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The Wheelers' annual magazine is now available online

Sixty Wheelers and friends gathered at Three Lakes for the annual celebration of a year's cycling.

Three rides enjoyed the winter sunshine

This ECEing lark works quite well for me - don't have to get up so early to drive all the way to the start.  This time it was just a short car journey to Sawbridgeworth and at 07:30 I set off from there to do the fortytwo kms to Witham.  Arrived at 09:30.  Soon was en route to Stansted Airport via a jumble sale at Leaden Roding.  The return into the wind was a bit of a drag (150kms) and then I retraced the route back to Stansted (204kms).  Then the last 10kms to Sawbo.  By then it had gone very cold so was pleased that the car was there.  Was fuelled by the thought by finishing the ride I w

Cat 3 led by Alex Powell

An undulating route out into a moderate headwind via Bengeo, Dane End, Puckeridge, Braughing, Berden, Arkesden and Strethall which included a broken mudguard, spoke and a puncture (Paul's first ever) and Leigh losing 2 bolts from his cleat, all coped with or ignored with the minimum of fuss.

Never mind the weather as long as we're together!

Been doing a bit of weather watching of late and saw that Wednesday would be mainly fine but that it would deteriorate towards a colder spell by the end of the week.  I needed to get in a second 200 this month leaving me with just December to go.  So off I toddled to Lavenham (85kms).  This part was quick and the conditions were all to my advantage.  Neither hot nor wet, with a following breeze my average was 16mph.  This changed as I turned south for Little Waltham via Sudbury.  Now it was more of a contest.  In the sheltered parts it wasn't too bad, just the open areas that caused most gr

Cat 5 - PW

Two of us this time, Valdis & myself.  We headed north via the old A10 to Puckeridge and thence onward via Furneux Pelham and Berden until Rickling where we turned South and gained the advantage of a following wind.  Down via Henham in time for the service there and then looped around Stansted Airport to the venue at Thremhall Park off the old A120.  There we became three as we were met by IanS who rode back with us.  A new cafe for us and a welcome change, especially as they refilled our tea\coffee cups for zilch.  

An Extended Calendar Event is a mechanism whereby it's possible to enter a Calendar Event, in this case the Essex 3 R's, but by riding to\from the Arrivee it can be counted as a longer ride, and I needed another 200 to complete the RRTY set.  So I left home as 06:10 and nipped into Hertford to get a timed till receipt.  Then it was off to Witham.  By 07:00 it was fairly light, but cold.  I had a 70km trip to make but soon realised that I wouldn't have to fight a headwind and was therefore able to relax in the knowledge that I would get there in time.  Arrived at Witham at 09:35 for a 10:00

Cold and wind may have deterred a few but the rest enjoyed some excellent rides.

The day started off with a fairly dense fog, and never improved.  Got to Fairlands and found out that my start-time was 10.25.  With nearly 240 riders taking part, smaller groups started at 5 minute intervals from 10.00 until it was our turn.  The first part to Hare St is usually quick and then the pace usually drops.  Not this time.  It got quicker.  Nathan & Tony, who are normally fast riders, were surprised to find me with them.  Got to Saffron Walden in double-quick time and then set out on the hilly return to Therfield Village Hall for tea & cakes.  At this point we were averag

Plenty of riders out despite the dense fog.

Join your friends at "Three Lakes at Westmill Farm"

Beautiful autumn weather for this week's rides!

Cat 5.  PW.

This time it was 214kms from Girton, through Bury St Edmunds to Framlinham (101kms) and then a return via the Maglia Rosso, Hawstead (151kms) to Girton.  Expecting a difficult outward bound journey, I was surprised to find myself careering along for the first half of it at a quickish pace.  However the wind-assisted first half of the return was very quick.  The remainder wasn't quite so fast yet I still went through the 200km mark in just over 8 and a half hours of riding time.  A reasonably fine day with the obligatory half hour of rain.  I targeted a return before dark, got it, so treated

Cat X led by Barry Page

Barry led 6 off on the post hill climb ride. Brian H soon turned off for home and Peter W diverted to join John F at Hinxworth. Perhaps disoriented by only coming second in a Club event, Barry continued towards Whitwell on an unusual route which seemed destined to run to the east of Stevenage. A bit of quick thinking determined that the real destination had always been Ardeley. Thus Barry, Graham K, Paul Laws and Paul Milner enjoyed sunshine and cake at Church Farm before heading back to Ware via Great Munden and the old A10.

Gareth storms to an impressive win.

211 kms from Dunmow to Grantchester to Hawstead to Mistley to Dunmow.  My target was to get beyond the Hawstead control before the rain came.  If I had still been at the cafe when the real weather hit us I would probably have stayed there.  I managed to clear the control but within 10 mins I was in torrential, freezing rain\hail with added thunder and lightning for company.  Roads soon became rivers.  And of course at that point there was no shelter.  It can be quite surprising how much hail can hurt when you are follicly challenged in the upstairs department!  This all lasted for about twe

Cat X led by Barry Page

Having destroyed the opposition in the morning TT Barry led his defeated victims plus some non-combatants on a pleasant, sunlit ride to Buntingford via Dane End. After tea and cake the group crossed the Buntingford-Hare Street col and returned via the B1368.