Wrinklies rides and John Thompson’s doings

Wrinklies line up at Christmas

Lowestoft cyclists have been getting out and about in the pre-Christmas period and afterwards, with quite a lot of enthusiasm for the “Wrinklies” rides that are not based on the cycling club.

The ride on the day before Christmas Eve attracted eight riders. It started as is usual from Carlton Colville church and included not only the normal café stop (with extra indulgence in all-day breakfasts) but a further extra-special stop at the pub on the way home.

Somebody we recognise, or just a helper?

The Wrinklies are an informal group of cyclists who are mostly retired, working part time or working shifts and there is quite a variation in attendance for the normal 45-mile or so rides on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9am.

Other cyclists are welcome to come along and take part.

Next week we can bring news of the CC Breckland New Year’s Day open time trial in which six Velo Club Baracchi members were entered.

John Thompson of VC Baracchi found an event to ride just before Christmas, the Santa Special 202km audax.

He headed off to Great Bromley village hall, just south-east of Manningtree, where the headquarters of the event, organised partly by Colchester Rovers CC, was situated.

The first control was near Wickham Market (about 47km) and the route went through Ipswich and along the “old A12” through Martlesham and then Woodbridge and Ufford.

At first there was little wind but getting close to the control it got up strong and was from behind.  It made for a fast ride to the next information control at Halesworth (around 70km), but then the wind had to be faced.

Thompson said, “Being so close to home made it psychologically hard as it would have been a tail wind home.”

However, Thompson had then to ride to Linstead, Fressingfield and Oakley to Diss control (about 107km), “and the wind was an absolute brute!”

It remained so for the leg to Sudbury control (161km) via Haughley and Lavenham with the respite of a tail wind for 7.5 miles Monks Eleigh that didn’t last because of a change of direction for the final miles through Hadleigh, East Bergholt and by-passing Manningtree back to Great Bromley.

Thompson said the tough conditions, “made it all the more pleasing that I crept inside 12 hours at around 11 hours 45 minutes.  In all the circumstances my best ride yet.”

It was his first qualifying ride in attempting Audax UK’s Randonneur Round the Year award for which he has to do one ride per month of at least 200km.

Last weekend Thompson rode a shorter distance and one of the objectives he achieved was to ride a lane he doesn’t believe he ever has for all his years of cycling.

He rode via Hulver, Uggeshall and Halesworth to Walpole and then went to Chediston and the road he not ridden before, to Chediston Green returning by a route that included via Ilketshall St Lawrence, Redisham and Hulver.