“Come out for a leisurely Sunday ride”. Having not been out for a while (Grimsby) and with the new tyre safely on the rear rim I jumped at the opportunity to be entertained by the ‘Old Sun Bikers’. 10 o’clock meet at Nick’s and we set off up Oliver St (Nick, Lewis, Monty, Shorty, Colin and Paul and myself) over the road and down Station Rd, a quick cut through the woods and around the field next to the ‘Ups & Downs’ (or ‘BMX Track’ depending upon your age) bringing us out onto Woburn St by the rugby club. From here it was out to Millbrook via the church and the test track “in reverse” (for those regular riders of this blog that is the ‘right way’ round the test track). The first stoned climb was cleared by all albeit Paul and I on foot (better part of valour and all that).
The first piece of gravity and I decided to take advantage rounding 2 or 3 riders on the outside whilst in pursuit of Nick who obviously jumped the start! Was going well until the gradient started going the other way whereupon I was passed by virtually everyone.
At the next piece of gravity I was given the honour of leading on down, I’d like to think that it was due to my earlier gravity assisted performance rather than the groups hope I might ‘collect’ Taff, who was on his way up towards us, and we all spewed out into Lidlington.
I was nicely pleased when we turned right by the church, heading down to the level crossing rather than up the hill, left just before the rail tracks and followed the road as it turned to track and into the fields. At this point the single group split into three I will call them A, B and C although no indication of speed, stamina or ability should be read into the labelling. Colin, Shorty and myself (B) crossed the rail tracks and continued to follow Taff, Nick, Monty (C) whilst Paul and Lewis (A) had mysteriously disappeared!
Group B crossed the field out the back of ‘Amazon’ and came out at the timber bridge over the new road leading up to junction 13, cross the bridge and up into Ridgmont with a view to meeting up with Group A only to find that by the time we got there they were back in Steppingley and heading hard towards the pub! Group C were last seen as specks in the distance heading off in the general direction of Brogborough and landfill!
Past Ridgmont old church, over the fields, cross the M1, a quick pause for Colin’s puncture, Steppingley woods and dash along Woburn St and safely back to the Oss saw Groups A and B united at somewhere just gone one o’clock. Group C arrived about a couple of pints later with Nick sporting a lovely shade of ‘mud’ down one side!
Skip’s chilli burgers gained general praise from all, washed done with beer, then the bulk of the group moved on to the Sun to continue Lewis’ birthday celebrations, I managed to make my excuses and escaped for home at some point in the middle of the afternoon have, I hope, upheld the honour of this blog.
Great ride and good beer, thank you to the ‘Old Sun’ bikers. We must do it again.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
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