Club run reports - 22nd July

Category 6 ride led by Danny Hood

Well, that was an uneventful ride! First a puncture before the ride departed, then the usual clipless pedal first time tumble, and to finish, two riders ending up on the floor after the peloton had a head on with a Range Rover on a gravelly Robbery Bottom Lane. Oh, and I got stung by a wasp on the nether regions while bombing down the hill to Whitwell; apart from all that it was rather uneventful. Fourteen set off, including a try out rider Ian, who despite the mishaps seemed to have enjoyed himself, and said he'd like to come out again. Half the group decided at Emily's to abandon ship and head straight home. Luckily the rest of us seemed to have timed it perfectly as two large groups of cyclists got up to leave and we were served in near record time for that particular café. Back to base around 1pm with 32.6 miles on the clock, and an average speed of bang on 13,mph, one cut knee, a broken nail and probably a few bruises tomorrow. That's professional bike racing for you!

Category 3 ride led by Tony Howard

The eight riders met unusually at the Ware Library Car Park due to planned road closures around Allenbury's - I didn’t see any closed roads though! The route was to the Bosworth Tea Rooms at Finchingfield via an elliptical anti-clockwise loop! We started by heading towards Wareside, Hadham Cross and past Great Hadham Country Club, along the B1004, through part of Thorley and Pig Lane to Takeley, Great Dunmow  and onto Finchingfield. The cafe was rather “ram jammed” with people, particularly hairy bikers (not the cooks, the others), loads of them! However the Bosworth Tea Rooms were great, gave us quick service with a smile, and it was only a fiver for a bacon sandwich and black coffee!
The return leg was somewhat different, with hills, narrow lanes and twists and turns, via Little Sampford, Thaxted, Henham, Ugley, Manuden not to mention Maggots End (should have put the fishing rod on the cross bar -  that brings back memories). Then on through Braughing, Puckeridge and home to Ware. 66 Miles, good company and great bacon sandwiches and/or cakes for others!

Category 7 ride led by John Farnham

A quartet of Wheelers met up at Quy for our annual Fenland Foray across the flatlands of Cambridgeshire to Ely via purpose made cycle routes, small lanes, drove roads and river bank paths. All well surfaced, apart from one truly off road section, which saw one of our number take a flying leap into the undergrowth, to emerge covered in vegetation but only slightly bloodied. Instead of our usual city centre café, we took our elevenes at Peacocks Tea Room by the riverbank. All very nice and friendly, but at prices more aimed at tourists rather than cyclists or tight northerners. As usual our return leg involved early afternoon tea at Wicken Fen, followed by a final ten mile dash back across the fens to Quy. No punctures or mechanicals and only the one prang. 36 miles.