Club Ride Sunday 1st June 2014

The stream at Bibury (Click once to enlarge the pictures)

Five go to Bibury. We might not be the famous five or even the infamous five, but to Bibury, we did go!

With the sweet smell of sun cream being carried by the warm air, we wheeled out of the Cross Hayes car park.

Some of the previous Sunday rides have been plagued by Garmin gremlins and operator errors. My main priority was keeping to the correct course and anything else was going to be a bonus. With three Garmins between us, surely we stood more than a fighting chance.

There were early indications that Andy Poolman and George’s pace was going to be a little too hot for me, Tim and Gary to handle, but either because we were working hard or they were easing up for us, we managed to stay in touch for the first 15 miles or so before the inevitable happened.

The ride was capturing elements of past sportives and audax events, but I was struggling at times to get a clear picture of exactly where I was. Absorbed by the scenery and the amiable chatter, it didn’t really seem to matter.

Cycling along the Welsh Way, Gary provided us with a brief history of how it was a former route taken by Welsh cattle drovers.

Howard’s route planning was winning high praise, although by now you’ll have noticed that I’m glossing over a lot of the background detail. The relaxed holiday atmosphere was definitely having an effect on me.

Apart from a short, stiff climb not that far out from Bibury, there wasn’t anything that really stood out as being particularly challenging.

Andy and George plan their tactics for the return leg

The three of us arrived in Bibury to find Andy and George relaxing in the sun at the Trout Farm café. (Since when did an ice cream cornet become a mid-ride snack?) Hot drinks and cake were served accompanied by a small slip of paper. The café’s toilets are located inside the Trout Farm and you need to present this at the desk to reach them.

The apple and sultana bread pudding with a ribbon of marmalade running through it was a triumph, but disappointingly, my pot of tea for one only actually delivered one cup.

As we were only half-way around, and as tempting as it was to stay for longer, we remounted and set about getting home. First, there was the small matter of tackling the last of the lumps and bumps before dropping down to Fairford.

The peloton snakes it's way through Bibury

It wasn’t too long before Andy and George disappeared over the horizon, leaving the three of us to take it in turns at the front, as we started to take advantage of the gradual descent.

The flat as a pancake road skirting RAF Fairford, home to the International Air Tattoo, and the broad expanse of the runway, were a sharp contrast to the morning’s idyllic Cotswold scenery. It was probably fatigue, but a series of turns around Kempsford left me feeling as though we were going around in circles. 

Eventually the road spat us out by the Relish café, where during a brief stop, a grateful Tim replenished his water bottle.

Not far from Crudwell we said farewell to Gary who had already ridden the remaining section when he cycled to the start.

Having taken in what seemed like all of North Wiltshire’s villages sitting between the spine road and Malmesbury, plus a few of South Gloucester’s too, we’d done it!

Andy and George sportingly waited for us where it had all begun in the car park. Even though we’d managed an average speed of 15.2mph over the 70 miles, they said they’d been kicking their heels for about 20 minutes. Strava later revealed that it was a bit longer than that with the duo having clocked up a highly commendable average of 16.7mph.

As a footnote, the MCCC isn’t all about speed and never will be, but the ride demonstrates how even as a small club, it’s able to provide a platform from which members can achieve their full potential, at whatever level that might be.

Garmin reference: http://connect.garmin.com/course/6746816