VCB club rides starting together this time

Velo Club Baracchi riders gathered for the club run on Sunday but before long had divided into several different groups.

Gathering for the rides

The fastest group was driven along by the efforts of Liam Gentry, Mark Richards and Nick Esser and it included Keith Wink and others.

They covered 74 miles by taking a loop that included Norwich, Wroxham. Hemsby and Caister, averaging around 18.5mph.

One of the other groups, Nicki Hawkes, George Kerridge and Patrick Harbord headed to the Reedham ferry up to Martham and Hemsby and back home via Yarmouth, a similar but shorter circuit .

Nicki Hawkes said, “It was a lovely ride with a north easterly heading out.  We averaged 17mph over 50 miles. Patrick managed to keep up by being fuelled with jam and peanut butter sandwiches.”

VCB Sunday Club runs start at Cotmer Road roundabout at 8.30am.

John Thompson staged the Waveney Wander 104km (65 miles) audax on Sunday and VCB rider Kate Churchill was one of the thirty-four riders who took part.

The headquarters was at Carlton Colville Community Centre and only one of the riders failed to finish the full distance.

The route was to  Earsham Street near Wingfield for an info control (at 39.5km), then broadly via Brockdish, Alburgh and Woodton to Rosie Lee’s tea rooms at Loddon (a full control at 80km), then Heckingham info control (83.5km) and back via Beccles to Carlton Colville.

Kate Churchill completed it in 4 hours 37 minutes, including stopping at Loddon.   Local riders Denis Glasscock and Malcolm Howlett finished in 5:47.

The weekday rides by the Wrinklies, an informal group that includes a number of VCB members, are continuing to take place on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9am from Carlton Colville church.

Last week’s Tuesday ride was down to two people because of the weather, which was very windy and somewhat wet, though others met up with the ride at Posh Pigs.

Friday’s ride in sunshine was very well attended and included a big loop into Norfolk to cover 50-odd miles, but with the café stop available on the way home as ever.