Weekly Roundup

 Coffee Shop

Clarions on a previous visit to the Wickwar Coffee Shop

This Saturday, we're returning to the Wickwar Coffee Shop. Howard will be leading the Social Group by the most direct route, so expect a ride of around 37 miles.

The Sporting Group's course is ready to view and download here. The first thing you'll notice about the 42.3 mile course is that there's no descent down from, or ascent up to, the Somerset Monument. Instead, we're climbing back on to the Cotswold escarpment at Old Sodbury, where its fairly shallow.

Please note that the outward leg includes a steep descent at Tresham. As always, take great care. It's a popular route for cyclists. You might well encounter riders zig-zagging towards you, as well as horses being led or ridden in both directions.

In Peter C's absence, Phil took over the running of the shop on Wednesday evening, and promptly filed the following report, for which, I'm very grateful:

I arrived with a minute to spare only to find an empty town hall meeting area. Having decided to cycle the route on my own, James came around the corner, closely followed by Andy Poolman.

We enjoyed a lovely 25 mile evening ride looping through Minety, Eastcourt, Long Newton and Charlton. A few large puddles and water flowing across the road from the fields in places but otherwise a dry ride.

Thursday, Mike and me road-tested the course for the next Sunday Series ride, which will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 30th May 2016, departing at 8.00am. 

The 86.9 mile course is now ready to be viewed and downloaded here.  The total elevation gain is just 3,499 feet. There's a few ascents, but only one proper hill, which comes after the first 23 miles, between Ogbourne St George and Aldbourne.

You'll also see from the elevation map that in between Ramsbury and Bishops Cannings, a distance of about 30 miles, it's virtually all flat. 

The original plan was to stop for coffee at Hungerford, but we think we've found somewhere much better, at the Crofton Beam Engine, with the added attraction that it'll be in steam on the day.

The lineup so far, is Peter C, Steve K and me, Tim W. Hopefully a few more can be persuaded to join us, for what promises to be a grand day out.

The goings-on of the Last of the Summer Wine crowd, who meet up at The Angel Tearoom, Sherston on a Thursday lunchtime, normally continues without the glare of publicity from the blog. Andy Poolman, the person behind the camera, kindly sent me this photograph capturing those who were present last week.

If you haven't been before, why not pop along. It's probably best to look out for Howard's email saying that he's going, to avoid the possibility of dining alone.

For those that don't know, the Nurse is fellow club member, Sue, who is Dave's other half. I'm told that Sue was present in an unofficial capacity, although all agreed that given their advancing years, having a Nurse in attendance to accompany them, was probably a good idea.

For those that don't know and might be wondering why, the reason for the last minute switch to Toomers on Saturday, was because an eagle-eyed member (Steve M) noticed that Chippenham Wheelers' Social Group, also planned to stop at Sweetapples in Marshfield. The outside seating area isn't that big, and with both clubs arriving at about the same time, finding somewhere to sit would have been an issue.

Howard's new course to Toomers for the Sporting Group, cleverly avoided Royal Wootton Bassett altogether, and was an instant hit.

The two groups arrived within 10 minutes or so of each other. Sporting Group members took the cake route, whereas some Social Group riders opted for something savoury. My pot of tea for one and homemade fruit scone with butter and jam came in at an unbelievable £1.95. The waitress assured me that she hadn't forgotten to charge for anything. 

As for who ate what in the Social Group, my lips are sealed, but if you want to know how much Toomers charge for burger, chips and onion rings, you might find that Steve M is the best person to ask!

Alphabetically, the runners and riders were as follows:

Social Group: Dave, Howard, Paul and Steve M.

Sporting Group: Des D, Ian, Jonathan, Lyndon, Peter C, Simon S, Steve K and me, Tim W.

If you haven't looked at the club website for a while, please do, and you'll see that the Calendar page now has our intended destinations up to and including, 2nd July 2016. At the moment only the courses for the next ride are available, but as we start to repeat visits to the various coffee stops, this will be rectified by reusing the ones we've previously ridden. There's a new Courses page too, based on routes to our favourite coffee stops, and once I've added the courses, taken from Howard's vast encyclopedia, it will hopefully become a useful library.

Also, there's the Club Ambassador Trophy page, which is a gallery of photographs taken as proof of a member having cycled an Audax, Sportive or any other event, either as an individual or as a representative of the club, whilst wearing a MCCC jersey, jacket or gilet. Don't forget to submit your photographs to Mike for inclusion.