Saturday 28th April Off Site Ride - Col de Coldharbour

Saturday morning dawned (after a busy evening at Cyclopark, more on that later..) and even afforded me a short lie in as I'd got my stuff ready the night before.  We had a few our of our newer riders coming along today, so I was determined to get to the park first.  A good try on my part but Lars and Leon beat me to it!

Fifteen youngsters signed on with a good selection of adults to keep them company.  We split into three groups, with Jez and Gary heading off with Joshua, Jago, Oliver, Leon and Hope.  Michele and Claire got their group together; Hannah, Bronnie, Alice, Emily and Alfie while Andrew and I headed off with Ivo, Daniel, Fin, Dylan and Thomas.

Mine and Michele's group taking a quick break before the home leg

Jez's group couldn't help going a bit further........ending up at Ightham Mote!

The first part of the ride requires good, controlled group riding; we are on the lane which is quiet but definitely not traffic free, there are quite a few of us and the road surface is variable.  Thanks to some excellent riding from the kids everybody made it up the lane, without incident, despite a new and particularly nasty section of potholes on the approach to Pooh Sticks Bridge.  I stopped briefly at The White House with my group before heading off onto the track and the final challenge of the last section of Col de Coldharbour.  Now that the barn isn't empty and available for playing we rode on with a promise of a refuelling stop after the bumpy field.  The bluebells where divine as we headed down to Chocolate Box Cottage and with the group slightly strung out I continued on along the driveway, added a quick turn turn challenge before retracing our wheels (mostly through the puddles I noticed) back to the start of the woods.  Andrew went on ahead to open the gate and check out conditions in the Bumpy Field.  Despite a serious mud quire after the gate everyone stayed upright and there were several squeals of delight as everyone cleared the gate and whizzed across the field.  We stopped at our usual spot (after a head to head sprint between the gates) for a jelly sweet, Michele's group appeared  headed up by Alice.

A perfect example of group riding from Michele's group

Jez's group at the bottom of the steep field

Fuelled by jelly sweets everyone attacked the final gradual climb back up to the lane.  Daniel was at pains to tell me that he knows this climb well as it's on his way to KVK.  Back at the lane, it was time to flick the control switch back on; my group demonstrated some good controlled descending.  We were first back at the park (and therefore first on the pump track) closely followed by Michele and then Jez.  Great riding from everybody, look forward to seeing you all again at Go Ride next week.

Still riding like pros!