by adrian » Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:18 pm
What a day it was yesterday. Really nice to ride down and back to Brockham in glorious sunshine with a particularly agreeable bunch of Agreeables. On the way down those present and correct were Alan, Andrew, Paul D and Steve; on the way back Steve was replaced by Brian N.
A leisurely punt got us to Brockham early enough for a spell of quiet reflection as we contemplated the pagan scenes on Brockham village green. There was a still-burning bonfire (a little too reminiscent of The Wicker Man for comfort), a smouldering hog roast and a gathering morris troupe. I began to imagine that the locals were eyeing us warily, perhaps with a view to sacrificing us on the fire in return for a better harvest next year.
I came out of this troubling reverie to find myself wearing a training bib and in a provisional group comprising us ACCers and a bevy of winsome maidens. It was quite a mixed-ability group - some had never ridden with a group before - but as we span round and round the circuit, everyone followed Alan's advice and instructions and quickly got the hang of the thru'n'off technique. The pace wasn't exactly demanding at this point, but I didn't hear any of the chaps complaining...
It couldn't go on like this for long, however, and at the regroup at Leigh village hall, we bade the ladies farewell and set off into for a faster, longer
circuit that, as Andrew points out, took us into familiar CR territory. Here we were joined by another ACC'er whose name I don't know, but whose Olmo bike in Venezuela/Columbia colours I'd seen before.
Together with Alan, Paul (and an Australian fellow who failed on several occasions to comply with such basic instructions as "Left here!" or "Right here!"), I was in the chasing group in the pursuit exercise which got the heart racing fit to burst. Luckily, we had our stooge Brian in the breakaway group and he did the decent thing and let us catch him.
(By the way, we lost Steve quite early on in the fast group, and never saw him again - hope he made it back OK and escaped the vengeful clutches of the villagers.)
The time flew by as quickly as the miles, and we were soon dropping off our bibs, filling up our water bottles and taking our leave of the ladies at John Leitch's and setting off for home. By now the sun was dipping fast but there was no danger of getting cold as Paul knocked out a furious pace at the front on the A25. We kept this up through Reigate and up the drag towards Redhill and I think we were all pleased to see the Texaco garage at the junction, where we stocked up on and wolfed down proprietary carbohydrates (of which sugars: 100%).
All that remained was the Merstham drag, the reward for which was a spin on near-vestal Tarmacadam. Very nice too - for now...
I'd cheated earlier by driving to CSS (couldn't face picking my way on a bike through Croydon and Streatham), so it was here that the group and I parted company. Such was Brian's enduring enthusiasm for the chase that he caught my car up in Wallington and then again just before the Carshalton turn-off.
So ended an excellent day in the saddle. I'd echo the above comments and urge everyone try to get down to the next session on the 19th. I'm in Wales then so will miss it, but will definitely be attending as many of these sessions as I can over the winter.
May I also say that the day really underlined what a great cycling education you get from ACC. I thought all our boys' riding discipline, skill and expertise really stood out. That said, it was also great to see so many people new to cycling, of both sexes, some of them pretty young, out there giving it a go.
) Split into speed groups with a coach in each group to keep an eye on things and provide help and assistance where needed.
