Club ride reports - 12th March

Club participation in Ware’s Cambridge by Tony Dos Santos

We knew this was going to be a tough one as the weather forecast showed 18-20 mph winds. With the category 6 not being able to field a ride leader, it was decided that we should receive club run points. Ok, that’s a total lie. No points :-).

We said hello to Lee Cutler at the start, who then shot off into the distance with the faster riders. Carolyn was there wearing her fancy new glasses - she’s now a true fessional (Rebecca’s words)! Twelve Wheelers left Allenburys at 8.45. 

We went up to Cold Christmas Lane, where Leigh had a puncture. Claire jumped to the rescue and changed the tyre in record time. OK,  OK, that’s not what happened at all. Leigh changed the inner tube and I pumped the tyre with CO2 and, boom, the tyre jumped off the rim. Chris joined in with his best pump in the world;  it was massive, I kid you not. Chris has a big one! Within minutes, then tyre was reinflated. I then realised Claire had a puncture as well. Luckily she had tubeless and she put one of those rubber things (technical term) in the tyre. Punctures all done, we rode on our merry way. 

Next we get to Ash Valley Golf club and there was a rider in need. Martin P stopped and we duly helped the poor chap. Then we found out that Kev knew another Kev! Who’d believe it eh! As we were fixing the puncture, Danny, Bob and Franco rode past us, and we waved hello. All fixed, we continued. 

At 18 miles, Rebecca and Martin said their goodbyes and went on the shorter route. We were down to ten. About twenty miles in, Claire advised us she forgot to start the Garmin. She really needs to read the manual, she’s only had it two years now! 

We got to Great Chishill, turned the corner, and hit an unpleasant 20 mph headwind. We arrived to the food stop and enjoyed the much needed mighty cheese and cracker and a cuppa. 

All fed and watered we resumed, rode  a few hills and then, boom again, as Kev’s tyre punctured. Kev has tubeless and we wondered why there was no sealant seeping out the gaping hole. Pete set to work, unseated the tyre, and we saw there was no sealant whatsoever. Kev, looked rather sheepish and said the last time he put some in was just before winter, without explaining which winter :-).  An inner tube appeared, the tubeless valve ripped out and inner tube put in. Chris, once again, jumped to the rescue with his “big one” and the tyre was pumped to an appropriate (good word,eh) PSI. We reached the next feed station for another cuppa and more cheese and biscuits.

Disaster struck again on our run for home when Claire suffered a double puncture. Luckily she had sealant (Kev, take note), but that didn’t seal the holes. Out came the rubber thingies to plug the holes. Chris, once again pulled out “his big thing”; then to our immense surprise, Claire told us it was hers. Imagine that eh, all day Chris kept saying it was his, when it was Claire’s; we all laughed like drains. 

A head wind blew all the way back to the finish. We all thought it was rather apt to have David lead us in to the finish (because he was the only one with a Wheelers jacket on) and the rest of us followed behind. It had been a long day - 50 miles, 5 punctures and a horrible headwind. Well done to all who took part today. It was hard. Oh, by the way, Chris now has an AKA, which is CTC (Chris The Coordinator) as we all know that he knows where he’s going all the time :-). 

I bet you can’t even imagine where I wrote this, can you? 

Love and kisses. 

Category 4 ride led by Denis Bassom

In true Denis fashion I didn't start looking at the bike until Saturday evening due to work and a university visit with my daughter. Lucky I did; whilst fitting the new £20 Ultegra chain (thanks Ian) went well, I went to check the gear shift and weird stuff was happening. After faffing around it was a battery that had flattened in a week due to being parked in an stupid place and the di2 being stuck on...how I miss the mechanical rim brake road bike. Finally fixed and off to bed. Get up and ready and just check tyre pressures. Which I can't because the valves are blocked with sealant stuff. Pull out the cores, clean up, refit cores, pump up and FINALLY off. Seemed a lot of effort considering nobody else was going to be joining.

Got to Allenbury's and two familiar figures are waiting. As it was Gary and Andrew, I assumed they were doing a category 3 ride but no, they were joining me. More fool them, as I hadn't even looked at the amended route Peter had supplied. So we set off towards Stanstead Mountfitchet, in completely the wrong direction, with good weather, high spirits and zero sense of direction. Asides from me enjoying the ride so much and forgetting to actually look for turnings etc (sorry all) we made it on the new Peter approved Stanstead Mountfitchet route in good time.

Adam was already waiting for us outside. Whilst standing outside Cafe Yeomans trying to work out where the "side gate" was, the lad working there took pity on us and explained it was on another road round the back. He let us in and we locked up our bikes in the pretty secure back garden.

Fortunately there was a 4 seat table indoors right next to the cake table. Cakes all round apart from one of the best cooked poached eggs on toast I have ever seen. My lotus white chocolate rocky road thing was superb, loaded with sugar.

Fed and watered, and me popping back in to actually pay for my food, we set off back to Ware. The Peter route took us up the hill out of Stanstead Mountfitchet, with the benefit of hindsight the more normal route past the Windmill would be easier, parking up that road is diabolical.

The ride back was a little overcast but went OK apart from Gary getting a puncture. I think it took him about two days to repair it, mostly because Andrew wouldn't get his big pump out. The rest of the route was uneventful but pleasant.

Nice route barring the hill out of Stanstead Mountfitchet and my inability to actually look at my Garmin. I highly recommend Cafe Yeomans although I suspect it will get VERY busy come summer, especially with the Bear and Eden now being shut.

Nice ride and some unexpected but pleasant company..