After last week’s August BH wash out (save for a few hardy submariners) and with RKR signage tasks to fit in, 7 assembled for a CW route NE with coffee back at Odney again.
LE/Bolter End (Al and Mark P) residents descending to the ride start, before a solid paced climb back up returning from whence they came, collecting Mark and Jan at Lane End. Chris had joined the Specialized club, his new steed tweaked and pimped by young Sam, brake levers flared out and stem stretched. (Chris needs little extra help was the collective group sigh).
From West Wycombe we turned up towards Bradenham, Mark P leading us strongly over the train-track road surface, before the group climbed solidly up to Walters Ash, Mark H squeezing towards the summit in what would be a theme of the day.
Our next up was Bryants Bottom, though a rare easterly wind not conducive to fast times, but Mark, Al and then Chris pulled hard enough to make it interesting. (Nick S would turn, planned, for home and his signage duties).
The remaining 6 then descended into Missendon, before Chris (responding to his gibe that his aero bike might be ‘OK’ towards the front rather than 4th wheel) chased down a loan climber on Frith Hill. One following car wanted to enter into a conversation with Fraser, winding down his window, but was politely pre-empted with a ‘You concentrate on the road and we’ll do the cycling!’ to no come-back.
Thereafter a winding connection of familiar place names but by some different routes, before crossing Fulmer to Burnham, and Hedsor descent to BE and Cookham beyond.
Arriving as the second group for coffee and fresh cut cake. In a new feature, Chris bravely started some 360 debrief to our route-meister (or seemed like it) but was actually discussing RKR routes and signage.
Thanks also to other Cheetah non-riders this weekend who have worked in pairs signing the 3 routes for Sunday (and collecting later that day again).