New Boots & Panties

Well- after about five years of talking, it seems we're finally going to get new shirts. Well done Mr R for getting off his backside and taking this on.

Of course, this does throw up a number of potential issues- not least of which is the shirt design. Despite being designed by committee, somehow the original shirts turned out pretty well (the odd typo not withstanding- Kieth!) but we did get bogged down with individuals providing their own logos (or not). Whilst not being superstitious, it may be wise to resist that this time round as, with the exception of the Old Sun, none of the businesses featured is still trading. We probably need to keep this fact away from any potential sponsors!

Furthermore, new shirts will mean, for the majority of us, choice and choice brings a need for decisions.
Which of us has not been through the excruciating exercise of getting ready to go out with the "Uvver 'Alf"? We grab whichever jeans and tee shirt are clean (or least dirty) and then sit and wait while they decide what to wear. This can take several hours while they try on the entire wardrobe because a) they have a choice and b) they're worried what everybody else will wear.

Over the years, we've proved that decision making is not our forte. Witness the annual fiasco of agreeing tour dates or even selecting dishes for the Xmas meal. This can take weeks and half of us still forget what we ordered when we get there.

Will we now be ringing around on a Tuesday to see which shirt everybody is going to wear on Thursday? Who will be arbiter? Will anybody who wears the wrong shirt be forced to ride a different route or sit on the other side of the pub? Perhaps we'll have to have separate whips for the ale.

Then there'is the matter of accessories. Again, taking the lead from the Uvver 'Alf, will we not need new shorts and shoes to go with our shirts? If so, remember Mick's recent advice and buy black not red shorts!

There's so much to worry about; I 'd go and contemplate this over a coffee, but I'd have to decide between cappuccino, latte, espresso, Americano............

Fall Out

With the nights drawing in and a decidedly autumnal feel to the weather, we have come to the end of yet another seasons riding. A few of the guys have manged to get out over the weeks since the tour- Mick, Loren & Keith keeping going to the last- but Thursday rides have now finished until April. It's been one of the best summers I can remember, despite the weather. We've had some memorable rides and the club has been rejuvenated by new members and a few returning old faces. It would be good to see even more riders joining us in the spring.

We're planning a ride on 12th December before Christmas dinner at the Jolly Coopers- watch this space for details- and the mountain bikers will continue to ride pretty much every weekend throughout the year. (If you want details email chedge@hotmail.co.uk)

Posts will be less frequent but I'm working on (unreliable) histories of the club & past tours and a review of the season. The odd MTB review will be thrown in for good measure so please keep visiting the site and don't forget to have a look at some of our advertisers.

The Grand Tour- 5th-6th September

This year's tour stands out for a number of reasons- pretty well all positive. The round trip to Market Harborough was, at 120 miles, the longest two day excursion we' ve had by some margin. In marked contrast to recent tours, last year's in particular, not one drop of rain fell- although the wind was almost as strong as the return trip from Weedon in 2006 and we managed to complete it without any serious incidents.

Much of the first day's riding followed Sustrans Route 6 along canal towpaths, abandoned railway lines and Milton Keynes' eponymous Red Routes. (After about two miles of riding on red tarmac Joe was awarded his Observer's Badge for his helpful comment that "This could be the red route you know".) Whilst the surface of these tracks sometimes leaves a bit to be desired- especially for those with full-on race bikes- they follow gentle contours, keep away from traffic & the tree lined cuttings provide a windbreak which was very welcome at times. In contrast, Sunday's ride was almost entirely on the road; the first half following a roller coaster route through the Northamptonshire countryside followed by the more gentle lanes of Bedfordshire.

Predictably, we managed to stray off the route several times, usually when we allowed Mick and/or Everton to set the pace- neither having seen the map, but Chris H also managed to lead us round an unnecessary two mile loop through Aspley Guise- So much for local knowledge.

Much of Route 6 is clearly waymarked, but the best signage tends to be where the route is most obvious. In a number of sections the signs seem to disappear. Maybe they've been nicked but as a consequence we spent a good deal of time trying to find our way out of Wolverton & Northampton town centre- probably the worst bits of the route to be lost in.

