Lark and Larkling rides to Marple
On Thursday the forecast for Saturday looked foul so Larkling Simon (who doubles as the club’s Treasurer) suggested a flat ride to Marple.
‘Fine,’ I replied, eager, for a change, not to have to add planning a route to the virtual in-tray that is the lot of the General Secretary of a club with 275 members. ‘You plan a route and I’ll add a loop for the Larks on the return leg.’
Ewan, Raph, Phil, Sue, Steve, Simon, Mark, Jim, Simon, Jochen, Russell.
How glad I was that Larks and Larklings rode out as one group, since I would have added a good hour scratching my helmeted head over whether the route really did take the turn that my Garmin was insisting on.
Fun route really, with every type of terrain and scenery I could imagine, including Stockport shopping precinct (I am not making this up), crossing under the A34, and several parks, off-road sections, housing estates, cycle lanes and cycle paths and a climb so steep that even Club Legend Matt L would have dismounted (see below).
The day’s big climb
Styal Road
Costa in Marple didn’t seem to understand the word vegan, so I nipped out to Asda while my companions feasted on bucket-sized cups of frothy coffee. Russell double punctured within a mile of the café on the return leg, on which I was embarrassed to be substantially off the back on every climb. Later, as I sighed on the sofa, someone who knows me better than I know myself gave me her usual Saturday look of pity and said, ‘You’re exhausted. Where did you go today?’
‘Marple,’ I said, not daring to admit that it was only 42 miles of which 28 was pancake flat. I’m getting too old for this. Raph (easily three weeks my junior) is leading on 23 Nov. More ride leaders please step forward; I can’t do this much longer.
Chris
Gateway to Stockport