Peter B went on this ride and writes:
Seven riders joined Giles’s ride to Farthinghoe on Sunday, with a new rider, James T joining us for the first time on a weekend ride. Actually, there should have been eight riders, however one lightweight rider turned back before getting to the start because of the drizzle and wind (Milton, you know who it was).
The group split into two with Giles leading four of the more energetic riders, and me leading three of the more sensible ones.
Milton’s decision was, perhaps, understandable, as the rain and winds were not nice at the start. But shortly into the ride, the rain stopped and the sun came (occasionally) out, making the ride much more enjoyable, although the wind remained throughout.
Unlike last week, the headwind was on the way out, all the way to Limes Farm Tea Room, our refreshment stop at Farthinghoe. The service was very friendly and the food was good – Giles’s sausage sandwich and James’s Eggs Royale looked especially tempting. Apparently, during the next month of lockdown, the cafe will still provide food on a take-away or ride-through basis.
Brian, who had turned up with his e-bike, was enjoying the hills far more than most of us, but with the wind behind us, the return route was much faster, even using standard leg-power. We were back at EH before 2.00.
This was a very enjoyable route with a good cafe stop. The roads were a little bumpy on occasions with some mud on the road (especially where we passed the HS2 works), but we were able to ride through some nice country lanes with great scenery, so many thanks to Giles for devising a great route.
Cheers – Peter
CTC Northampton 