Our travels took us through a real cross section of English settlements. The picturesque Northants villages have a look of the Cotswolds with their cream sandstone walls and tiled roofs. This was in marked contrast to the Saturday afternoon bustle of Northampton town centre, the sub-urbs of Milton Keynes and the railway town of Wolverton. The latter could easily have been transported from the industrial north west with it's rows of terraced houses, working men's clubs and empty rail yards. On the other hand Market Harborough is the archetypal market town which showed little signs of the recession.

It wouldn't be a tour without at least one idiot in a car. For good measure we had three. The first was an old git in ( surprise, surprise) a Rover estate who we met on a dead straight 'A' road while riding in double file. The view ahead was clear for at least 400m and there was no on-coming traffic. This was apparently not good enough for him- Why should he go to the trouble of turning his steering wheel 10 degrees to go round us?- The blast on his horn was greeted by a number of hand signals he'll not find in the highway code if he ever bothers to read it!

The second episode involved two boy racers in an M3 and an Audi. Obviously in a rush to get to the pub post Sunday football, both cars redlined as they came within a foot of our single file group on a very bendy country lane. Whilst the first incident was annoying, this was down right dangerous. We thought we might have to drag Everton away when we saw the culprits outside a pub half an hour later but he decided discretion was the better part of valour.

Having recently discovered how to transfer photos from phone to computer, Mick decided to go one better and appointed himself official cameraman for the tour. Riding from back to front of the pack as we rode alongside the Grand Union Canal, our very own David Lean proceeded to capture us all for posterity- It was all going well until he looked back for one last panoramic shot. Trees, sky and grass filled the screen as he went arse over tit. If he works out how to transfer the images from his phone, we hope to bring you the full un-edited version to these very pages.

Mick managed the only other crash of the weekend; completing a full somersault as he braked to avoid running into the back of the pack in Market Harborough. Unlike last year there were no injuries other than Mick's pride. This time the worst that happened to Loren was an un planned paddle in a stream as he rinsed the oil from his hands following a minor mechanical. He thought he could get away with drying his feet at lunch time.....

As usual, food & drink were pretty high on the agenda, and not necessarily in that order. On the whole we were pretty lucky with our choices- thanks to pre- planning by CP.

First stop was the Rose & Crown at Hartwell- a traditional village pub offering a good range of ales and value for money no-nonsense pub grub. I forget what beer was on offer but have a feeling Tim Taylor's was amongst the selection along with a couple of local brews- all well kept. Service was friendly- even when Loren took his socks off, but the locals seemed surprised to see only five toes on a foot.

We didn't stop again until we reached the Three Swans in Market Harborough- our destination for the night. For the whole stay we got service with a smile; the rooms were good as was breakfast. Most importantly, the Bombardier served in the bar was tip top and it was hard to pull ourselves away to the Oat Hill- venue for our evening meal.

Something of hotch potch, this pub aims itself at the well-heeled trendies of Market Harborough (Another oxymoron?) The separate restaurant offers a good range of quality food and, whilst those who chose the lamb shank thought it should have been cooked for a few more days it generally got a thumbs up. Despite it's trendy aspirations the Oat Hill makes much of it's beer, offering a wide range of cask ales and bottled beers. Unfortunately this didn't quite come up to the mark and we returned a full round of Tim Taylor's. To their credit, these were exchanged without (too much) fuss.

By the time we finished our meal the place was buzzing but we decided to go in search of something more traditional. The answer to our quest lay almost opposite in the form of the Cherry Tree, an Everard's managed house. The garish external appearance belied the traditional interior complete with bare wooden floors and table skittles.

After a couple of beers and a few games of skittles we were joined by one of the locals. Built like a brick sh*t house and clearly the worse for wear, at first we weren't sure of his intentions, but after joining in a chorus of Delilah he decided to give us lessons in table skittles. Sober, he may be world champion and he could certainly throw the cheese harder than anybody but he was so pissed he couldn't hit the table and it was a relief when he went to sit in the corner. We staggered back to town where a few of us light weights wimped out- The rest went on to the pub opposite the hotel. Whilst there were reports that the real die-hards were going until 2 am, everybody made it for breakfast, even if some were not as bright and breezy as the previous day.

