Sunday, February 21, 2010

Valentine's Day 2010 not Quite a Massacre.

I nursed my knee and restricted activity to typing a plea for information from the gallant Espressi.
I had a good response, but I am under instructions to 'redact' a considerable amount of the content from my sources - all of whom were 'close to the ride'.

Young Alan Trolove turned up (a rare non-competition Sunday for him) having been advised to take the opportunity to get in some good miles, also Tricia Dennison, Paul Barry, Barry Denny and Paul Jay. We decided it best to join the Cappuccinos as there was such a surprisingly small number of us. Rode in a loop to get to Nowton at 9.30, Paul Jay puncturing as we got there - perfect timing.

Set off at 9.40 with the above riders plus John Steed, Richard Seggar, Richard Balaam, Big Roger Maddams I think, (not on the members list, very strong) Charles Coldrey (New member on MTB with skinny slicks) Peter Stephenson-Wall (MTB with very fat slicks) Mark Saunders (new member on Bianchi), Lara (regular non-member)

We went to Bressingham, with one puncture on the way. This wasn't straightforward as poor John Steed has to almost dismantle his bike to get the wheel off as he has tyres thicker than most cars and which don't fit past his brake blocks which don't have a quick release. John confessed to getting 4 punctures this week - time for major investment John?

The group didn't reach Bressingham until 11.50, by which time there was a long queue in the Café. Five riders left promptly to get back a bit quicker, (Barry had promised to be back early!) but this didn’t work as the group split and we wasted time looking for each other !

Tricia became diss-orientated at Redgrave and went home via a route of her own choosing "After coffee Barry led a breakaway group of Alan, Roger & Paul Barry with the intention of heading along the A1066 & turning off for Thelnetham. I had a hazy recollection that I could go via Thelnetham & Hopton & home & so joined them. We turned off for Redgrave. This is an unfamiliar village to me & there were no friendly signs to comfort me so when they turned right sign-posted "poultry factory" I bottled out & chugged back up & down the big hills to the 1066 to resume plan A.Looking at the Garmin printout the poultry factory road led to Thelnetham & I should have stuck with them but hey ho what's another 5 miles?"

Paul Jay, whose wife had produced their first child, Megan, ten days ago had gone home on his own via B1111 and A143 and had a sticky moment trying to change up onto a non-existent 3rd chainring, just as he was being overtaken by a truck. Nobody tell Mrs Jay, OK? Barry reached home at 2pm. Sue wasn’t impressed. I later heard that Richard Seggar didn't get home until nearly 3.

I think that the moral to be drawn from the combining of these two rides might be that, in certain circumstances, More is Less.


Tricia rode nearly 60 miles total.

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