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Pete and Jenny's Red Ride to Eckington

  • Date: 22 September 2019
  • By: Jenny Down

Riders: Pete Down, Jenny Down & James Saunders

With the weather not looking very promising Pete and myself turned up at TVC central to see who was brave/daft enough to consider setting off with the rain clouds gathering. James was obviously not just a fair-weather rider and was keen to ride. With no other red riders the intrepid 3 musketeers set off on the A60 towards Worksop, so far so good, as the rain looked to be holding off.

However that changed as we got to Langold, the heavens opened and we got drenched, ah well, once wet you can’t get any wetter! James even refused the opportunity to put his rain jacket on. Once through Carton-in-Lindrick, we turned right through Gateford and to the A57 round-a-bout. With the rain easing at last we made our way through Shireoaks, Thorpe Salvin and Harthill, James got his head down and pushed ahead up the hill out of Harthill towards Barlborough. From Barlborough it was a steady downhill to Staveley before climbing to Middle Handley, again James displayed his goat like abilities and shot off up the hill. At Marsh Lane, there was the option of turning right and cycling 1 mile downhill to the café, instead we went downhill (woohoo) to Ford then a 1 mile climb to Ridgeway (noooo). I was the self-appointed back marker on the hills, not sure if back marking myself counts though? At Mosborough we turned right and enjoyed a good downhill stretch to Eckington before turning uphill to the café.

The café was busy, so we sat outside under the gazebo for coffee/tea and cake. We found out that James is also an anomaly of nature and doesn’t feel the cold, so Pete will have a fellow TVC rider who wears shorts though-out winter!

Suitably refuelled and refreshed we set off heading towards Renishaw before turning left up to Spinkhill – goat James pedalling off up the hill, however the curse of tubeless tyres was about to strike. James’s back tyre was not resealing when being pumped and spun. We had to abandon the ride just outside Spinkhill. Luckily being close to home Pete cycled to fetch my car, it was then a case of figuring out how to get back to TVC central in a 3 door Fiesta, think the Barclays advert, “you have a fox, chicken and corn and you need to get them all safely across a river without any animal eating anything”. James and myself waited in Spinkhill until Pete returned with the car. James and his bike got into the car, I cycled home and met them there. Bike unloaded the fox, chicken and corn set off to drop James at home and pick up our car from TV central. Bike to be returned Monday evening.

Kudos – James for not putting his rain jacket on, however kudos withdrawn for non-sealing puncture!

Jenny

Pete and Jenny's Red Ride to Eckington