Central London CTC blog

I shall start with a thank you to my hosts for dinner on Saturday and the ride leader on Sunday. That is, therefore a big thank you to Ann and Roy Watson.

Now to the ride.

It should have been something else but trains meant a late change so instead of Headcorn we started at Tonbridge. David Kurtz was waiting to greet the early arrivals as he had ridden out and had already occupied a table in the café by the station. I say he had occupied but most of the table was covered by his array of electronic gizmos. Eventually after coffee we met the train borne contingent and got underway.

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Stevenage ‘Start of Summertime’ Audax 25th March 2007

As usual, National Rail had conspired to cause maximum confusion for the Stevenage Audax - first there were trains from Finsbury Park, but not King’s X, then there were none. As it turned out, they were all working. As a result of this, Nick & Denise gave up on the 200, leaving Robert and Simon as our intrepid pair. I had entered the 200, but, on waking at 6 to a grey drizzle, decided I couldn’t face it and slid under the covers for my stolen hour, still arriving early for the 100. Roger Cline was already sat in the cafe, having been prepared to ride out. Soon others joined us - in the end, 11 were on the 100.

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I looked out of the window when I woke up on Sunday morning, it was pouring down and freezing cold. I decided to give the ride a miss as I don’t really like cold or wet! Then I remembered I was leading this ride!

On checking the forecast it was to be cold with wintry showers. (Just how I like it, not.) Five of us turned up at Paddington for the 9.13am train to Twyford and at that time although cold it was a pleasant enough morning.

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Sunshine. Daffodils. Birdies. Wind. After the first pacy 10km, we two (Camille and John) (independently) consult lungs, stomachs and knees, think ‘Nah’, and let the pack gradually disappear into the distance. Our steady pace left plenty of time for bananas, performance destroying drugs, lunch and the odd pointy thing. Assured (mostly) back seat navigating nearly snared us two lost 200km-ers for company, along a charmingly pretty route. What more could you want? Well, a nice big pack to shelter from the blasted eternal headwind.

Ah, well.

‘Up the ‘Uts’ - 160 km Audax from Ugley, Saturday March 17th

Forcing myself into action on a Saturday morning, I get to Ugley for 8am, parking opposite a twin of my Defender (so that they can have a nice chat whilst owners are off). The Comrades CC is one of a group of club huts in the area - hence the name of the ride. The 200 lot are just off as I sign in and grab a coffee, standing outside to acclimatise to the decidedly fresh morning, and to chat with some familiar AUKs. We’re off at 9, and I pass the CLCTC group riding up from the station for the 100k at 10.

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It was almost a perfect spring day with a nice ride to Ayot St Lawrence for lunch and with very little on the sporting horizon to mar my day as Spurs are still in the FA Cup and England surprised everyone by beating France at rugby for the first time since October 2003. OK, so what spoilt things, well. I have to say it was a stiffish breeze which kept the temperature down and a puncture in the afternoon.

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Six set out from Woking station pausing first to see H G Wells’ house near the railway, then to admire a sculpture of a Martian Tripod of War of the Worlds fame.Half an hour after leaving Woking the threatened rain materialised and became heavier and heavier until Robin kindly invited us to coffee and shelter (”I’m afraid I only have chocolate biscuits”!) at his house nearby. Consensus was reached on abandoning the ride and eventually we prised ourselves out of the comfy chairs and out again into the rain to cycle damply and lunchless to the station. Didn’t check but we probably did about 15 miles or so. Later on at home I found I had to dry out all my paper money on the radiator!