Fast bubble – Pete, Jon, Paul, Graham
Comfort bubble – Jenny, Martin, Mick, Martin
We all met at the cricket club at 9 (ish) am (Mick was late due to a puncture before leaving home).
As no Blue riders were present, Martin Crapper elected to join the comfort bubble.
As it was a Birthday Ride, the café had been picked by Jenny and the route planned by Pete.
The fast bubble disappeared up the road and the comfort bubble followed at a more sensible pace past the golf course, through Mattersey, Clayworth and Gringley. Martin Crapper did a sterling job keeping pace with the comfort bubble. Going up the Trent, we were enjoying the chit chat, the sunshine and the slight tail wind up. Not sure the fast bubble did much chatting up the Trent at 20+ mph being pulled along by Paul.
At Owston Ferry we took a right turn and headed to Epworth and the Lemon Tree Café. (Martin Bagshaw does have a tale about Owston Ferry and was keen to tell Graham at the café stop, being a new rider, he’s yet to have the pleasure of the story). At Albion Hill, Epworth we passed a statue of a man holding a bible, no one in the comfort bubble knew who he was. Very remiss of me not to research interesting facts along the route, (please see Martin for the Owston Ferry story) it is in fact a statue of John Wesley, who was born and preached in Epworth.
As the comfort bubble arrived at the café, the fast bubble was almost ready to saddle up and ride back, not before having a bit of banter and almost ruining Jenny’s Birthday meal surprise – luckily Jenny suffers from selective deafness and didn’t quite catch the name of the restaurant.
Knowing that we would be facing a strong headwind from the café back to TVCHQ we savoured our cake, toasted teacakes and hot drinks. Martin Crapper did mutter about having a triple brandy but had to settle for a latte. The headwind was pretty brutal in places, with everyone taking turns on the front – just after Wroot, Martin Crapper openly questioned the naming of the ‘Comfort bubble’, describing it as anything but comfortable!
Well done to everyone turning out on a chilly windy January ride
Kudos to Martin Crapper for joining the (not so comfortable) comfort bubble.
