Kev offered to lead the longer run to Rainow, but this suggestion was met with a universal “but we want to be back in time for the Tour”. So Kev promised that we’d be back for 2 p.m. – and we nearly were. It was a beautiful day for a ride to the hills, and we had a great group out, with Kev, me, Carol, Chris Buckley and Chris Gilbertson, Nigel, David the golfer, Jim, Tony, and youngsters Andy and Titch. We made quick progress to Macc Forest, where Kev took us on the notorious left fork at Langley reservoir: a road which rears up steeply, achieving a double arrow on the OS map, but really warranting a triple one – it hits 30% at one point. As I pathetically capitulated at the bottom of this ramp, getting off to walk, I was impressed with the others above me who were managing to stay on, including Andy, Kev and Carol who were incredibly strong at the front.
We arrived at the cafe at Rainow, desperate for refreshment, to find it closed. Luckily the owner heard our wimpers of desperation and opened up early for us. Having eaten (in Andy’s case a very impressive full cooked breakfast) we didn’t hang about, given that we wanted to be back for the Tour, and rode at a cracking pace down to Bollington, and back home through Prestbury, Henbury and Siddington. Having had an event free ride all day, one particular stretch of a mile, at Siddington, witnessed Nigel crashing into a kerb (he’d been checking his make up), two punctures, a pedal problem and a broken chain. Had it not been for these, we’d have been back for two, as promised – but we didn’t do badly, and Kev and I were back home at 2.30 to enjoy the Tour – and watch history in the making! Kev had 64 miles, 921m of climbing, and an average speed of 17 mph on his clock.
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