I usually pride myself in keeping a group of riders together for the ride. Today I failed on Westgate Bridge, which must be the earliest a rider has been left. As this rider was the Club Captain, I had no worries about him getting lost. On Over Old Road, the Social Secretary decided that he would be social with the Captain, and we lost him too.
Progressing on via Blackwall End, the group settled, until one rider developed gear problems, which after a few goes at tinkering, were declared inoperable, so he returned with yet another rider. The low cloud and mizzle meant that the ride leader seriously considered abandoning plans to traverse the Malverns, but it lifted just in time to make it look attractive.
The remainder “enjoyed” the Hollybush ascent, and even less the awful surface from Eastnor, before turning back to Colwall and the Koppenberg of the Malverns. Evendine Lane (well it is the Tour of Flanders today). The fast plunge down to Welland made the peloton feel the need for speed, and so the lanes through Hanley Swan to coffee were taken at a blistering pace.
We met the Club President at Alpaca Meadows, which was an excelllent, if poorly signposted, coffee stop. After coffee, a tail wind and direct routing led to a fast return to Gloucester. Minor floods were encountered at various points on the ride, but nothing too deep.
58 miles, 3,000′ ascent @15.7mph