After a fair drop of rain over the preceding days, it was bright sunshine that met an enormous group of Kettering riders at the bus stop at Sainsbury’s. Not only was the weekly training group but also the “social ride” set off from the same location and it was great to see everyone there, many in club kit.
Great turn out of riders
The training ride had 15 people signed up, with a plan to collect a few people on the way including Steve Webster and Iain Callaghan who had been delayed by punctures on their way over from Northampton, James Belton recovered from his cold of last week and a rapidly improving Will Lawton. The rest of the group consisted of: Steve Wong, Andrea Woollcott, Darren Gillings, Scott Barber, Adam Churchill, Haythem Rashed, Ian Bird, Roy Crombie, Andy Payne, Mike Castelete, Eddie Smith and Andy Parker.
The normal challenge of Loddington drag soon started to sort out groups but 12 riders regrouped at the T junction and met with Steve Webster and Iain Callaghan. This was some peloton and it stayed pretty much intact until the climb towards Brixworth after Pitsford Reservoir (led by the Eddie Merckx-line high gear power action of Eddie Smith – bullying his bike up the climb) and continued to re-group and separate for the next few miles up the Ladies Tour favourite of the climb through Spratton until we all re-grouped at Holdenby.
World Peace Café
Again the peloton pushed on swiftly, fragmenting from time to time on hills especially past Coton Manor where Adam Churchill and Andy Parker were caught up behind a car turning right which allowed the group to pull away by some distance. As two groups formed we were aided by a tail wind into Cold Ashby and all the way to Thornby where the two groups arrived at the World Peace Café at pretty much the same time.
Sunshine, a stunningly beautiful building and gardens and the tranquillity of a Buddhist retreat made for a great coffee stop.
Exploring new roads
I always enjoy a new road and had the pleasure of taking one on leaving the café back into Naseby. With a side tail wind starting to take effect, the pace picked up and I (Andy Parker) picked up a few Strava PR’s on the run towards home. With a big, strong peloton, my average speed was about 17.6mph (28.3kmph) with a few of the faster riders clocking up a mile and hour or so faster.
Which was a great average, considering the profile … 3,086ft of climbing:
With a side tail wind and a quickened pace, I picked up a few Strava PR’s on the run towards home. The turnout allowed a big, strong peloton, my average speed was about 17.6mph (28.3kmph) with a few of the faster riders clocking up a mile and hour or so faster.