A Velo Club Baracchi club run in the sun

Velo Club Baracchi members had a good ride on Sunday, organised by club vice-chairman George Kerridge.

Heading west on the Mudford road from Loddon in Norfolk

There were eight riders in the group until a few of them later went their separate ways. They were Titch Richards, Mike Bretton, George Kerridge, Nicki Hawkes, Joe MacDonald, Karl Brady, Kate Churchill and John Swanbury.

Getting away from the oft-used southern route that includes Halesworth, they set off through Oulton Broad and Somerleyton to St Olaves, Haddiscoe, Thurlton and Loddon.

Taking the Mundham road the riders carried on east to the Norwich Road near Kirstead Green and rode down it into Ditchingham and Bungay for a café stop in Earsham Street by six of the riders.

Then the return from Bungay took a usual route up Annis Hill, past Ilketshall St Lawrence church and through Ilketshall St Andrew, Ringsfield, Weston and Hulver.

The weather was a little on the cold side but not frosty and it warmed up a bit, becoming sunny, so the riders had a really enjoyable ride, especially in the tailwind to home. It was a shade under 50 miles, door to door, for most of the riders.

John Thompson based his cycling weekend in Norwich, staying over a long weekend.

He rode there on Thursday afternoon and on Friday went to Aylsham, then Saxthorpe, Briston and then through lanes via Reepham, Lenwade, Hockering and Barnham Broom to Wymondham.  It was quite a slow ride as he had to take a lot of notes for the route sheet of an audax ride he is organising.

On Saturday he went first to Edgefield to then turn through some “very nice north Norfolk lanes” via Thornage, Sharrington, Field Dalling and Binham to Wells, which will be the control point for one of the rides.  He then rode via Walsingham, Thursford and Melton Constable to Briston, taking notes along the way.

On Sunday he rode to Carbrooke for the EDCA prize presentation and took a slightly devious route along a few lanes he hadn’t ridden before via Barford, Barnham Broom, Coston and Hardingham to Shipdham.  After beans on toast he rode home via Hingham, Wymondham, Hempnall and Beccles.

• The VCB 100-km reliability rides are this Sunday, February 1.  The start and finish is the Oulton Community Centre – 4.5 hours at 8.30am, 4 hours at 9am, 3.5 hours at 9.30am.