Club run reports - 30th September

Category 2/3 ride led by Graham Knight 

The great Cat 2/3/8:30 start experiment was inconclusive. With just 7 riders at the start, including one guest, there was no enthusiasm for splitting into two groups. Maybe the early start on a cold morning put off a few - then there was competition from the TT. On the plus side it was good to see Mike E, Tim D and Lib R joining the ride alongside some regulars. Worth trying a couple of more times with  a 9:30  start I think.

Anyway, we all had an enjoyable ride to Megarry's Antiques and Teashop in Blackmore. We took a northerly route on the way out via Hatfield Heath, Abbess Roding and Willingale and there was sunshine all the way. We had the usual warm welcome in Megarry's who asked why we had been away so long? They do make cyclists welcome as they explain on their website ( http://antique-teashop.co.uk/cyclists-welcome-at-megarrys-teashop-blackmore/ ). We enjoyed our tea, cake and crumpets and had our photos taken ( https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=megarrys%20antiques-teashop ).

The return was by a slightly more direct southerly route through Ongar and Epping. There was now a light headwind but the sunshine remained. We really did try to stick to the Cat 3 maximum but the fine weather and relatively flat route meant we crept about 15 mph. Must try harder - or maybe less hard?