A slow start to the AVP year

Twas a cloudy but very mild evening for yesterday's AVP Thursday night ride. Only 4 riders made the 18:30 depart, 'Gunner' Rex, Geoff 'the mechanic', 'Recumbent' Richard (although the recumbent is long since sold, the name lives on) and myself on my Roubaix in desperate need of 'the Mechanic's' wizardry .. the Roubaix that is! 'Handbag' rode with us as far as Rousdon before having to head back to lead out the 19:30 ride.

We had no real route planned other than we were heading east. 'Gunner' had joked earlier of doing a hill climbing circuit which may have dissuaded a few undecided from turning up! If so .. shy cyclists out there .. we always take into consideration who turns up, abilities and others' views before deciding on a route .. HOWEVER .. let me share something which we later discussed with the MTB riders back at Ride HQ. The question debated, was whether it would be better if we communicated the route, including distance and climb, ahead of each ride. Would this encourage more to join our club ride? It's so far been a slow start to the year. I may try a poll this later.

Anyway, back to the ride. Despite the earlier joke of a hill climbing fest, 'Gunner', 'Recumbent' and 'The Mechanic' took this theme to heart when they decided to climb Stepps! I hasten to add, that age before foolhardiness prevailed as 'Handbag' and I left them to it and made our own way up Combe Hill. Unfortunately our KOM performance will have to remain one of myth as my Garmin decided to stop recording at this point. That said, it must have been epic, as we met the Stepps climbers at the same time as they reached the summit.

From Rousdon we headed on towards Lyme, meandered our way up hill past the golf club and then traded in all the hight gained for that thrilling descent down into Charmouth. We then had a picturesque pedal through Catherston Leweston, Wootton Fitzpaine and then the painful ascent up Monkton Wyld Lane to Raymond’s Hill. ‘Recumbent’ pealed off here, while the remaining 3 of us raced the Trinity - Bosshill route back to the Kings Arms - Ride HQ.

Here’s the route  (less the KOM segment Garmin failed to record).