Bedgebury Forest Ride Out - Saturday 27th January

There are lots of Go Ride clubs who don't run sessions in the dark days of January and February but there again perhaps they don't have such a committed and enthusiastic team of coaches and volunteers!  If there is any doubt about which session to run Michele's first suggestion is always Bedgebury!  So that is how I found myself scraping my windscreen and loading my van at 8.15am this morning.  The weather was on side though, the sun was shining and no rain forecast, a perfect day for a bike ride.

When I arrived, there were lots of cars but not many bikes in sight and not a single KVK jersey; then a few people started to emerge.........phew.  Most people had stories of disrupte/disorganised starts, but they'd made it, so time to get riding!

A few groups met up at Louisa Lake; a regular snack spot when we are Bedgebury

Posing for photos at the end of Cake Run

Michele is very pleased with her new pressure washer

Meanwhile James is using the on site Bike Wash

Malcolm & Juan headed off with Nico, Hope and Eloise.  This was the small, speedy group.  Next up, Michele and Claire headed off with some of our youngest riders and newcomers to Bedgebury.  Finally Jez and I set off with a mixed group including a few latecomers of varying age/size/speed.  Fortunately Andrew was amongst them and he has a good way of coping with whatever we throw at him!  After a slight re-group/shuffle about at the Radio Mast we were all well and truly underway.

Jez's group cracked on with the family trail and added a three sections of the Red Route to their ride; Genesis, Dad's Army and of course Cake Run.  Meanwhile Michele and Claire used the space available to drill their group in group riding, even managing some Thread The Needle Practise, all supplemented by numerous play stops!  Alfie, Daniel and William all conquered the hills, Hannah came out smiling from Cake Run, after not really thinking it was for her. 

Having fun on The Lurcher!

My group rode the family trail and made good progress with their hill climbing; Thomas took me up on my invitation to ride the Hill Climb TT section twice and rode confidently to the top of the following hilly section too.  We need to go back soon so everyone can have another go!  By the time we reached Cake Run, I was convinced that Fraser had a motor in his seat tube!

Jez and Malcolm's groups at Louisa Lake