A ride and Freewheel Competition

We all had a lot of fun today, depite the drizzly rain. A treat was a rally of old MG cars running past us into the bargain. Congratulations to Jennie Jackson and Dave Bartholomew for winning the coveted hand made, bespoke, trophies produced by Ed Sharp. One day when you are older you'll look at them and remember a happy time. Congratulations also to the runners up who missed the prize by a whisker, Janice Dawes and Mike Reynell who both received valuable spare inner tubes! My spares have all got more than a few patches. Many thanks to Terry Lowe the competition master and the official 'launcher' Tony Hooker-good job. Of course Mark Gladwyn sailed 50 metres past the farthest distance on his whizzy tubeless tyres. Fortunately he's not competing anymore, but I really must get me some of those tyres!

After the prize presentation at Brockham Green, followed a brisk ride to lunch at the Surrey Oaks. Check out the real ale menu. Wow £10 a pint! Reassuringly expensive to a connoisseur I am sure. I think we were all glad to get into the warmth of the restaurant area. Despite the chef having his day off and the bacon and brie sandwiches coming with blue cheese instead, everything went well. Interestingly we met Paul and Vicky Kelly who belong to the club, but haven't been riding for a while. Both looked very well anyway. After lunch three steep hills to keep us warm and tea at Caffe Italia Banstead, by which time it stopped raining. My thanks go as usual to all the professionals marking the corners and to Simon as back marker who also came very close to winning a prize in the Freewheel Competition.

Author: Steve D