Apologies for the lack of inspiration in this report – after “Porridge” and “Grandpa”, I feel I have let the side down
A bright but blustery morning brought out five riders. Luckily for me, my constant message of “short turns” was ignored by everyone but me, as we headed west into the wind. I’m not complaining! We passed the steady group with too much of a speed differential for any banter, although I don’t think there were any Welsh or Samoan riders to pick on.
Stopping at traffic lights on the Lydbrook climb allowed us to consider our options for coffee. The original destination of Lydney Harbour is outdoor only, and showers were obviously around, so that was rejected. The primary divert was Kaplans, more noted for its cooked offerings than its cakes, and that too was discounted. However, intelligence gathered on Thursday suggested that the Postage Stamp in Parkend, although small, offered excellent cakes, and this did indeed prove to be a good choice.
The downside to both Parkend and Lydney is that a long steep climb comes immediately after coffee, but once this was under our belts, we had a largely wind-assisted run home. Even more remarkable, we didn’t get really wet until Estcourt Road on the way home,
53 miles, 2,700′ ascent @ 16.6mph
