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Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Everyone was excited as this is our favourite venue at the moment. 

I knew it was going to be cold, but 1°C in the beginning of April is just ridiculous (note to self, write a stern letter to the Met office). 

I would just like to give a warm welcome to Nicolette, yes, she came last week, but I wasn’t there, so hello and welcome. 

Category 6 ride led by Carolyn Kelleway

Having received a call from Tony on Saturday saying his poor son was ill, I happily agreed to lead the ride to Thremhall Park 

Twelve riders set off promptly from Allenbury’s with two new prospective riders, Pete and Nicolette. Everyone had remembered to put their clocks back! The ride to Thremhall was very sociable and uneventful. We picked up Daniel at Much Hadham, where he was playing the role of bridge keeper

Category 6 ride led by Mike East

Category 4 ride led by Lisa Ridoutt

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

I decided to start at 9 so we could get some Bakewell tart at Mill End. Only four turned up, plus me. That made it the famous 5! There was Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timothy! Well, actually there was no one with that name today. Nice to see Martin Phillips coming out again. Boozing Bailey turned up a tad worse for wear after a Saturday on the lash. 

Category 3 ride led by Graham Knight

Some highlights of the racing and non-racing awards to note are:

Category 4 ride led by Enzo, Elio and Ian

Despite the very real threat of rain in the air, the usual gaggle of Cat 4 riders left Ware, and a bunch of chatty Cat 6’ers, for a Sunday trek to Thremhall Park cafe.

With the scheduled ride leader indisposed , it was down to the intrepid trio of Ian Bembridge, Enzo and Elio to guide the riders through Herts and Essex.  Fortunately, Dennis Bassom had supplied the GPX file, and the three Wheelers had managed to get the route loaded up onto their GPS computers.  

Belgian riders, especially Flandrians, have a reputation for relishing foul weather - the wetter, colder and windier the better. Which Wheelers best channel their inner Flandrians?

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

The morning weather forecast advised 2°C. We all got there and it was cold, but luckily no heavy frost and no ice. Hanif turned up on his mountain bike, with 20 PSI in his tyre - he’s nuts isn’t he!  It was lovely to see Martin Buckle. 

So we set off At 9.31 and went like the clappers. Usual banter with Richard “Kev” Hann; obviously it was in the gutter. We didn’t have a single mechanical along route. 

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Category 6 ride led by Carolyn Kelleway

There was a good turn out of determined Cat 6ers ready and prompt at Much Hadham on a very foggy cold January morning.

This year's club runs points competition was intended to run from November 2020 to December 2021 inclusive - the extra months being added to align the competition year with the calendar year. However COVID intervened so that there were just 39 weeks with Sunday club runs, so a maximum of 78 points. Congratulations then to Tony and Peter who got so close to a 100% attendance!

Category 4 ride led by Peter Bloomfield

Well, if nothing happened there would be nothing to write about would there…

Category 4 ride led by Lisa Ridoutt

Cycling to the start of the Category 4 ride, with the sun shining, I was looking forward to a great morning.

Disaster struck immediately. I arrived at the same moment as Ian, we were wearing the same cycling tops (not a club jacket). It was a case of go home and get changed or spend the next few hours looking like Harold and Hilda (Google “ Ever Decreasing Circles” if you’re under 50)!

So Harold and Hilda it was…….

We rode to Essendon Golf Club, lovely surroundings but no cakes!

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

So Santos Claus was coming to town, we’ll it was at 9.15. I rocked up with Mike Spicer. 

No one was to be seen, then riders started turning up in their plenty (I was going to say a “plethora”, but I don’t know how to spell it ;-) ). More and more arrived and my co-leader decided to turn up 3 minutes before the ride off (OK, it wasn’t 3 minutes, but close!) 

Category 6 ride led by Danny Hood and Mike East

The main talking point took place before 9.30, when, on the ride to the start, the nominated leader suffered two punctures. Danny Hood kindly led the group out from Allenbury’s to Much Hadham, where the frazzled leader joined in. Thereafter the ride took in Little Hadham, Ferneux Pelham and Great Hormead, where, in the (planned) absence of a cafe stop, the full two points were gained.

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

I turned up at Allenbury’s, followed by Denis.  Then Peter Walton turned up,  Ian Bailey and Rebecca Moore. Only five of us. Carolyn Kelleway advised she would meet us at Cold Christmas Lane. 

We set off at 9.30, met Carolyn and had no real incidents. We got to Thremhall Park, as normal, and the food came out swiftly. 

On the way back, yours truly had a puncture, fixed and on our way. I had a minor altercation with a branch and crashed into the soft verge. Nothing else really happened. 

Category 6 ride led by Tony Dos Santos

Category 6 ride led by Mike East

On the ride to the start I noticed the wind had changed direction since yesterday. Not with the same consequences as it does in Mary Poppins - repentant parents, lots of kite flying and a jaunty  song. No, the wind was now coming from the north, bringing an icy chill. The planned ride would be headwind out.