Lark Ride to Aqueduct Marina 10 Nov 2018

A Baker’s Dozen riders out today for a brisk ride.

That’s 13 of us in my non-stick Bake Off book. My average speed a target busting 15.5 mph for 63 miles home to park to home, the return leg fueled by my Lark Ride lunch of choice, baked beans on toast, the presentation, quantity and temperature of which in Cheshire and the Peak District I am fast becoming an authority. Indeed our hosts today got a big tick for serving mine on a warmed plate. It’s not rocket science but odd how many cafes don’t manage basics like this, thereby risking their future share of the Orange Pound. Local Chambers of Commerce should take note and quaver (or Cheesy Wotsit).

Start sheet: Simon, Andrew, Mike, Russell, Janet, Steve, Dave, Darren

Phil, David, Dave, Simon, Simon, Mike, Russell, Steve, Andrew, Darren. Early bath: Mark, Janet.

Thanks to Simon Electric for guiding us on a post-cafe, post-puncture loop to avoid the unswept hedge cuttings immediately out of the cafe and to Darren for suggesting a return shaved leg Hermitage Lane off-road alternative to joining the traffic on the big hill out of Holmes Chapel, even if I was his only taker, joining the sea of orange waiting to hoover up the broom wagon outside the Yellow Broom after finding hardly a broom broom anyway. We made a clean sweep of mopping up the remaining miles home where I dusted off my bike and, after a quick scrub down, retreated to my library, bristling with endorphins, to polish off the remnants of my Clif Bar and brush up on some better analogies for next week.

Chris

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