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Thunder Storms - The Coffee Run 100 |
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Thursday, 18 June 2009 14:47 |
The Friday Coffee Run crew recently completed their now annual 100 mile ride, Chequers writes:
We arranged to start at 6.30 am (15th June 2009), leaving from TIC. Spinch and Chequers set off and collected Handbag on the way, Earl Gray was waiting at the end of Stovar Long Lane and we set off.
A different route was planned this year, which was to Weston super Mare and back.
We kept a careful eye on the weather reports over the week before and decided that as the area around Weston had a storm warning we should stay to the southern regions. This meant that we used the old and tested original route. The Hare and Hounds was soon passed, this being the highest point on our ride and we had climbed 750 feet from sea level. Normally at this point the fast riding would have made us nice and toasty, however we were `pacing ourselves` and heavy clouds hid the sun. We proceeded through Ottery and Daisymount roundabout passed the back of the airport and Broadclyst.
By the time we reached Cullompton people were up and about busy on their way to work. The A38 to Taunton gave us a magnificent view of the Wellington Monument against the morning sun.
We stopped in Taunton for delicious breakfast before continuing over the Motorway for the last time towards Street. This area is very flat and a little more speed was achieved in the head wind that we had been battling against all morning.
Our hearts sunk when we discovered that Mollies tearooms in Curry Rivel was closed on a Monday, where previously we had enjoyed a delicious cake and cup of tea. We had talked about Mollies for the last ten miles and were really looking forward to being there.
The storm clouds were building in the West and we were hoping that they would miss us. However when we reached Westport a thunder storm arrived and we had no choice but to take shelter. Handbag was the only cyclist amounst us wise enough to be carrying full wet weather gear but even when he put it all on the rain keep pouring and the thunder clapping.
We were sheltering under some old oak trees when Spinch noticed a nearby home. He rode over trying to keep dry with a Sainsburys carrier bag over his head and found shelter under the enormous porch over the home entrance. We followed him over and had only been there a few minutes when a very nice lady came from inside and was very pleasant to us. She asked us all sorts of questions, like "where were we from?" and "what were we doing?". The questions were quickly followed by cups of tea and more invites to come inside.
From there home the ride was uneventful except for trying to miss the rain clouds. Even though we were equally matched and were able to help each other and take the lead in turns during the whole ride we all had aching muscles.
We parked on the Seaton cement bridge with the rain pouring down taking stock of our ride. It had been about one hundred and five miles long and taken about nine hours with six and a half hours in the saddle. The average speed being 15.5 mph.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 June 2009 15:27 |
