The weather may have been in flux since the tour - an Indian summer giving way to a soggy autumn and foggy winter- but some things never change. It's almost three months to the day since we waited outside the Old Sun for Mick to fettle his bike (with a twig!) before setting off for Market Harborough. Now we wait in the self same spot while he changes a tyre that has been flat since the end of that ride. There's nothing like being prepared....
Plus Ca Change
Fortunately we don't get too cold as there's been a marked improvement in the weather- the fog that's been around for much of the week giving way to sunny spells and blue skies.
We finally get on the way, headed for Deadman's Cross, via Water End, Clophill and Apley Corner. There are six of us- Brian, Richard, Joe, Chris H, John & Mick; Clive having cried off suffering from jet lag- an Ampthill CC first, I think.
None of us has ridden much in recent weeks and the pace is steady rather than brisk. This is in keeping with the spirit of the traditional Xmas ride. It's very much a token gesture to off-set some of the excesses of the evening's drinking and eating.
Just as we're getting into a rhythm John pulls up with the second puncture of the day. He's fast becoming the Puncture King having had no fewer than four flats on his last MTB ride.
The tyre's soon changed and we set off again- hitting what seems like rush-hour in Clophill High Street.
The climb up Great Lane is harder than usual and we are well strung out by the time we reach the old school in Haynes. We stop to re-group before heading for Apley End where we pick up the concrete bridleway out to Chicksands. Here we encounter a dozen or so portly gentlemen who have spent the day terrorising the local pheasant population- Amazingly they must be the only guns in Bedfordshire that Joe doesn't know.
Cutting back through Haynes Silver End we met a couple of 10-year-olds on MTB's. Fascinated by a bunch of old gits riding bikes they heclked us as we past. They were obviously reminded of the Worzels (Joe's beard, perhaps?) and gave us a chorus of Oi've Gotta Brand New Combine Harvester.
It's starting to cool down and the sun is low in the sky as we get to Deadman's Cross, so we decide to abandon our original plans of heading to Southill via Ireland and head back to the Stone Jug. Only when we get inside do we realise just how cold it has become. The welcome is just as warm as the pub itself and it's hard to pull ourselves away. Not for the first time this year, we have an extra pint before heading out into the dark.
Badger Hill seems to have got steeper over the past few weeks and we are secretly glad of the excuse to stop at temporary traffic lights halfway up. Then there's a charge back to Ampthill in time for "The Three S's" before heading out for the evenings festivities. Just as we enter town Joe takes the opportunity to wave to members of his fan club and manages a somersault over the handlebars for their entertainment. There's no damage to bike or biker and we head of home to prepare for the evening's festivities.
An excellent way to spend a winter's afternoon whilst managing to clock up a steady 20 mile
s.
