Thaxted, Sun 5th Aug, 8.30am

Shaun

Anybody fancy another longer club run with a cafe stop on Sunday? Reasonably relaxed pace. Thinking about going to Thaxted in Essex. Just under 75 miles.

Route would be Ashwell, Cromer, The Hadhams, Stansted Mountfichet, Elsenham, Thaxted, Newport, Elmdon, Gt. Chrishall, Reed, Ashwell. Download GPX from here.

How about an 8.30am start?
Edit: 8.30am 3 Tuns confirmed.

Shaun

Robbie L

Sounds like a plan Stan.
8.30 is good.

Lloydy

Damn!!! Am away and really fancied longer rides..

Hopefully you will do this type of thing again

Andrew R

Depends if Holly's riding the Green Arrow grasstrack - if not then I'll be along

Nathaniel Rosa

Should be in! hopefully SCouseChris sees this aswell!

Jane

I'm in. 8:30 it is ... and my fingers are crossed that the weatherman sends us a bit more summer

Robbie L

Mmmmm. I'm entered in the green arrow.
Thought it was Saturday. Ooops

Alistair

I am in.
Alistair

James D

Off to Harrogate for road some action in the Dales and off road on the Gisburn Forest bike trails - http://www.gisburnbiketrails.com/trail-info

bring it on

see you next week, hopefully in still in one piece

Nathaniel Rosa

Bump so people see it!

jez ross

I probably wont make it for 0830 but might try and meet up with you guys, shaun, do you know where you are stopping for cake?

Shaun

In Thaxted, Jez. Both cafes are near the Guildhall building in the centre of town. We should be there around 11am.

Andrew R

I should be there @ 8.30

Shaun

Well at least we made it to the cafe stop without getting wet. Biblical shower around Debden on the way back. We took refuge in a bus shelter. Then the fast group (who were also following our route, I think) found us. They crammed into the bus shelter as well! It was Jane's birthday and she got to spend some of it in a bus shelter with 15 sweaty blokes in lycra. Lucky lady.

Apologies for the state of the Essex lanes which were much more gravelly than I expected for this time of year.

About 70m in the end. Good riding with Jane, PhilK, Nathaniel, Alistair, AndrewR (and PhilA & Ellis who stirred it up for part of the ride).

Shaun

We did pretty well then, MC. We had two punctures and a leisurely cafe stop and it still took you lot 42 miles to catch us

I think we're organising another cafe ride next Sun. Stay tuned...

Shaun

p.s. What did you need a front mech for?

Jane

Hey, if ever again I have to sit in a bus shelter with lots of men in lycra, I couldn't put together a better crew than we had today. I laughed a lot - birthday was definitely happy

Also learned a lot about negotiating gravel on narrow lanes, wet descents, flooded road etc. Logged 70 miles @ 18.0 mph

Already looking forward to next Sunday

strappy

thanks to jez & trahern for keeping us on route we nearly had as many stops as a route master bus in london
but we didn't hang around when we got going.

As jane said a good day for bike handling skills dodging pot hols piles of flints & stones horses etc nearly
stacked it when we met 3 horses on a sharp bend, that got my heart rate maxed out all good fun.

We all got caught in a light shower (not) but started to dry out as the sun came out a good ride
i finished on 90 miles @ 18.4 cheers to peter & co for the tow down the A505 in to baldock.

see you all next sunday (might be with slow group nursing a hangover wedding anniv).

strappy

James D

So this is what i got up to on Saturday morning/afternoon



i fair bit of gravel negotiated without too much mishap. One pinch puncture and it was all done in lycra. No baggies in sight.

Gisburn Forest on the edge of t'dales a great place to let off steam;)

tduckett

now that looks a lot of fun!