Cold wind from the North, overcast sky, and when the Buckden Boys arrived at the Market Square at 8.28 there was no one else there. This did not augur well - however fears that the day was wrong or the clocks had been changed again without them noticing were soon removed as the numbers swelled to 15.
This included Daniel King who joined us for the first time and a welcome return to Tom and Joe who have been missing in action for a few weeks. One member who shall remain nameless decided to take his training to a new level by imbibing the local ale until 3.00am the previous evening and morning before returning to the Market Square for the 8.30am departure. Not sure that this approach will feature in many of the training manuals. However no obvious after-effects were evident so perhaps it might catch on! Another stalwart blamed Guinness and Chelsea winning the Champions League for his no-show.
As we were set to depart we were alerted by the screech of brakes in the car park and Mr Pennell was seen to emerge from his car with the bike in the back to a suitable round of applause. Clearly a new trend is being set by those who live all of 4 miles away. Some lame excuse about “sleeping in” was the best he could offer. Instead of maintaining a low profile after this entrance, within 1000 yards of departing the Market Square the cry of "puncture" was heard from his lips. All duly stopped only to be informed that it was a "false alarm". Back on the road we followed Mark’s route north into the biting cold wind to Huntingdon, taking the A141 towards Ramsey. Despite the cold and the wind we maintained a steady pace and we agreed to split at Ramsey with Justin taking Group 1 deeper into the wilds of the Fens. Adrian B started to feel “rough” on the A141 and wisely decided to call it a day and head home.
Group 1 went to Holme, through Glatton and then looped round to Hammerton and back towards Catworth, Covington, Kimbolton and up to Little Staughton and then Bushmead and back to St Neots. A total of 64 miles and a well earned coffee back at the Market Square for the seven.
Group 2 turned right at Ramsey and plotted a route homewards via Warboys , Pidley , Somersham , St Ives , Hilton and Toseland. The seven in this group worked well together on the road home and took their coffees inside at Caffé Nero because of the cold outside. In all it was 48 miles for Group 2.
We have a number of members stretching their legs in sportives and charity runs over the next few weeks in the Chilterns and North Norfolk, and Ade and Tim are heading to the Giro d’Italia this week. Good luck to all.
