Ride Report – Sunday 21st February

Iain D, our Chairman, led this ride and writes:

By 9.30 a.m. on Sunday, a group of eight cyclists had assembled by Moulton Co-Op.  I say “by 9.30” as everyone had turned out early.  Whether that was down to the allure of a day’s ride in unseasonably warm temperatures or just due to the strong wind blowing up from town, I don’t know.

We had that wind at our backs as we headed away from Moulton towards Sywell, through Earls Barton and down over the Hardwater crossing of the Nene.  The road from Wollaston to Irchester provided a bit of a challenge for the lighter riders as we’d shifted round so that the wind was now coming from the side.  In gusts.  Straight lines were not the order of the day.

But we survived and Geoff, temporarily taking the lead, guided us through Higham Ferrers and out along the newly-surfaced Greenway over the Nene.  We paused to ponder Irthlingborough’s lantern church, so far inland, and that, plus the wind and the marshy nature of the flood plain, did prompt one rider to comment on the “coastal” nature of the ride.  We have it all here in Northamptonshire, folks!

The climb away from Irthlingborough was painless, the wind having reverted to being our friend, and we made very good time to Woodford Mill for brunch.  The Nene was running a bit high and throwing the odd bit of spray our way but it was still pleasant to be sitting out in the garden in the February sun.  And the jacket potatoes were excellent.

Now, with ineluctable logic, s/he who rides with the wind must also ride against it at some point and so we left the lee of Woodford Mill, turned our collective face to the wind and set off back to Moulton, heading first past Cranford and then over the A14 to the sheltering urban landscape of Burton Latimer.  From there to Holcot was pretty much unsheltered plain old-fashioned hard work I’m afraid.  In fact, by the time we got to Orlingbury we had split into two groups as we took turns trying to hide behind each other.  Still, we weren’t riding against the clock: we were on a Sunday Club ride, not a Saturday Brisk, and we had plenty of time in hand after our rapid earlier progress.

I’m pleased to say that we all made it back to Moulton – apart from Geoff who’d turned for home, as planned, at Burton Latimer – and in reasonable time too. Wind aside, the weather had been kind – warm, dry and bright for February.

Thanks to Brian for doing a sterling job as TEC in testing conditions!

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Ride Report – Saturday 13th February

Brian, our Rides Secretary, went on this ride led by Phil L and writes:

It was quite cool on Saturday morning (3°C) but the roads were not icy.  Four of us set out from our Brampton Valley Way meeting point up through Church Brampton and then across to Althorp.  We had the wind behind us as we made our way through West Haddon and Long Buckby to Yelvertoft on very quiet country lanes.  Then we turned south into the breeze as we made our way down National Cycle Route 50 through Crick and Ashby St Legers, great countryside on quiet roads.  As we approached Daventry there was hail in the
wind and we were glad to stop for coffee at the Country Park café which we almost had to ourselves.  The last stage back to Northampton was a bit of a battle against the wind and it felt much colder with a hint of rain in the air, although we did not get seriously wet.

Many thanks to Phil L for leading the ride which was just right for a breath of fresh air on a winter’s morning.

Ride Report – Sunday 7th February

Milton went on this ride led by Brian and writes:

On a fairly cold and windy but clear skied morning only three of us were at the Canoe Centre for the start.  As it was one of the few dry starts of the past couple of months, it was surprising to see so few people.  Perhaps we’ve got out of the habit in recent wet and windy times.

We set off to Cogenhoe and on to Grendon where we found Geoff waiting to join us – and on his “fixie” too, which he rode all day as if it had a multiplicity of gears!  On to Wollaston to Poddington and to Melchbourne and Souldrop before stopping for our only break at the Garden Centre in Milton Ernest.  The world’s most expensive cakes surprised us, but the newly re-furbished room was warm and welcoming and not too busy, so we forgave them the £3.00 bits of cake and ordered meat and potato pies instead.

We returned via Harrold, Bozeat and Castle Ashby and were back by 2.30 p.m. as promised.

Largely blown to Milton Ernest, we fought a stiff breeze for most of the way home, and, with 55 miles on my computer, we were pretty knackered.

The rain stayed largely where it should, in the clouds, and I think we had a cracking day of it.  Lots of quiet country roads with little traffic meant it had been, unsurprisingly, well planned, and was well led, and our thanks, as ever, to Brian.

Why it is perfectly OK to still like professional cycling

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