VC Baracchi 100km reliability trial goes well on second date

Velo Club Baracchi’s re-arranged 100km reliability ride on Sunday, organised by John Thompson, was well supported.

The riders were mostly from other clubs, with a good showing from Gt Yarmouth CC and a strong squad from Strada RT.

There was a stiff north-westerly wind and any puddles by the roads had frozen over in the cold weather.

The 4-hour group had 14 riders.  They included Mike Wood, John Dupen Steve Summons and second-claim member Paul Cackett from Southwold. The Gt Yarmouth riders made up the remainder.

Strada RT riders Liam Gentry, Mark Westrup, Dieter Rowe, Matthew Thwaites and Nick Esser formed the 3.5-hour group.  Keen to get in the mileage before the racing season, Esser and Gentry had ridden a 25-mile loop first aiming for a 90-mile total by the end and Westrup rode out and back 8-miles to get his total up too.

Esser said, “The course from Oulton, through Mutford, Stoven, Uggeshall, Halesworth, Laxfield, Fressingfield, Harleston, Bungay, Haddiscoe, St Olaves seemed to have a headwind wherever we rode and this showed with the 20.4mph average speed stated by Liam at the end of the ride.”

Esser had a mechanical problem 64 miles when his rear gear hanger came away in a touch of bikes and he had to beg a lift home and when he others could leave him they finished the 100km at 3 hours exactly.

Thompson said, “I think if anything overall it was harder than last year’s ride.  If I remember correctly, the direct headwind last year was stronger but there was more tailwind.

As organiser he set off when everyone else had started and his lone ride was inside 4.5 hours, which he was happy with in the circumstances, riding alone against the wind.

• The Tuesday and Friday rides at 9am from Carlton Colville church have been well attended.  These are organised outside the club structure but club members join them. On account of the  ages of most of the riders these are now sometimes called “the wrinklies”