Time to re-engage with normal life. Which in this case, it being a Sunday morning, meant that it was time for an ACG ride. The expected 3 riders turned into 4. Myself, GB, GH (no longer the newbie as he’s now a fully paid up member), and the not been with us for quite a while KG.
Obviously we hadn’t planned a route beforehand because that would have involved a degree of forward planning, so we spent the usual 5 minutes arguing (sorry debating) about where we should go. Having not wanted to go to Glastonbury across the Levels and exposed to the wind, GB was persuaded to go there on the basis that we would go by a different and not totally flat route to get there. I just wanted good coffee, and that’s where good coffee is. I also wasn’t sure how I’d be feeling after two weeks holiday and didn’t fancy big hills.
We kinda made the route up as we went along, which looked a little like this, and it went pretty well. We were all fairly well matched, up until near the end where the fact that KG hasn’t been able to get out much finally got the better of him. Not that it stopped him racing up the hill past Panborough and dropping us all just like he always does! Having said that, it’s not just him, we’re all pretty competitive which is neither big nor clever but is occasionally fun *grin*.
For the first time in for what seems like forever but is only actually since March, I had a puncture, just before we got into Fairyland. A large thorn/nail end was quite clearly the culprit. Luckily it was the front tyre which is always easier to deal with, and if I say so myself, I did a pretty good job of changing the tube and getting it all sorted. All by myself too, since as we have seen previously, changing a tube on an ACG ride is a bit of a spectator sport… 😉 I was a bit worried I wouldn’t have got enough pressure back into it and would either puncture again or just be slowed down by it, but neither of those things happened. Result!
We had coffee at Heaphy’s in the sun, with the addition of Orangina for me which always makes me smile, and breakfast related sandwiches for KG and GB which seems to make them smile too. KG has never forgiven me for taking the ACG to a vegetarian cafe there… *grin*. We came back the direct route, interacting with at least 3 other cycling events – the Wiggle Mendip Sportive, something Strawberry Line related, and something that involved tri bars, sleeveless jerseys and silly looking helmets… Admittedly three different target audiences, but you’d think some degree of co-operation with regards to dates/routes might have been a good idea… I bet the motorists around here have well and truly had enough of cyclists today!
Cycling time: 2:14:35 hrs
Distance: 40.01 miles.
Avs: 17.8 mph
ODO: 9866 miles
See how fast we were? Awesome! Especially as it was windy, and we weren’t trying massively, being as how G stands for Group and we were trying to keep it that way. Only I do feel like my legs are that much better these days, and it’s just so nice to go fast when fast is an option, and to push up what hills there were. Even if GB can always out climb/sprint me. Shall I add that to my goal list – beating GB? 😉 Clearly Cornish training rides haven’t done me any harm, and I didn’t lose too much fitness being away. I should probably wash the bike now – the poor thing is covered in two weeks worth of grime – but I think that’s a job for later this week… 🙂