The cycle route along the railway line between Northampton & Market Harborough passes through two tunnels. They aren't lit and the only light comes from the exit at the far end. This has a strange effect as your eyes can't decide whether to adapt to the dark around you or the light in the distance. We walked the first tunnel in a noisy group but got strung out in the second one. Other users were much quieter than us and it was weird how their shadowy grey forms materialised from the dark as they past by- perhaps they really were ghosts. The setting was like something our of Oh Mr Porter and it wouldn't have been a surprise if Will Hay had appeared on a pump truck.

Anyway, after some debate we "agreed" not to follow the railway on Sunday and set off on the road. Spirits were high, despite the strong wind and numerous hills and after about two hours we crossed Pitsford reservoir via the Causeway. After yet another climb up to the village of Hulcott we stopped to regroup at a cross roads where a signpost told us we were only 6 miles from Market Harborough. This caused a variety of reactions with Mr P getting lots of stick about his choice of route. However a quick review of the map confirmed we were well on our way towards home and that the signpost was bo**ocks. Intrigued by the name more than anything, we decided to head for Bozeat for lunch. We were disappointed to find a grotty boozer with nothing more than crisps on the menu and our friends from the BMW and Audi sat outside, so we pushed on to Harold.

Again we were disappointed as we found none of the pubs was serving food other than full Sunday lunch. After much debate, and realising that time was pressing, we descended on the tea rooms in Harold Country Park. I'm not sure they quite knew what hit them (especially when Tom P ordered cream cake as his starter and baked spud for pud). It must have looked like an episode of Last of the Summer Wine.

After refuelling, we pushed on for home. Electing to cut through Marston Milleneum Park, our hearts sank as we discovered Millbrook cross roads was shut for repairs. A three mile detour via Liddlingtom hill looked inevitable but we sent our very own Henry Kissinger, aka Mick, in to negotiate and were soon waived through. One last climb took us up to Millbrook and then it was every man for himself as we charged back to the Old Sun to round off a superb weekend with a couple more beers.

A collective thanks goes to CP for great organisation, Anne R for dropping the bags off and Keith W for bringing them home. For a full set of photos see http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikesbeerbanter/

27th August- Last of the Summer Wine

It's scary that we're nearing the end of August and that there'll not be many more Thursday night rides this year. This was brought home by the fact that we arrived at the pub in in the dark for the first time this season.

The pub in question was the Jolly Cooper's at Wardhedges (no relation)- yet another Charles Wells establishment offering good beer and a warm welcome. So good were both that none of us could understand why we've only been there once this year. It's been added to our shortlist of two as a potential venue for this year's Christmas bash.

We arrived at the Jolly's via Steppingley, Ridgmont, Woburn & Westoning on another blustery evening. There were nine of us - CP/CH/Brian/Richard the Pub/Mark the Fireman/Mick/Loren/Paresh & Clive, the latter two making their first appearances for some weeks. The ride itself was fairly un-eventful although we did provide an answer to that age old riddle- "How many cyclists does it take to change a tyre?" Answer-"Lots" especially if half of them are providing a very un-helpful commentary. This was demonstrated by CP who punctured before we got to Steppingley and captured on camera by Mick. The Ferrari pit crew has nothing to worry about!

Once we got going, we set a steady pace to Ridgmont- The usual sprint down the back of the safari park was hindered by the wind and even though we were in a disciplined formation for once we hardly topped 25 mph.

The ale in the Jolly's was the appropriately named Summer Lightning. As has become the norm of late, we stayed for an extra pint or so. Talk of the forthcoming tour prompted many war stories of past trips- some of which may even have been true and by the time we left it was pitch black and pretty cool. Brian had taken much stick about his new Audrey Hepburn style arm warmers but I think he had the last laugh as we were met by a chill wind at Hollerton Basin.

Our departure was somewhat shambolic (nothing to do with the beer, honest) and we split into four different groups, taking three different routes for the ride home. The real hardcore headed back to the Old Sun whilst the rest decided to call it a (very enjoyable) night.


