Poor weather deters all but three hardy souls

Poor weather for the Velo Club Baracchi 100-km reliability ride on Sunday from Oulton Community Centre cut down the number of riders to just three.  It was windy, cold and occasionally wet but the recent icy conditions were thankfully absent.

John Thompson set off first and his comments were, “Strictly speaking my solo ride was for 4.5 hours.  I was a little over time but considering the wind I wasn’t unhappy.”

He added, “It was side head or direct headwind to just west of Laxfield, side tail to Harleston, which didn’t feel that easy and then admittedly a helpful tail wind for quite a long way to Haddiscoe, which all changed over the dam to St Olaves, and from there as usual it was all over the place.”

In short, he said, “It was a tough ride.”

Mark Richards and Mike Bretton set off later to ride the 4-hour version, with John Swanbury who intended a shorter ride.

Richards and Bretton became separated very soon afterwards when Bretton’s chain came apart in Oulton Broad and Richards went on alone, expecting to meet another rider.

The problem was duly fixed but the unlucky Bretton suffered a puncture on the road to Halesworth and after Swanbury had cut back on a shorter loop via Rumburgh and the Saints, Bretton picked up two more punctures as he rode on alone.

Sometimes the weather was fine and sunny but then heavy clouds rolled over, with cold wintry showers. Richards met his target time but Bretton, not surprisingly when everything went against him, was just a little outside his.

These guys aren’t VCB. It’s a 118 118 comedy turn from last year’s Beccles Cycle for Life

Registration for the Beccles Cycle for Life on May 10 has now opened, with the usual reduction in entry fees for those who enter in advance.

Suitable for riders of all abilities and with distances of 7, 15, 25, 40 and 50 miles to choose from, the event is fully detailed on www.becclescycleforlife.org with links to optional entry on line for individual riders and also downloadable entry forms for postal entry by all categories including families and teams.

The event is promoted by the Rotary Club of Beccles and will benefit East Anglian Air Ambulance and the club’s charitable trust equally.