I love being in a bike club. There's always a ride of some description going on and a great sense of inclusiveness. It always feels me with pride to see a group of us in the club kit, it's just a shame I don't get to ride with the club as often as i'd like.
I had a window of opportunity today to get out for a ride with the club on a Saturday. It's not something I always get a chance to do. Usually, a hectic family life means that I fit my weekend riding in around the other weekend activities, often snatching a couple of early morning or late evening rides.
This weekend though, the in-laws are down to stay. This was made obvious by the teapot being carefully brought down from that high shelf at the back of the cupboard and given a thorough clean - it's usually the sign of an impending invasion, followed closely by an enormous shopping list packed full of things that we don't usually buy.
Anyway, they fought their way across the moat and avoided the archers to arrive at the front door. I must have done something right for a change because I was gifted a pass from the Natural History museum and offered the freedom of a Saturday ride with the club. The weather looked ominous but I thought i'd sooner take my chances with it, although to be honest i'd probably have agreed to swim with sharks to get out on my bike this weekend.
I'm a fan of the club run. It does what it says on the tin and offers a head down, bum up ride to the cafe in Charlwood but I fancied a change from the norm today and a bit more of a sociable ride so decided to head out on Pete's Alternative club run.
I was a little bit worried at first as to what alternative meant and whether these rides were alternative through personal choice rather than shunned by the rest of the club but I need not have worried as although the bunch was a mismatched bunch of misfits, they were all very welcoming and friendly.
10 of us set out and it quickly became apparent that anyone was fair game and the order of the next few hours was to take the piss out of eachother as much as possible.
We sped through the country lanes, some of which i've never seen before, which added to the beauty of the ride. It's nice to have that little edge of not knowing exactly where you are and the fear of being dropped that could result in lost days trudging round Surrey, trying to find a route home.
No fear of that with Pete and Co really though as we all waited at the top of the climbs and made it to the cafe destination of choice - Tulley's Farm where we were greeted by coffee, cake and mystical hovering goats.
The ride back was an eventful mix of rain showers and an off-road excursion along a wooded cycle track. Brilliant stuff, although i'm surprised we didn't get more punctures.
We finished off nicely with a return climb up to the top of Farthing Downs where I managed to complete the most spectacular of bicycle moves and crash whilst standing still. The usual thing of being clipped in with one leg on an adverse camber. Scuff to leg, pride and bartape although I think the guys did very well to stifle their laughs.
Haven't pulled off that move for a long while but I guess i'm still not as proficient on a bike as I like to think.
So, I have the annoying situation now of a slightly scuffed bike (not too bothered) and ripped bar tape (very annoying). I called into the bike shop on the way home and they said they could do it today but then wanted £15 on top of the £12 for the tape so i'll have a go at fitting new tape myself before ruining it, being a tit and taking it to the bike shop for a professional job....
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