My 26th club ride of the year today, and we had a new girl along for her first ride, so it was all done at a very civilized pace. With all the rain we've had lately and all the crud on the minor roads, today's ride was basically a straight-there-and-back 37 mile ride along the A38 with a small loop at the furthest point. Near Lower Wick we hung a left and rode some lovely minor roads through the woods and up a surprisingly steep little hill on the way to Tortworth. I knew it was coming, because it had come as a horrible surprise to everyone on an audax I did earlier in the year. Still came as a bit of a shock, though.
Great café stop at the top of the hill in Tortworth, and a welcome following wind all the way back for the last 16 miles or so. Volunteered to go "Tail-end Charlie" and stayed at the back towards the end to help the new girl round. (I have long since learned the unwisdom of loudly announcing "I'll take up the rear" when riding in a group!) Would have been a great little social ride if it wasn't for mishaps. One rider showed remarkable self control when enduring three punctures on the same rear wheel on the outward leg. Despite half the club (me included) feeling the rim and the tyre each time for anything sharp, it was only when he felt the added social pressure of having to borrow a third replacement tube that he finally discovered the offending piece of glass. I have to say it was a remarkably small piece, and never looked anything like big enough to get through any tyre, let alone a new "Victoria Pave"(?) that was supposed to be puncture resistant. This sort of thing always makes me so glad I use Slime inner tubes.
Back on the Kingsway Estate, we said our goodbyes and I set off home ... only to come across a clubmate (who left less than a minute before me) slumped at the side of the road, groaning in pain. He had taken quite a nasty fall as the front wheel just went from under him without any apparent reason. Couldn't see any wet leaves or oil on the road, and no potholes. He was a little bloodied and his kit was in bad shape and there was a big scuff on the side of his helmet where his head had hit the kerb. Don't care how much slagging I get for upsetting the anti-helmet brigade, but I reckon his helmet saved him from a serious head injury today. I stayed with him until the shock wore off, and got his bike out of the road and straightened his bars for him. Really glad to see he was able to get back on. I rode along with him for a while and offered to stay with him 'til he got home, or to fetch my car to get him and his bike home, but he declined all further offers of help. Great to see he was OK(ish), but I bet he'll be sore for a few days. A sad end to the ride. Take care out there, everyone.
Donger.
raining .so sit about for a bit and it stops so off I go expecting to wet at some stage. Headed in different direction and some new roads . Headed north west and area I don't ride much for some reason .So Newtown Linford ,Markfield ,Thornton ,Bagworth ,Odstone ,Newton Burgoland, Snarestone were I made my first turn into the headwind ( brutal) so kept dog legging to avoid the wind as best I could then heading for Orton on the hill I had a mile of vicious crosswind on a exposed road (really noticed the wind with the lighter carbon bike) . then I found the hill on which Orton is on a short steep climb the ride is slowly turning into an ordeal . On to Sheepy Parva , Sibson, Shenton ,Stapleford into Barwell thanks to a navigation error found a route to Kirby Mallory, Peckleton ,Desford ,Ratby ,Groby and Home 53 miles on the clock at 15mph which I was surprised with considering the headwinds I was crawling into .but as I did a loop also had some tailwinds were I was flying. Managed to get round without getting wet 
. Think it was the right decision to bail out off the 100 mile the winds would have been brutal on the flatlands outside Cheadle respect to anyone who did it . Off to wash the bike its filthy then 
tea and cake 