25 miles at 14.5 mph

20th August- All Quiet on the Wetern Front

Eight out-Brian, Mick, Chris P & Tom, Mark, Clive, Kieth & Everton.

From the Old Sun we left Ampthill via Abbey Lane. After running parallel with the by-pass for a mile or so we crossed using the new(ish) cycle crossing- It only took 10 years of campaigning to get this installed but there are still no signs to let you know it’s there. After the by-pass, we climbed through Silsoe & Wardhedges and on to Pulloxhill. Our toils were repaid as we sped down the steep hill to join the busy A6 at Speed the Plough.
The wind was blustery and making it hard work- a constant theme of this summer. Crossing the A6 we picked up the cycle path, for once in good condition (so often in the summer it’s completely overgrown).
We re-grouped at the roundabout where we left the cycle track and headed for Higham Gobian then on through Shillington and Upper Gravenhurst.
From there it was a quick sprint to Clophill, where Clive had a run in with an idiot car driver, who questioned his parentage.
Fortunately Mick’s mischief on our last visit to the Stone Jug had been forgotten. We stayed for an extra beer by which time it was a good bit chillier as we slogged our way up Badger Hill.
The Tandem Boys led the way back to Ampthill but there was some suggestion of impropriety at the Ailesbury Road roundabout and there may be cause for a steward’s enquiry.
A very pleasant but uneventful ride, even with Mick with us. Somewhere between 20 & 30 miles.

Battle of the Brave-15th August

I think I should point out from the start that the "Brave" of the title are not cyclists but those who are battling leukaemia.

This was an organised ride, run alongside a live music festival in Flitwick, to raise cash for leukaemia charities- (see http//giveatomarrow.org.uk). Last year a similar ride coincided with Ampthill Festival, the Cambridge to Ampthill event attracting over 100 riders despite torrential rain. This year a circular route, following much of Sustrans Route 51, led us through Bedford, Sandy & Biggleswade and back to Flitwick. The ride was well organised and marshaled so it was disappointing that only around 60 cyclists took part.

As for much of the summer, the weather forecast was mixed but in the end we were lucky. Other than brief, light drizzle late in the morning it kept dry. Five of us (Brian, Richard B, Oliver B, John & Chris H) were amongst the last to leave Flitwick. Back through Ampthill and down Hazelwood Lane, we were approaching 40 mph when the sight of the first yellow shirted marshals caused us to grab handfuls of brake and take a sharp left along the drive towards Ampthill Park House. Continuing his recent run of form, John managed to find a gravel trap and fell off. Fortunately this was the only mishap of the day.

After climbing through Millbrook, we headed out to Maston Vale, picking up Route 51 around the lake and under the A421 at Marston, then on to the first checkpoint at Wooton. Here we were caught by a father-and-son team who, having started even later than us, were clearly on a mission to get back and enjoy the hog roast. Despite their speed, we were to pass them at least twice during the day as they overshot turnings in their haste.

After Kempston, we picked up the River Ouse and followed the embankment through Bedford. This is certainly the nicest way to see the town and it looks quite grand when the sun shines. I think we were supposed to leave the river and ride through the centre but this was not clear so we stuck to the tow path. As we stopped to review the map we saw the srangest sight of the day- An ancient new aged traveller ( a walking oxymoron!) was headed towards us in miniskirt and knitted tights. He was about 65 with sparrow legs and looked for all the world like a bearded Zandra Rhodes. I think we've finally found something in a skirt that even Mick wouldn't chase.

Heading out through Priory Park, the wind helped us along, although our rhythm was disrupted by frequent gates. We were soon at checkpoint no. 2 at Danish Camp after which we began the gentle climb out of the river valley towards Sandy. Before Blunham we hit the first stretch of cross country riding, as the gravel path gave way to a dirt track- "Good job it's dry" was the prophetic quip.

Like many of our fellow riders, we lost the route somewhere on the edge of Sandy but a bit of local knowledge soon got us back on track. Heading out into the countryside towards Biggleswade, the path again deteriorated and we wished we'd brought our mountain bikes. Things got worse after Biggy and the route under the A1 was all but impassable. Obviously the route is chosen to avoid major roads wherever possible but an advanced warning that there may be protracted stretches of unsurfaced track and/or mud would be useful next year.

