24/4 HSLCC Fri Night Ride

Greg Happy To Join The Friday Night Ride!

Good conditions for the Friday night ride brought out an  average turnout of seven riders. Riding the Friday night ride for the first time was pre BBR regular Greg kemble. Greg had been practising the route on his own for a while so knew what to expect.

With plenty of daylight  the descent of Battery Hill was faster than normal. Despite being only four seconds outside my all time best I was significantly dropped by the others but we were all together by the entry into the nature reserve and stayed together to the bottom of the Broad Oak drag. As usual everyone became spread out as the faster riders accelerated away. Living at Westfield Greg had already been up Stonestile and so my legs were fresher than his. This enabled me to get past him and keep a gap of about thirty seconds right until the top.

We had a particularly  fast climb up the 'cut through to Doleham lane' with all of us gaining some of the fastest times of 2015.

Unfortunately we would be denied the chance to observe Greg achieving his traditional Stonestile victory photograph, as he turned for home at Westfield, leaving the rest of us to sweep left onto the 'Stonestile Approach'

I felt better than normal on the stiff climb, probably due to the combined effects of  last Saturdays 92 mile epic Pre BBR special and the iron rich steak I had enjoyed on Thursday. For once I managed to get and stay ahead of Dan on the climb which gave me a 'pat on the back' from Nathan at the top.

It was nice to have a good safe Friday night ride with no incidents or punctures, hopefully Greg will now become a regular?