Sunday 29th Jan

Justin’s B(2) Group Ride Report – Sunday 29th Jan

My plan was to use chat AI to write this report but sadly at the time of writing it’s at capacity…..

The ride started with record breaking B group turn out. Perhaps due to the good conditions. Perhaps due to Alex bringing his new bike. Perhaps due to the ride leader that day… who knows.

After splitting the group we set off as B2 group behind B1. Interestingly after seeing them up the road on the way out of Shipston we never saw them again…..

The first half of the ride was mostly flat and uneventful. and due to me writing this on Friday I can’t recall any detail. I do recall the cafe stop though as I nearly fell off from not clipping which would have been very uncool. Cafe was good with Phil taking charge of the distribution for B group drinks and cake. Barnsey gave me some of his flapjack out of pity as I didn’t have any cake, I thought this was a good move and he gets my vote for rider of the year when the next award dinner comes around. Andy Luca had a cigarette after his cake as per my WhatsApp picture. Strange to see a cyclist who smokes these days.
Noel also started talking to some random people just when I said I wanted to get a picture so that ruined that #bastardNgroup

The ride back is one of my favorite routes. Some shorter hill sections with Phil, Kim and one of the Dans/Dannys showing us all whos been training hard. The long downhill section was enjoyable. Me and Phil had a long conversation all the way down but I have no idea what he said due to the wind, he was probably talking about Tesla but I was talking about how cold my nipples were but either way we both seemed happy.

Phil, Lockers, Danny and eventually our royal chairman Andy peeled off pre car park leaving only Tony, me and Dan to do the full ride …. 😀

Good group, v enjoyable and dammed good looking bunch of cyclists in B2 group

Riders: Phil the fountain of knowledge Smith
Michael Lockers mc Lockerson
Kim long time no see where you been Kim
Royal air marshal squadron Leader Andy Smith
Danny – new chap, top bloke. nickname pending
Dan – new chap, also a top bloke. nickname pending
Tony – Supreme secretary ruler

Avg sp: 16.3 mph
Distance: 38.6

the is a test report

Test Group Ride Report – Sunday 5th February

Just as I turned into the car park by the bridge in Shipston at the end of the ride, Alex (as he headed for home – as always – by bike) said to me “could you write the ride report?”. I replied with a quick “OK”, so here we are!

A creditable 18 riders turned up across the groups on what was quite a cold morning and just four of those opted to ride with the A group – Alex (RL), Luke, Robin and me.

Dry roads were a very welcome sight and we set off for Broadway Tower via Burmington, Willington and Todenham, before heading up to the Fosse Way and it was at this point that we saw the B group rapidly advancing towards us!

I think it was Luke who said something like “they’re going to reel us in” but, thankfully (if only for the sake of a few egos!) they didn’t!

On towards Chipping Campden, after which we climbed the main hill of the day. Dyers Lane was its name and it had a nasty little kick on the approach to the junction where we turned left onto Buckle Street before arriving at Broadway Tower just 2 or 3 minutes ahead of the seven strong B group led by Jez Cooper.

A couple of candidates emerged here for two new SCC end of year award categories – Jez for the smallest cake of 2023 with his minuscule custard tart and Robin for the rider who gets coldest fastest when we sit outside in the winter – his own fault for being such a “lean machine” with no discernible fat on him!

Given the obvious speed on the day of the B group, allied to the fact that we’d already done around two-thirds of the climbing after 15 of the 34 mile route total, we decided to have a joint A and B group for the remaining 19 miles. For the record, the septet of B group riders joining the A group besides Jez were Phil, Michael, Noel, Andy L, Dan and Nigel.

It was a really good feeling to now be part of a double figure group ride and we were soon making the exhilarating Snowshill descent towards Broadway, before continuing on our way to Willersey.

The sub-Edges of Weston and Aston were next before Mickleton and then the final climb of the day as we headed for Ilmington.

I should say that the infamous “N” group in the form of Noel suddenly became activated on the approach to Mickleton and I think we saw him veering off onto the Stratford road as the other 10 of us crossed the mini roundabout outside the village towards Ilmington – Noel never to be seen again!

Four had peeled off heading for various home destinations by this point and it was the remaining half a dozen of us who turned right onto the Shipston road (thankfully, no incident to report this week!).

Across the Fosse and then down past the Leisure Centre to the finish where the final stats were:

Distance – 34.2 miles,
Average Speed – just under 17 mph,
Climbing 2221 ft.

All in all a really nice ride in favourable conditions for early February, with good company along the way.