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Category 6 ride led by Alex Powell

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

The only way we can get to Great Canfield on a category 6 ride is to start from Much Hadham. So, I decided to go from there at 9. Normally from this start point there’s a nominal turn out, but not today as twelve riders in total turned up. Really good, mostly because everyone knows we were going to the Polo Club. 

We set off bang on nine. I decided to go up my favourite Much Hadham hill, in spite which there was not a single moan; that’s because the 6’s are well ard’! 

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Category 6 ride led by Mike East

The main category 6 contingent were cycling from Clapham Common to Brighton, heading directly thereafter to the Cliff Bathing Beach, in order to divest themselves of their lycra, and strut on those pebbles au naturel, tackle out.

Meanwhile seven others, including some who had taken their parrots off their shoulders, took on a ride to Vanstones, Codicote. Routine all round, until Hertford at the end, when the ride leader hit a kerb and was unseated. No serious damage done.

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Category 4 ride led by Lisa Ridoutt

With it being a warm, sunny bank holiday weekend category 4 decided to take a round trip of 100 miles to Maldon.

A lot of pre-planning went into this ride, so all credit and thanks must go to Pete Kelleway and Elio for all their efforts, despite not being able to join us. We left from Ware with Hanif joining us for the first 20 miles, and then we were down to 9.

Our first stop was at Blackmore Tea Rooms where Elio met us for a coffee and a TDS photo shoot.

Category 6 ride led by Mike East

The core of category six had, apparently, upped sticks and decided to test their mettle in a sportive in East Anglia. “ Normal for Norfolk” - I am sure they fitted in very well. This left a vacuum, filled by a rump of riders, six in total, to pootle along a simple route to Bishops Stortford and back. Mocha Cafe did its usual efficient and tasty business. Good company, no incidents, no mechanicals. 30 miles, and back in Ware for 12.30.

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Sun screen on - check. This was going to be a hot hot ride. Temperatures were going to be estimated at 40°c (no exaggeration there!), so on the Friday I made the decision to bring forward the ride time to half past eight. 

A few of us met at Ware at 8.10 and then, who should turn up with her fully serviced bike, yes, Amanda, aka Chainy! Chainy wasn’t there, as she had child duty. No more slipping chain, and the bike looked amazing. Nick Curtis sure does a great job. 

Category 6 ride led by Daniel Horn

It was a hot sunny day surprisingly, and the start point of Much Hadham gave me confidence that it would only be a small group, expecting about 5 souls. We actually started up with 9 souls and 8 bikes.

Off we trundled. Unbeknown to me we had a TT world champion riding with us, so we were in good company!

Congratulations to Brian Hill who was the leading Wheeler on his first outing this year on the Brickendon course.  Yiannis was not far behind followed by Lisa who was delayed and only just made the start then went round in exactly the same time as her PB for the course.  Four of the five Wheelers equalled or beat their best time this year for the course while Yiannis chose to ride on his titanium road bike and couldn't match his previous best this time.

Wheelers' times

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

A 9 o’clock start to Thremhall Park. We will be back nice and early, we all cry. Seven turn up. Rich “Kev” Hann turns up after his altercations with a tin can. It must have been baked beans, which left him MIA for months. Glad your back, Kev. Then Kate turns up after breaking her ankle a few weeks ago!  We set off at 9 on the dot (I checked with TIM (speaking clock)). 

An overcast, chilly, blustery evening saw nine riders turn out for the last Wheelers-run TT of the season on the F20/10 course (Hertford to Turnford and back).  The temperature and the crosswind were doing nobody any favours and everyone finished the event a little dissatisfied with their time.  The first place on the Herts Wheelers podium was taken by Yiannis Gopoulos with Claire Gopoulos taking second and settling a score with the course on which she had missed the turn in the previous race.  Third place was filled by occasional time-trialler Graham Knight taking a break

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Once again, the weather forecast confirmed it was going to hit 30°C, so we all agreed to an 8.30 start. Even Ian Bailey (kind of) agreed, I know, shock horror. Today we worked out how to chain gang, more to follow on this….. We also had one of the seven dwarfs with us…
Eleven turned up. Nice to see Lisa coming out with the 6’s - always welcome. 

Category 4 ride led by Lisa Ridoutt

As we gathered for an earlier than usual start in Hertford, news reached us that our 'Captain of Cat 4', Peter Bloomfield, had just completed a very impressive 111 mile ride through the night, the Dunwich Dynamo. With this in mind no one dared mention our 8.30 start  - well, maybe Denis commented on the fact that he'd set his alarm for 6.30.

On a fine evening when conditions were excellent for racing it was a surprise to only get five entries for the TT.  Three Wheelers and two private entries took part and the race saw the first sub-nineteen minute ride in a Wheelers time trial for almost three years with the same rider, Andrew Hastings, having achieved it both times.  Solid rides from Wheelers Yiannis Gopoulos and Peter Walton and disappointment for the third; a moment’s doubt about the route and Claire missed the slip road for the turn and her race was over  -  a big shame but she’ll be back.<

Category 3 ride led by Graham Knight

Lovely weather, an early start and, it seems, a non-puncture.

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

What a long weekend this was. Pete Kelleway and I decided to chalk off a hundred miler on the Friday, Pete’s first one hundred. Congratulations. 

On the Saturday some decided to go for a quick spin. That was another thirty five miles. Then we all had a few cheeky glasses of wine as the category 6 should. It was a great laugh with the rose in full flow, then a curry in the Neelakash. 

Another good turn-out from Wheelers on a NRCC Brickendon TT. A win for Yiannis on a course that he says doesn't suit him and an excellent time from Gary on his first TT.

Category 6 ride led by Ian Bailey

First things first: some of us arrived at Mill End Plants somewhat later than expected but a full, untouched, Bakewell tart awaited us. On that basis, this was a very successful cat 6 ride.