Weekly Roundup

Riders at the Allington Farm Shop

 7 clarions took part in the Sporting Group ride to Allington via Castle Combe. (Karine, Peter C, Phil, Simon S, Steve K, Steve M and Tim H).

It was a very windy outward leg and trouble ensued for Phil who lost any gear changing ability from his rear derailleur. Probably not a problem if it was stuck in a high gear but no, it was a tiny wee sprocket which left Phil hitting the bottom of each climb like a bat out of hell in an effort to get to the top! Well done for your efforts.

After an enjoyable cafe stop we set off for Malmesbury with the wind behind us and a speedy trip down the Fosseway towards Sherston.

About 39 miles in all.

Tim H

Social Group

Riders:Howard, Atherton, Dave and guest, Steve Cox.

Weather Conditions: Headwind on outward leg, temperature about 11 degrees C.

Total Mileage: 33, average speed 10.8 mph with the return leg very much wind assisted.

Destination: Allington Farm Cafe.

Howard

The Kings, Castles, Priests and Churches 200km Audax

Also on Saturday, Mike and me rode a 200km Audax event starting at the Royal Hop Pole, Tewkesbury. The culinary canter included stops at Flowerdews Cafe, Bromyard, the Castle Lodge Buttery, Ludlow, the Chocolate Box Cafe
Kington and the not so attractive sounding, but nevertheless very much appreciated, Lock's Services on the A465.

Looking down over Ludlow

(Pictures by Mike)

Meanwhile, I'm poised to continue the climb out of Ludlow

As you can imagine, strong winds dominated the day, particularly on high, exposed ground. For the most part we suffered with head and cross winds. It wasn't until the last leg that we benefited from the wind.

Hampered by strong gusts and riding to a deadline, meant that we had to restrict the time spent at cafes to a minimum. Fortunately, neither of us was affected by the reduced calorie intake.

AAA (Audax Altitude Award) points are given to members who complete hilly rides based on the amount of elevation gained. This particular event involved climbing 2550 metres and attracted 1.75 points. Meaningless I know to those not involved in Audax, but an important indication to those who are, as to the difficulty level of an event.

Tim W

Bourton-on-the-Water

The next Sunday excursion will take place on 20th December 2015. Mike G and me have put together what we think is an interesting course, this time to Bourton-on-the-Water. The outward leg has already been ridden. The full course will be available soon. Given that the Winter Solstice (shortest day) is on the 21st, we'll be leaving at 9.00am, so that we can get back in the daylight.

Expressions of interest or ideally a firm commitment notified by email to one of us would be appreciated, as we're exploring the possibility of a festive treat at Bourton, in which case we'd need to have some idea of the numbers beforehand. No, it's not a visit to Santa's grotto!

There's nothing like a bit of a quiz to get the wheels whirring. Previously, Howard has proved himself the master of cycling related songs. More recently, Ted was the king of song titles and groups or artists incorporating the word 'yurt.' This was inspired by our trip to the Jolly Nice Cafe at Frampton Mansell.

This time the challenge is to come up with place names that you've ridden through which match with the name of a song title, group or solo artist. Puns are not only acceptable, they're positively encouraged. Please give some indication as to where the place can be found.

You can use the comments box below and as we're approaching the season of goodwill, there might just be a small gift for the winner.

Here are my offerings to start the ball rolling:

Group or Solo Artist

Clapton-on-the-Hill, Gloucestershire (Eric Clapton)
Elton, Herefordshire (Elton John) 
Street, Somerset (Manic Street Preachers)
Lea, Malmesbury (Leapy Lee)

Song Titles

(Porton) Down (Down, Down by Staus Quo)