Seven riders opted for the first 08:30 start of the summer calendar, although it certainly didn’t feel much of a summer’s day, with riders checking their Garmin to see that it was 9 degrees. A far cry from what we had become used to over the last week.
We left the square heading out of Gloucester crossing Westgate Bridge and onto Maisemore, where we turned off and followed the old road through to Hartpury. A quick right turn, followed by a further right took us through Ashleworth and along Ham Road for a few miles. A left turn took us up the aptly named Tirley Hill Road with its climb that raised the heart rate a little. A quick zig zag across the B4213 and into Tirley Knowle where Mel was patiently waiting to join the rest of the riders. Along Tirley Knowle we continued to the end, and out onto the Corse Lawn Road, where we turned left, heading back towards Staunton. The wind was behind our backs for the first time which made a welcome change. Right turn onto Lime Street following through the lanes until we came out onto the Pendock Road. A quick descent and a right turn into Mill Lane and through to Pendock where we stayed in the back lanes to Cooks Lane, before rejoining the Gloucester to Malvern Road. It was at this point that Carl joined the group, having left the square at 9am. We Continued along the Gloucester Road before turning left into Camers Green and using the Back Lane, where we proceeded to the hardest climb of the day, up Chase End Hill, with an average gradient of 11.2 percent and topping out at 18 percent. On cresting the top, and looking forward to the descent, we were greeted with a road surface that had more gravel and loose stone than a section of the Paris Roubaix. Tesh, with his gravel bike, relished the opportunity to throw himself down the hill, while the rest of us carefully descended avoiding the pot holes and loose gravel. I must send apologies to Mel, as this road surface was certainly not ideal for a recumbent. Despite that Mel certainly made easy work of the descent, though it probably felt like she was travelling over cobbles. Back onto solid tarmac and into Bromsberrow Village before turning into Bromsberrow Heath. Staying on the Brooms Green Road right to the end, where it joins the Ledbury to Dymock Road where we regrouped, and a decision was made to cut the ride a little short so we could achieve the arrival time at the coffee stop. We continued along the main road into Dymock before using the back lanes from Dymock through towards Four Oaks, Hillend Green and back onto the main Dymock Road and into the coffee stop at The Roses Garden Centre.
The novice riders had already reached the coffee stop on our arrival and were enjoying their fare. After coffee the whole group split up with one group heading to the pub stop at Haw Bridge and the rest heading back to Gloucester.
46.3 miles in total for the ones that headed back to Gloucester.
DM