M7 Cycling Club

Fifty-third Ride: Thursday 17^th April 2008
Routemaster: Ridgeway Super Nova
Riders: Doug Freeman
Total mileage: 28.23 miles
Average Speed: 12.26 mph
Fastest Speed: the lorry passing me

The M1 met himself at Harbury Village Hall for a 10am start on overcast 6c morning, with a bitterly cold 16mph from the east. The ride was the first ever weekday (apart from Bank and Christmas holidays) M7 outing, and Doug was prepared for a low turn-out. He had hoped to be joined by his Nile cycling buddy, but unfortunately he got stuck down in London; that is the trouble with working. The ride had been advertised as approximately 25 miles with some undulations, coffee shop stop on route, and we should be back in the village before 1pm.

Being a lone cyclist, the M1 delegated the route decision making to his bike, and his Ridgeway promptly opted for a downhill stretch to Deppers Bridge. We then headed to Southam and joined the A426 towards Dunchurch. Along this stretch a rather large juggernaut decided to overtake the M1 just as another juggernaut was heading towards them. This almost curtailed the ride, and so we were happy to leave the A road and turn off into Stockton.

From Stockton we headed north to the Gibraltar Bridge, through Broadwell, and then headed back towards the A426. We encountered no further problems on the short journey on the A road, before turning off to cycle through Hill, Leamington Hastings and Birdingbury. Here we headed south to join the canal at Birdingbury Bridge, and then followed the tow path to Long Itchington, and the selected coffee stop at the Long Itchington Diner.

I have since discovered that there are monthly Butty runs starting from the Diner http://www.butty-run.com/Hot-Rod.html if you are interested in hot rods, customs, yanks, classics and bikes. The coffee was ordered, and I resisted any of the rather substantial looking breakfast and dinner choices. Nicely refreshed, we continued our return journey along the canal tow path to the Bascote Bridge (only a couple of very short muddy sections left) through Bascote and back in Harbury for 12:30.

A fine ride, average company, and a new routemaster.

Doug.