Numbers were a bit low this week for an additional ride as a few riders were resting for the Cheshire Cat sportive the following day. However, we still managed 5 including 1 guest (Richard Holmes from Grimscote – thanks for keeping Pete company up front!), so after another prompt 9:30ish start, we headed off to Preston Capes and turned left through Woodford Halse, past West Farndon and up a short sharp hill with no problems. Then on a single track road 1 of us decided that a large tractor wasn’t using enough of the verge (i.e. zeron verge) as it approached our group, so a game of chicken commenced. Let’s just say that size definitely matters when determining the winner of these contests. Anyway, no harm done and we headed on past Edgcote, into Wardington touching the A361 briefly and through Chacombe after criss-crossing the Jurassic Way several times and briefly going into Oxfordshire.

We all had a pleasant cake in the welcoming Take Thyme cafe in Middleton Cheney and then set off towards Greatworth when 1 of us received the phone call he’d been dreading. Having abandoned his wife and children on the shorter ride but taking the ‘family’ puncture/tool kit with him, his wife phoned to say she had a puncture, the others had left her, she was in Wootton and could he come and fix it for her. Being some 25 miles away, his pace slowed with the fear and guilt, but so did the wind noise, enough to hear the laughter in the background. It turned out the group hadn’t left her and there was plenty of help and a spare inner tube to hand.

We carried on through Helmdon, put 1 chain back on and Pete left us in Wappenham. Richard left us at the Greens Norton turn and the remaining 3 arrived at the clubroom just as the standard ride arrived.

39miles covered at 14.3mph with elevation gain of 712m and calories burned of 2,244