This Saturday I took part in my second club ride with the Vagabonds - 37 miles from Ponteland to Morpeth and back!
I was slightly later getting to the cafe, so I didn’t have time for a cuppa as everyone was getting ready to push off. The weather started out in typical North East fashion - dull, grey and damp. I was in my full Winter regalia, tights, windproof jacket, headgear, the works.
The group started at a nice pace and like last week I sat at the back welcoming the shelter from the wind. The group was much bigger this time, although I don’t know the exact number. There were several stronger riders including Danny and Ray, and I could already tell that the ride wasn’t go to be as easy as the week before. The first proper hill led up to the Dyke Neuk pub. Somehow I’d managed to wind up at the front at this point, and Elaine pulled alongside and encouraged me up the hill. I pushed as hard as I could up the hill (to be honest I thought the Dyke Neuk was our half way cafe stop), which really hurt my legs. To my dismay, the Dyke Neuk wasn’t the half way point at all…
By now the skies had turned blue and the clouds had parted, and I was slowly roasting to a turn in my Winter gear, wishing I’d invested in a foldaway top layer. We rolled down several miles of flat roads through fields, and along with the sun it sort of felt like France in Summer. At this point I was totally lost, but we hit a really short but steep hill which I very nearly died on. At the top we waited for everyone to regroup, and I took the time to eat a museli bar, at which point everyone pushed off again. I quickly found myself at the back trying to pedal uphill, eat a museli bar and breathe in at the same time, which didn’t work for me. I eventually caught up just in time for a T junction, and the traffic split the group into 2 with me in the second group again. A couple of miles later we pulled up at a Stannington Nurseries garden centre in Stannington, which couldn’t have come earlier for me.
By now the computer said 28 miles - and bearing in mind the furthest I’d been on the road in one ride was 30 miles, I was a little concerned. A can of full fat coke and the best slice of chocolate cake I have ever eaten and we were moving again.
We crossed back over the A1 into the countryside again and Elaine once again kept me company for a little while - I think she could tell I was suffering a little. I found my legs a few miles later and in what seems to be the norm we all belted our way back to Ponteland. My legs were pretty rubbery by now though and I just wanted to keep up with the people at the front so that I didn’t get dropped.
We hurtled down into Ponteland, and despite one complete arse in a Mazda MX5 convertible (must have been his wife’s car) beeping his horn - the one thing you DON’T do to cyclists if you want to get past, it was a good run. The final mileage was 37, 7 miles further than I’ve been before.
I’m feeling it now though!
The shifter problem is too annoying now, and the bike is back at KB Cycles having a new set of Veloce shifters fitted. The old ones will go back and hopefully get fixed under warranty.