered any illusions as to our abilities.
A break of two riders took advantage of a pre-published route and managed to stay away for the whole ride into the wind to Cirencester. The rest of the group rode in a loose formation, taking advantage of careful route planning to shelter from the worst of the weather. Speed picked up as the ground flattened after Chapman’s Cross, and an unusually successful navigation of the Cirencester one-way system took us straight to coffee.
White Way was selected for the return, in the hope of a strong tail-wind, although whether this overcame the steady 2% climb is a matter for discussion. Tired legs at Andoversford were pleased of the drop to Dowdeswell and relatively easy route home.
56 miles, 2,800′ ascent @ 13.4mph