Riding in the Cold and Damp 06/11/2024

Plenty of Easy Riders turned up at Weavers Park, on a deceptively cold, damp, still day. Gifford and Andy C took the long group to the new branch of Mrs Salisbury’s at Marks Hall; Gavin and I led the medium group to Bakealicious in Coggeshall, and Bill T and Chris took the short group to Greenstead Green.

Health & safety tip for the day is about anticipating how wet the roads are and adapting your riding style accordingly. I found that although it did not appear particularly wet, the damp air (97% humidity according to Strava!) dramatically reducing my brakes stopping capacity. The mist had condensed onto well-worn road surfaces (e.g. through Ranks Green) and made the riding surface greasy and slippery, requiring a lot of anticipation to preclude falling off!

As we rode towards Witham Road, Bill B punctured. As usual, the Easy Riders worked together to resolve it. It took a minute or two to find the suspected puncture, and being tubeless, a reinflation was tried. Gavin had a nifty electric pump (see photo), that sounded as if it would inflate any tyre really quickly, but on closer inspection there was a serious gash in the tyre that no amount of air would repair. (Easy Rider bike mechanics might consider asking Santa for this lightweight pump for Christmas!). Paul agreed to pedal home to get his car, while Bill pushed his bike about a mile and a quarter to Cornerstone Church in Black Notley, to wait to be picked up and taken home. Thanks to Paul for the recovery service!

We pedalled through White Notley, through Silver End and Coggeshall Hamlet to Bakealicious (great cakes and bacon butties) in Coggeshall. It was packed, with two walking groups as well as us. We saw the long group pedal through Coggeshall just before we departed, all of whom appeared to thoroughly approve of the new Mrs Salisbury’s at Marks Hall.

We retraced our route back via Cressing. Some riders returned home via Long Green. The rest of our party rode via Bulford Mill, having to brake abruptly as we rounded the bend as traffic had tailed back due to a large farm vehicle requiring oncoming traffic to reverse and give way. Our group split again, to return either via Green Lane or Notley Road.

A cold, damp ride with good company. 28 miles, 9.4 mph.

Cathy MacTaggart