Nine riders took off from the square, one of which was a new rider to the club. I may as well get this out of the way now…. I was looking forward to the weather being a litter cooler than it had been recently (I still can believe I am saying this) so as not to boil on the climbs.
That now said, the cooling breeze was and would be most welcomed for the ride. We travelled along Eastgate Street and up through Tredworth then straight over Eastern Avenue into the Painswick Road. The captain gave me a quick speed check to ensure everyone was comfortable, then turning left along “The Wheatridge” climbing steadily we passed what I am told will be a new school adjacent to the “Ash Path” and on into Upton St Leonard’s.
A quick right / left into Bondend Road took us to the start of the first real climb along Nuthill. Making our way up Nuthill we soon realised that the summer had truly arrived and the appreciation of the cooler temperature was more than welcome. Regrouping at the Buckholt Road junction we continued along the Painswick Road briefly stopping for a minor mechanical and then dropping down through Painswick and on to Stroud.
Turning right along Stratford Road we bypassed the centre of the town then dropped down, passed “Sainsbury’s”, to get on to the cycle path to Reyford. Negotiating the main road was a little “sketchy” however everyone made it, then realising we were missing a rider we briefly stopped to agree on the best strategy. It was agreed that onward and forward would be the way to go, the missing rider was experienced and “would be ok”.
Along (and up) Reyford Road South we began the second of the days climbs, steadily making our way through Kings Stanley and Middleyard. The captain stopped to capture the view to the west just before the right turn along the grove, skirting round Selsey and dropping briefly down to Selsley Hill Road, we were on the final push now with the long drag up to the cattle grid where we regrouped and welcomed the end of the climbing.
Staying on the B4066, the end was in sight. However, before we reached the Nymphsfield turn off the missing rider appeared. Taking the wrong turn before Sainsburys he made his way back to us asking locals along the way if “they had seen a group of us going that way”. No harm done, however the decision was right “he was an experienced rider and was ok”.
Dropping literally down into Uley, avoiding the potholes, we cruised into Dursley reaching our coffee stop (the Bank) at 11:10. Two riders had prior appointments so did not stop however it was welcomed by the remainder of the group. The return home was as usual with the captain making his own way home and the remaining riders “peeling off” as and when.
“Special mention to the new rider who proved that determination and resilience are all that is
required to achieve anything”