Second week in (for me anyway) to the winter Club run season. If it continues like this then we will need a police escort for the training runs next year. A great turnout saw 20 of us out. The weather was not too bad, especially considering how things have been lately. Overcast but not cold. Young Pic made it up from Shrewsbury for an all too infrequent visit. The start was prompt despite calls to wait for the expected young lady from the University. We were so prompt Wilksey was forced to chase on to catch up having missed his usual pre-ride stop he looked in some discomfort for the first half of the ride. We also had another new boy out in Brian who had been recommended by Baywatch.
The route was over Coleshill way. We met up with the Nortons, another welcome addition, Cazza, Mick Wright and the Greek to swell the numbers up. We had the far too young and talented Tom Kirk and Phil from the Sutton out but none of our own children. The route was very interesting. Good quiet roads but unfortunately on the lumpy side of flat. This was bad news for Nick Selibas who was suffering with a cold and probably should have stayed in bed. The hilly nature of things made it a difficult ride to keep together as several riders had a tendency to attack on each and every hill. You know who you are, now stop it! If you are not careful then there will be 2 different speed rides. I think this slightly ticked off our chairman who decided to go to the front to calm things down and set a steady pace. Unfortunately he asked me to be there too.
We avoided a couple of lemons driving cars and made the cafe in what was a fairly quiet ride. Apart from the "relief" stop where we had to wait ages for Bob to find what he was looking for, maybe it was colder that I thought, the ride went without incident. There was no sprinting for 30 signs and a lot of banter. Some discussion about who would be world champion later that day, I must admit no-one mentioned Vainsteins.
The cafe was in an industrial estate, part of a camping and caravanning shop. They looked slightly surprised when we arrived and had to draft in tea making re-enforcements. Surprise, surprise one of the tea ladies knew Cazza. Whether it was by reputation alone or maybe she was one of his clients, but he had definitely left an impression on her. Talk then turned to Laila. The mysterious possible 5th masseur for Majorca. The only person who has met her is Cazza so there was a few questions as to whether she know exactly what she was getting into and how she would fit in. Those were not the exact questions, but I have paraphrased.
The way home was more dramatic. Well it was for Bob anyway. Nick and the rest of the Eastern contingent of the club left early on as Nick was really under the weather. Bob, the only man out on a mountain bike and therefore with 26' wheels had the misfortune to puncture twice. The first went on a stretch of flat road, but let go in a pretty dramatic way. The second time it went was just coming to a left hand bend at the bottom of a steep hill. It could have been nasty. A repair was attempted, by a few miles later it went again. For Bob it was good to talk and he called home for a lift, finally admitting defeat.
As we approached Solihull, the Redditch members sought to take a more direct route home. Strangely they took several people who should have gone straight on. Now the run through Solihull is one of my preferred routes home. Mainly because it is flat, but also because the frequent roundabouts and traffic lights break the ride up and gives plenty of time for rest when the pace picks up. The group that remained after the split was myself, Phil, Tom, Alistair (worrying) and Wilksey (now very worried). My savior, or so I hoped was Goldie as he was out on fixed and I thought that might keep things a little more sensible. He, the swine, turned off very soon after this group had formed. Trying to keep a low profile at the back, things were not too bad as we went though Solihull. The pace had picked up, Alistair and Phil were tapping out a good pace, but the traffic did not allow for too many shenanigans.
At Shirley Alistair also peeled off, followed 200m later by Phil. Then Wilksey took over. That was it for the easy ride. Going to the front just before we crossed the Stratford road, there was going to be no hiding now. There was only three off us and Wilksey was storming. Without looking back he held the pace at about 25mph most of the way back. Tom was spinning on fixed at the back as I tried to keep focused on Mark's back wheel. There is a little hill. Probably not even worth calling a hill really. A short rise past Wythall station, no more that 100m long, but it was enough. After that I was at the limit and not recovering on the flat. As I started to let the wheel go Tom gave me a helpful push to get me back in there. Another hundred yards and I was going again. I waved Tom through and sat up. Fortunately there was only half a mile back to the car and I rolled in. Obviously I eased off just to warm down, but I don't expect that to be believed.
Tom stopped for a chat as well and sometime later Pic came back too having gone with the Redditch bunch. It was a short ride. No more that 50 miles according to Tom's computer, but I can still feel it in the legs now. Didn't quite make it to the gym tonight either.