Time to start again. Now I know everyone else started the week before, but I had a more pressing engagement. No there was no ring, but I got another year closer to being old and slow rather than being young and useless. It was touch and go as to whether I turned up at all as it had rained all night, but it stopped by the morning and in the end it turned into a cracking morning.
We started off when it was still very cold. Big bunch, 18 in all. Bob out on the mountain bike as promised for the winter runs. 3 additions from Sutton, Yatesy just making it in time for the start, which was late anyway. We had a quick briefing by our chairman and also ride leader Todger. Just so everyone was clear on how club runs differed from training runs. The route was down to Wellsborne one of our more frequent stops. Being my first ride back I was hoping for an easy pace and short run.
Things went well on the way out. Roads were still pretty wet, but drying. An old boy was out, by that I mean old member rather than older member. Humpy I believe was the nickname, wonder how he got that? Oh, his surname is Humphreys, OK not as interesting a reason as it could have been. He seemed rather keen to sprint for 30 signs so at times things were lively. The pace was not that easy, but comfortable. I could feel the distance just a bit by the time we made Wellsborne. There was an awful lot of flying activity at Wellsborne, it is an airfield, but in all the times I have been there I cannot recall ever seeing any planes taking off and landing there. There was also a very long queue to get a cup of tea. There was only one serving girl, unlike when you go to Todgers who has a much larger staff, and she seemed to really be enjoying her job in that special way that teenagers do. God I sound so old now!!
When we emerged from the cafe it was a different season, I told you she was slow at serving the tea. The sun was out and it was warm! We headed back along very familiar roads, though I could not tell you were we go. Played dodgems down Stratford high street though. Things were starting to pick up and Pikachu had a timely puncture just as things were getting a bit silly. This brought it back together except for Pikachu who had also broken a spoke and decided to sit out the back for safety's sake. Dave and Baywatch decided not to climb Ullenhall and turned off home. At Ullenhall the usual hell was unleashed. I took the climb at my own pace which meant I was immediately 20m out the back. I pulled back a few up the hill and then blew over the top. As Todger and Humpy went past I was slowly disintegrating as happens so often. I was unable to get on the wheel and that proved my undoing. As they made it back to the bunch and I was left to chase on my own.
The gap was closing slowly, so very slowly. Then as we got close to the A435 the bunch increased the pace and I knew it was all over. I sat up and waited for Steve Coombes who was one of the two riders behind me. When he caught up we worked it through together back along the dual carriageway. We also caught Pikachu who was just rolling home. Then Nick Hands also caught up, but decided to blow past rather than join in the group. As we got to the motorway island it all went a bit pear shaped and I was forced to sit up and just roll. Having now blown completely I very slowly made my way back to the sanctuary of my car, before collapsing completely. A good start to the season.