Exemplary Riding by the Easy Riders 19/03/2025

Plenty of Easy Riders assembled in Weavers Park on a brilliantly sunny, mild, spring day. Eleven riders pedalled off with the long group, there were 17 for the medium group and 9 for the short group.

I started by splitting the medium group – fortunately Ann and Gavin were prepared to lead and support the second section – and we pedalled out west in two well-separated sets. It was a good day for nature lovers as we heard the first migratory chiff-chaffs of the season, along with mewing buzzards and also spotted a falcon and kite. We rode from the Flitch Way to Great Saling, past the airfield and along Lubberhedges Lane. This is an area where oxlips grow in the deep ditches where it remains boggy, either side of the road. Oxlips are a rare plant, and apparently the main difference between them and cowslips is that oxlips smell of apricot. I’m unlikely to get my nose far enough down in the ditch to make a definitive identification though!

There were roadworks with traffic lights either side of the junction of Lubberhedges Lane and the B1057 (which were not there the previous day when Peter and I did our recce!). Here I asked our faster riders on electric bikes to lead to the Blue Egg and spread our group out so motorists could easily pass us, as it was an uphill ride on a busier road. Mike sagely noted that the roadworkers were wryly smiling at me when I was being quite directive about how I wanted people to ride! Pleasingly our first 5 riders arrived at the Blue Egg about 5 minutes before the slower riders (i.e. me!) on manual bikes, then Ann’s group about 10 minutes after that, thus not overwhelming the cafe. The long group were already there, having taken a short 15-mile route via Wethersfield to get there.

Health & safety tip for the day is about wearing hi-vi clothing. Something that Easy Riders seem to do really well, is to wear fluorescent jackets. We were passed by a couple of road bike pelotons, and I am always surprised at how many clubs have mostly black kit and are virtually invisible from the rear. Yet when I looked forward on the B1057 and could see our riders across twisting roads over farmland, our hi-vi clad riders were clearly visible. Well done Easy Riders!

We pedalled back via Bardfield Saling – pleasingly the semi-permanent flood on Plums Lane had gone, and according to Strava, both Tony and I achieved a personal best time on this section! We returned, dispersing to our various homes, via Shalford Road and Rayne. Thanks to Ann and Gavin for stepping up to the mark to assist.

10.8 mph, 26.5 miles.

Cathy MacTaggart