A Winning Ride to Finchingfield 19/06/2024

Easy Riders aplenty assembled in Weavers Park as a fine day was forecast. 

Peter Sk and Peter M took the medium group on a marvellous route to Finchingfield.  Having reached Shalford Green, we crossed the ford on the rough-and-ready Littles Lane, then continued west on a road to the left of Bailey’s Horse Feeds which I’d never ridden before.  Well-planned Peter!  This took us on a loop to return us to Bardfield Road, which neatly avoided some of the bends that give poor visibility to upcoming traffic. 

We rode well, with good gaps within the group, to enable traffic to pass.  Health & safety tip for the day reflects on a previous experience I had when leading a group through Silver End.  A white van came flying past me on Western Road, just where there is a dip before the road bends right.  The driver cut in sharply in front of me as there was an oncoming car and missed me by about 6 inches!  This makes the point that if we ride in a close-packed big group, unthinking behaviour by riders in the middle of the group, can lead to dangers for lead riders, due the subsequent actions of impatient drivers.  So,

please, regularly count how many riders are in front of you, and if you can count 5 in a group, drop back and create a gap.

Having had a much-needed break at Winners in Finchingfield, Peter had found us a route on quiet, hilly, lanes through Waltham’s Cross and across to Blackmore End – again on roads that I’d not ridden for ages.  It was marvellous.  Quite a few of the lanes on this route had hazards that we were calling out – pothole, sand, gravel, car up/down.  I happened to observe to Peter M that the only hazard I’d not called out, was camber. (Try riding St-Peter’s-in-the-Fields in Braintree town centre to see what a hazard this can be!).  He sagely replied that was just as well, as if riders heard Camber, followed by Sands, they would think we’d taken a rather excessive detour! 

From Beazley End, it was downhill all the way, and we coasted home.  Great ride.  24 miles, fine weather, good company and a great time was had by all.

Cathy MacTaggart