The ride started at 9.30am and stopped almost immediately outside the windmill at Great Chishill for a photocall – watch for a change in the blog’s cover pic soon, as above, featuring our leader Maurice, deputy dawg Andrew R, Vernon, John T, Ken W and Martin W. This was to be only the first of many more stops!
The second was a stop at Fowlmere aerodrome where we were allowed into the hangar to see a collection of aircraft in use, including a magnificent Gypsy Moth biplane. We also saw this memorial to Canadians based at Fowlmere during WW II:
Then it was a stop at the deli in Shelford for a delicious cup of coffee before the first of THREE punctures affecting our erstwhile deputy. Here he is mending the first outside Sawston with the help of our chief mechanic Maurice:
Stop no. 5 was for refreshments in Martin’s garden in Ickleton followed by nos. 6 and 7 to attend to Andrew’s additional punctures, the first of which involved squirting gooey stuff into the rear tube to save taking the wheel off. Did it work I hear you say? Half a mile later Andrew was surrounded in foam emerging from his tyre in vast amounts at which point we left him to it and cycled on!
Being late for lunch by this time, Maurice generously came to Andrew’s rescue by bringing his van to pick him up but by the time they met our deputy had fitted a new tube and pedalled furiously as far as Heydon. The moral of this story? Check tyres for small flints before each ride and buy quality tubes and tyres!
So, eventually, we all sat down to an excellent lunch at The Pheasant where we were joined by Kell who was looking very well and had been back on his bike.
Thanks to Andrew for organising such an interesting and eventful ride!
The Windmill Cycle Club 