40 cyclists congregated at the Market Square this morning to enjoy one of the best days so far this year in terms of weather and there were plenty of white legs and arms on display after their winter hibernation.

Plenty of activity today with an Introductory Ride led by Andy Holt, the Group 1 route set by Joe and Mark C preparing the Group 2 route .

Andy Mc and Chris P were on their 200km audax (no doubt there will be a report), however good to see a few old faces .. Justin Lomas and Paul Reece and also a few new faces like Matt from Cambourne (they will soon have enough people for their own club) and Daniel from Buckden. Mick Yates (see Group 1 report below) despite the St Ives colours was allowed to ride !!.

Introductory Ride

With usual leader Ruth away on Hen Party duty and stand-in Gareth succumbing to a stomach bug (some cruelly suggesting he was trying to loose weight quickly before the next TT!), it was a "committee" of SNCC members (including Andy H, Colin M, Tony F, Jacob and David W) that greeted new riders including Sam, Colin and Mike outside Cafe Nero.  Regular Group 1 refugee Wayne T also joined the group to provide some welcome experience and navigational skills (!).  Introductions and briefing complete, the 11 strong group rolled out of the Market Square in glorious sunshine.

The planned route was to have been a roughly elongated version of the Club TT course extended to Bourn.  However, somehow the turn towards Abbotsley Golf Course was missed/ignored and so we continued anti-clockwise through Abbotsley and Great Gransden and on to Bourn.  There were only a couple of minor "mechanicals" en-route including a tyre pop-out and a wayward bottle cage otherwise the run out was disciplined and uneventful.  At Bourn, we headed for home and with the planned route now long abandoned (sorry Ruth!) we made up the route as we went along.  At Everton, a democratic vote opted for a return back via a descent of Everton Hill and Tempsford, with Wayne winning his own sprint to Tempsford Level Crossing.

The Intro Ride always matches the pace of the slowest rider, nevertheless due to some excellent pedalling in close formation throughout, the relatively flat route and lack of wind, we completed 32 miles (6 more than Ruth had intended) at an impressive 15.1 mph average.  The next Introductory Ride will be on Sunday 2nd June, when Ruth will be back to ensure we stick to plan.

Group 1

9 Group1 riders in the market square including a new rider, Mick, in St Ives CC colours with matching bike and gloves! A very warm welcome to Mick, who has ridden with St Ives for 20 years. We hope to see him on more club runs, once he gets the green and white spray paint out.:)

As Joe (our other Irishman) had been riding in the Peak District over the weekend with Ade and some of the group regulars, he hadn't had a chance to post a route up on the forum. There were 2 previous routes on offer, 1 long and 1 short. It was decided to do the shorter route as several members were keen to get back early to fulfil existing commitments.

The route was abandoned very early on due to a miscommunication at the front, (was that Tim again?. Ed)  so we followed Richard Ostler’s directions on a mystery tour and took a route through Kimbolton, Catworth, Barnwell, Great Gidding, Alconbury Weston, Stow Longa, Keysoe and back via Bushmead, where Joe took the sprint. Finally back to Nero’s for coffee in the sun. All in all, 60 miles covered at just under 20 mph average

Group 2

Mark C was soon marshalling the riders into 2 groups for the Group 2 run and the first bunch away were led by our other Irishmen , Steve Lyons, who took the group out to Abbotsley , Gamlingay , Biggleswade and then across to Old Warden. 13 started in this group and they picked up Steve Pleasance near Gamlingay (he does like his “lie in’s”) and by this time the group were settling into a good rhythm and fully enjoying the day. The hill down into Cardington produced the usual rush of blood led by Steve who managed to get the jump on everyone else but by the straight he had been reeled in by Darren and Jonathan and good order was restored again before the Bushmead sprint taken this time by Jonathan

The remaining 7 headed out on the same route soon after and would have caught the first bunch ( they say) if it had not been for the two holes in one of Simon’s tyres and Peter’s chain coming of and breaking one of his spokes that held them up. Despite these minor setbacks a + 17mph pace and 45 miles covered

Don’t forget next Sunday the 12th will be the 100 miler