England : Rutland Sunday 17th November, quiet lanes and cake.

[Deleted member 1258]

Looks lovely, sorry I missed it, my day didn't go to plan and in the end I could have joined you, but by the time I found out it was too late.

 

[ColinJ]

Looks good!

I hope to join you for another Rutland ride, maybe in Summer 2014?

 

[HLaB]

Turned up a wee bit late for this one, about a week late ;-)

 

[totallyfixed]

Turned up a wee bit late for this one, about a week late ;-)

I'm not writing up todays ride, dr_pink is [probably tomorrow], might be a heavy evening for me as another surprise walked through the door a short time ago, better go, things to attend to

 

[dr_pink]

I'm not writing up todays ride, dr_pink is [probably tomorrow], might be a heavy evening for me as another surprise walked through the door a short time ago, better go, things to attend to

So today (or rather yesterday now) was TF's birthday so I had been secretly planning a surprise ride for a while now and had PM'd those who had been in previous rutland rides to see who was free...
I told him last night that he needed to plan a route (!) but didn't say who we'd be riding with... & I baked quite a few cakes... I thought he'd rumbled my plan but
he was totally surprised to see poacher & HLaB arrive at our house, and some non cyclechat pals from Cambridge too. Sadly dave_r didn't make it.
It was a lovely ride - tea stop at Melton country park (as the planned cafe stop was shut). Thanks to poacher & HLaB for coming over, and sorry dave that you never made it..
Photos to come ...

 

[dr_pink]

Some photos from yesterday...
Traffic jams as usual...

TF decides to take us through a danger zone...

Melton Country Park. One to recommend - good prices for cakes and beans on toast.
Check out the birthday candle on TF's cake...

Nice flat route...

Obligatory group shot at the top of the hill looking down into Oakham (a rare shot of birthday boy TF himself):

& obligatory shot of cakes at the end of the ride (see people - this is why you should come on a Rutland ride - you get a cake stop AND cakes at the end ) - this one's for you Potsy and Colin!:

 

[ColinJ]

Hmm, cake!

It all looks good - see you there next summer?

 

[totallyfixed]

Hmm, cake!

It all looks good - see you there next summer?

Hope so, didn't do one this summer for various reasons, I guess for you it will depend on how the dates work out as it does for us, much easier to go on another forum ride than organise one. Certainly at this time of year despite CC numbers continuing to grow, there still appears to be a problem getting folk out riding together, maybe it's time to start the yearly thread on why peeps don'y ride with others, I have a new theory..............

 

[ColinJ]

For some reason, I can't see the smilies that you have been using in recent posts, such as the previous one. Can everybody else see them? I have tried a few different browsers and all I can see is an IMG placeholder.

I will probably only be making one or two trips down to the Midlands next year, apart from Christmas or New Year. If you plan a summer ride, try to let me know a month in advance and I will time a visit to fit in with it!

I hope to be fit and well enough to organise a rerun of my seaside century ride at the end of March or the start of April next year. It would be great if you could time a visit to 'the outlaws' to fit in with that!

 

[totallyfixed]

I think the century on fixed is going to be around that time too so we'll have to see. I just want to take the opportunity before this thread dies of saying thank you to HLaB, poacher, dr_pink [for being devious] and friends who made the trip from Cambridge for making my birthday ride so good, all in all it turned out to be a weekend I won't forget anytime soon [reaches for the paracetamol]
Agreed Colin, some funny things happening to pictures as well, some have been removed and I am fairly sure we were all clothed.

 

[ColinJ]

I think the century on fixed is going to be around that time too so we'll have to see. I just want to take the opportunity before this thread dies of saying thank you to HLaB, poacher, dr_pink [for being devious] and friends who made the trip from Cambridge for making my birthday ride so good, all in all it turned out to be a weekend I won't forget anytime soon [reaches for the paracetamol]
Agreed Colin, some funny things happening to pictures as well, some have been removed and I am fairly sure we were all clothed.

I'm glad that your birthday do went well. The invites went round a while back but we were sworn to secrecy!

I might gatecrash the fixed ride if you make an exception for gears and the timing fits in with my travel plans! I'll try and make it to a future 'open' summer ride.