Ride report by Ian A
A proper Autumnal day was forecast with a keen northerly wind and a high risk of showers. Nevertheless, four Wheelers met at PC (Mark, Doug, Andrew and Chris), picked up Ian at the top of Red Barn Lane and hurtled south with the tailwind to Corpusty where we picked up Andy who had chosen for once not to ride to PC for the start of the ride (deservedly so after his recent huge French adventure).
Riding in the ‘shoulder seasons’ it’s often tricky to get your outfit right, but bibtights, legwarmers and knickers plus winter jerseys/gilets and rain jackets all round covered all options and all were used in various combinations With a full complement of six riders the route took us via Foulsham, Bintree, Billingford and a brief ride down the Elmham Road before turning south and stopping at the 1903 bridge at Worthing where, as it was spitting quite heavily, Mark donned his rain jacket to a few cries of “we could have been there by now”. Anyway, then it was southwards parallel to the old railway line to Hoe. Reaching the Holt Road Mark suggested we could head directly to our lunch stop rather than following the route and cut a mile or so off but the peloton was having none of it! After all, the sun was shining again!
Arriving at the Mardlers’ Rest for the much loved “Lunch of Champions” i.e. their famous ‘Quiche Chips and Beans’ we ordered 5 quiches between us, 4 x chips, 3 x beans, 1 x salad(!!) and one jacket potato. All were mighty and washed down with teas, coffees, coke and cake. Conversations over lunch spanned seasickness and ice-cream, bike porn in Mallorca, Chris’s new car (again – but he did pick it up yesterday!), and a recent Canadian Society Wedding that Doug attended and where he apparently attempted to set a world record for Champagne consumption (rude not to).
Before you could say “Chris are you still here?” he left us to it so he could get back to Sheringham pronto (but more on that later…) A heavy downpour just after Chris left us delayed our departure (no rush) but it soon passed. Eventually, with rain jackets on, threatening skies and the promised headwind on the return leg, when Mark suggested we cut it slightly shorter on the way back there were no dissenters this time! So Mark’s Magical Mystery Tour saw us return via Hoe, skirting north of Swanton Morley and on to Bawdeswell, Themelthorpe, Guestwick, Nethergate and round the back of Briston. It was here at Horseshoe Lane that Chris suddenly appeared from behind us! Unfortunately his Garmin had lost its bearings and he’d ended up in Dereham and had to guess his best route back from there – which he’d managed though somewhat defeating his objective of getting back early. So we were six again.
At the top of the climb up to Edgefield from Briston, Ian goaded Mark into taking the points at the top… We left Andy to head back to Corpusty and the remaining five of us headed back via the well worn lanes via Baconsthorpe and up to the mast at Bodham Hill. Andrew made a long range bid for the win and was unchallenged. The race for second place was closer with Chris striking out with a few hundred yards to go. Ian stuck to his wheel sensing it would be hard going in the headwind and that would prove to be the case as Ian managed to get round Chris who didn’t (or couldn’t?) respond at that point. The extra miles to/from Dereham probably taking their toll. At the bottom of New Road, Ian turned left for High Kelling leaving Andrew, Chris and Mark to head back to PC via West Beckham with Doug returning to Cromer via Gresham and Metton. After a largely dry outward leg, we got caught in a few heavy showers on the way back. But it was, as ever, good to get out. I did my first bike wash since about May I reckon.
PC to PC was 49.9 miles at an average speed of 14.7 mph (15.9 Out, 13.6 Back)
Riders: Andrew B, Andy S, Chris S, Doug H, Ian A, Mark M
Upcoming Rides –
Wednesday 21st October – Wroxham Barn
Saturday 24th October – Poppylands, Horsey
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/
Visit the Clubs Runs Gallery for larger and more photos: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/
