The most irritating thing about rain on a day when you are leading a club ride is that no one takes any photographs, so the poor, beleaguered leader actually has to think of some words to put in their ride report instead of cramming it with pictures separated by descriptions of the pictures! Anyway, at least you can always resort to a screen shot of the route!
Anyway, 'twas a wet and stormy day (well, just wet, really) at the old British Legion, and ten members of the 'A's' duly assembled for my ride to Windsor. It is hard to tell whether they were 'hardcore' riders, or just the ones with the most inaccurate weather apps on their phones, or both!
My plan was to link Cobham to a seemingly unlikely lunch stop for a ride starting from Cobham by using the new, super-dooper, all-tarmac Cobham to Wisley cycle path. All looked good, and as we left Cobham, the skies to the west were brightening slightly and we hoped the rain was clearing. I think they call it a 'suckers' gap', for, indeed, the rain did ease off for a bit, only to return with reinforced vigour as we neared lunch. My group (Gill, Simon, and Paula) took it all in good heart, kept together, and didn't suffer any 'mechanicals', and we reached lunch promptly at 1.00 pm. What could possibly go wrong!
Well, nothing did until we (now boosted in numbers by keen new member Graham K, who had joined us at lunch) until we were but a few miles from the end of the ride, when my slipped on something. Collapse of stout party! Thanks to help and support from everyone in the two groups, I was soon up and running (sort of), and able to continue home by bike. If I get my way, this incident will be effaced from history! I don't want to be known forever as 'the man who completed his accident report'!
On a cheerier note, it is clear that, despite being plagued with difficulties, Steve D managed to keep his group's spirits up! Of their experiences, he writes:
'Having read the ride notes thoroughly and studied the route from Dave W, I was confident despite the rain warning. On the morning it was not only wet, but cold and so I ended up swapping my carefully chosen clothing for full Goretex waterproofs with Boardman overshoes.
Getting to Cobham I was pretty much drenched, but nevertheless set off on the ride with Patrick, Richard and Guy. The roads were quiet and traffic and pedestrian free. No dog walkers on Bookham common is always a good clue.
I felt my legs were very tired, but it was probably me heating up in my waterproofs. Very soon my bike developed a loud clicking in the left peddle. Particularly galling, because two weeks before I had fitted new peddles, chain, cassette, freewheel and rear wheel bearings to the bike. Guy spotted that my pump had slipped out of the holder and was fouling the crank, which accounted for the noise. I was also having problems seeing the screen on my phone. Water had penetrated the case and heat from the phone was steaming up the viewing panel. So I missed two turns. Finally where the route criss crossed itself I got a turn wrong and we ended up taking the route out of Windsor instead of the one in. On the outskirts we spotted Dave's group and followed them to lunch.
Weatherspoons at Windsor is slightly pricier than elsewhere, but the fare was good. After lunch we followed the route back correctly, since I had stuffed napkins around my phone to absorb the wet. Of course it was still raining, but Dave and his group caught up at Prune Hill and at some traffic lights Dave suggested we go to Walton for tea instead of Hersham. Unfortunately Patrick and Guy cycled to the front of the traffic queue and carried on when the green light showed, on the original route. I joined Dave with Richard on his route. On the cycle path next to Weybridge Road out of Addlestone Dave took a tumble on his bike and smashed the left brake caliper. He seemed unscathed, but embarrassed (mortified, I would say -Ed). So after we straightened out his handlebars he decided to ride home. Guy and Patrick caught up with us here. Simon led us to the Walton Marina cafe for tea and very nice it was too.
Thank you Dave for organising another lovely route. I appreciated the cheery (not cherry as What's app changed it to) and forgiving company of my companions'.
Well no, thanks to you, Steve, for kindly offering to lead, and for keeping going despite a barrage of problems, and thanks to everyone else for their company, and for putting up with it all.