Having crossed the A1, we were just about back on home territory as we entered Broom. For years the famous Cock has been a regular destination for our Thursday night rides. It's one of the most unusual pubs in the area, with ale being served directly from barrels on stillage in the cellar, but our last few visits have been disappointing. Needing sustenance, we decided to try the White Horse in the centre of the village. This turned out to be a great choice; food, service and beer were all excellent- hand carved ham, egg & chips washed down with Tiger Bitter is definitely recommended.

We stayed in the pub rather longer than anticipated and the combination of a couple of pints and a full-on headwind made the afternoon session heavy going. Nevertheless we managed to overhaul several of our fellow riders as we ambled through Southill & Old Warden. This is an area that we ride frequently and in truth I think we probably followed our own route rather than the official one-opting to stick to the side roads and avoid Maulden/Ampthill by-pass.

Before we knew it we were back at the Millennium Park where we collected our medals and sat and watched a couple of the bands in the afternoon sun.

Like the ride, the festival was well organised with bungee jumps for the really stupid and stunt bike demonstrations for the slightly less foolhardy- (I stopped doing that sort of thing when I realised falling off hurts more as you get older) Latest estimates are that they raised a fantastic £8.5k for the nominated charities.

All in all it was an excellent day out. It would have been nice to stay and see the headline acts but we had a date with a curry and some more beer.

The official route was 43 miles but we managed to clock 50+ at a very leisurely 13.5mph. Thanks to all of the organisers and marshals.

Thursday 13th - Stop, Start, Go

I'm not sure if it was anything to do with the date, but this ride was dogged with mishaps throughout. Bad luck particularly seemed to bug John, who, having arrived home late, set off for Ampthill as we were headed for Maulden to pick him up. After a brief interlude while he and Kieth, another late starter, caught up, we set off for Southill via Clophill, Haynes, Northill & Old Warden.

Later, John was to lose his chain, bend his valve and burst a tyre- but at least he didn't fall off this time.

The weather was perfect and our group of ten included a debutant in Mark the Fireman- riding the first mountain bike seen on a road ride since last year's tour.

As it happened, the MTB was better suited to large chunks of the route than most of our road bikes. The Highway Authority are in the midst of their annual road "repair" programme. This entails spraying vast stretches of road with liquid tar, throwing a few tons of chippings at it and hoping at least some will stick. Some three or four miles of this week's route had been treated thus, making it virtually un-rideable in places.

This is a very un-bike friendly method of maintenance. Not only does it provide a poor surface, at best it fails to repair underlying potholes and at worst it disguises them , leaving traps for un-suspecting cyclists.
Anyway, enough of a rant and back to the ride.

This is a well worn route for us, through some beautiful countryside & picturesque villages. The sun on our backs and a decent tailwind made for a very pleasant outward ride, even if it was punctuated by John's puncture and another stop while Richard & Brian redeemed the various bits of Mick's rear light from the road.
Brian, riding his racer for a change, was absolutely flying- even giving Everton a run for his money on one climb. CP was clearly missing the additional power of a stoker as he rode solo for the first time this year, but he still managed to keep with the pack for the most part.
As ever, the tailwind became a headwind as we turned for home- Funny how it always feels stronger when it's in your face, but we still made decent time back to the Stone Jug.

This was our first visit for several weeks. Despite Mick causing mayhem while ordering, we got the usual warm welcome and the Haybaler was so good we decided to stay a while and forsake the Old Sun.

The final mishap of the night befell Loren who managed to ride into a traffic cone in the roadworks in Maulden! Fortunately, other than pride, there were no serious injuries this time, but let's hope it's not an omen for the forthcoming tour.

Chris H/Brian/Richard B/Chris P/Mark the Fireman/Everton/Loren/Mick/John/Kieth
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=ampthill&daddr=Maulden+to:Water+End+Rd,+Maulden,+Bedford,+Bedfordshire,+MK45+2BD+

Approx 26.5 Miles @ 14.7 mph