I’m a ride or two behind, so I’m back playing catch up.  Luckily I can cover the first ride, on Friday, with very little effort.  I went for a ride with George.  We took it easy and talked a lot.  I felt good but was slower than I felt – for various reasons I imagine – but it was, as ever, good to be back on the bike.

Cycling time: 1:45:31 hrs
Distance: 26.30 miles
Avs: 15.0 mph.
ODO: 14750 miles

Which brings us to today.  Youngest and Daddy were off doing the National Trampolining Championship in Birmingham (which did not go stormingly well, but hey, it’s all about the taking part right?) which meant that if I wanted to ride with the ACG, MiniMe would be coming too.  Not that this is a bad thing, but he’s not yet up to a normal ACG ride, so I announced a ride to Sweets, with anyone free to get there and back as they pleased, with the slightly more civilised start time of 9:30am.

It was, unexpectedly, very well attended.  Me and the aforementioned MiniMe, Chris (aka Figgy), Gary, Dave, relative newbie Nick, and total newbie Rob.  We did a loop – the sort that’s longer on the way out when MiniMe would still have energy, and shorter on the way back when he wouldn’t.  And didn’t.

On the way out he did unexpectedly well.  I can’t make him sprint when it’s just us, but apparently being with a group, or being overtaken by a tri-bar girl can…   He’s got quite a turn of speed on him as it turns out.   To be fair it was, apart from the Webbington blip at the beginning, an easy flat ride.  Mild, blustery but not troubling wind, and as good as it has been lately.  Suited him down to the ground :).

Our coffee stop was, as advertised, at Sweets.  I reckon if you sat outside Sweets for a week, every cyclist in Somerset would pass by sooner or later, and the large majority of them would pop in for coffee at least once…

Time to make C stand for Cycling not Coffee.  Or the Chocolate Cake which was supposed to get MiniMe up Mudgley Hill faster, and most definitely did not.  To be fair, I think it’s the biggest hill he’s ever done, and his gearing is shocking for such things.  This will no doubt make him stronger in the long run, but made for some suffering in the meantime.

Until he could see the top and sprinted for it!

We split at the top.  Chris, MiniMe, Rob and I headed direct for home.  The rest headed for bigger things.  Many thanks to you all for tolerating us, and I hope you enjoyed Deer Leap.  I appreciate some of you needing a greater challenge…and today, you can keep it 🙂  I don’t need to do Deer Leap, I’ve done the Passo Giau 😉 *grin*.

MiniMe was suffering for the rest of the way home, and had to be cajoled and towed home.  On longer rides his back goes, rather than his legs.  He probably needs his set-up looking over, and he may need some gym/core work.  He’s now old enough for some youth sessions they’re running at the gym which might be helpful.  He’s growing so fast that his back is probably like those weird cheese string things – all stretchy but not very strong!  Seriously – I came back from six days away for the Maratona and he’d quite literally grown two inches.  See for yourself!

It’s official.  He is no longer MiniMe.  He shall henceforth be known as MaxiMe.  By the way, do you like my lovely new Maratona kit?  I thought I might as well wear it, what with it being as close to reasonable weather as we’ve seen in a long time.  Typically by the time we got back the sun was out too…so maybe if I wash my kit I might even be able to hang it on the line to dry – ooh, it’s exciting around here 😉

Cycling time: 1:37:11 hrs
Distance: 25.59 miles
Avs: 15.8 mph.
ODO: 14776 miles

So this is what a weekend without a sportive feels like.  I’m not sure I like it…*grin*.  Roll on next weekend, when a small ACG contingent are doing the Great Weston Ride again, as it’s usually a lot of fun :).

PS: bumped into Rob on the way back, of infamous Dartmoor Classic review photo fame.  I don’t think he’s lived it down yet *grin*.  The more I ride, the more I write, the more familiar faces there are out there – it’s lovely :).