Riding on the summer timetable, seven turned up at the University’s City Campus for a ride to Beckford. Though the majority were on safety bicycles with derailleur gears technological developments through the ages were evident; an Old Ordinary (decorated with an actual penny and farthing) and a single gear bike (both with rim brakes), carbon frames, hydraulic disc brakes and gravel tyres with more gears than a flat ride like this could possibly need. In fact, the only thing missing was summer.
Heading out under heavy skies we were soon abandoned by Gerry, who had only recently taken the ‘L’ plates off his penny farthing and didn’t yet want to risk it on the country roads. A fresh, indeed brisk, tailwind took us to Tewkesbury where some tricky route finding was needed to avoid the town’s half marathon. We emerged from Gas Alley onto a blissfully quiet Bredon Road. Closed as it was for the 10k runners, we had it to ourselves and enjoyed supportive calls from the roadside spectators. We met the leading runners as we approached Kemerton where the Coffee House was doing a roaring trade providing hot drinks to the cheering crowds. Luckily, it was not our destination.
Normal traffic resumed after Kemerton; a few motor vehicles, many cyclists doing the Bredon Hill loop, horses, a tricycle, and a range of motor bikes. Again luckily, we reached the Old Post Office Shop early and ahead of the rush. The tailwind was a factor, but so was the fact that out of habit I’d planned a two hour ride. Oops!
Payback time came on the way home into the wind. The fixie saw me first to the top of Prescott hill but the headwind meant that, unusually, no one coasted past me on the descent, or indeed until Cheltenham. The threatened rain arrived as we neared the station, but we kept faith that it would blow over. It did, but then blew back with a vengeance once we left town. Daryl came to the front and Derney paced us through the wind and rain into Gloucester where, of course, the sun soon came out.
Varied machines and varied weather but the result was the same: good company on a good morning’s ride in the (very) fresh air.
MT