The short run today was a TBA, and it was quickly arranged at the Legion to trip out via a winding route Dunham Massey way.
Terry Veal had already said to us (at the Legion) that he’d rode down with new boy Graham Gregory, and that he was ‘already knackered’. We weren’t sure quite what he meant, but we soon found out…
Out of the club, we headed out through Antrobus, where young Graham suggested that he could have had ‘an extra hour in bed’, or something to that effect, but not deterred, he hit the front and we increased pace considerably. This was fairly short lived, as Andy then went on a ot hole finding mission, and found one, puncturing his rear tyre. To make matters evern more tragic (read hilarious), he then found that he’d forgotten(?) his saddle pack containing his spare inner tubes. Fortunately, we were well enough prepared, and found a spare for him to wrestle onto his wheel. Then, producing a Co2 inflator, Andy demonstrated that he could single handedly puncture a hole in the ozone layer, by letting the cartidge off before it went onto the tyre valve. A new technique, and not one I’d seen since I did the very same thing myself a few years back.
'How many cyclists does it take to... never mind...
Off on the road again, and by the time we had got to Rostherne, the young mr Gregory was off the front setting a blistering pace. It had been suggested that Graham hadn’t been well for a few months. We now know that he had in fact been training with Team GB in their olympic preparations… or so it seemed.
After this short but pacy run, we reached the tea rooms, and piled in to find the barn very short staffed, and some very stressed ladies wondering how they’d make so many beans on toast orders and serve so much tea. Assembled outside in warm temperatures, we were quite happy to sit and chill out, and watch the stressed ladies run in and out of the barn to serve our food and drinks.
Cyclists search ravenously for beans on toast, tea and scones...
Refreshed, the pace eased off (for a bit), as we found a route back towards Lymm, where part way, the brooding skies opened, and poured a torrent upon us. A cape stop had me raching into my pack for my bright yellow (and a bit musty) cape. Off again, and we meandered back through through the lanes until Budworth, where I then peeled off and dissapeared home at a suitable pace to balance my temperature against (as Eleanor eloquently put it) the ‘boil in the bag’ feeling.
A good short run, at a faster than normal, but not unpleasant pace.
Thanks to Al for leading, Andy for entertainment, and Graham, for his new lease of life!!