The Annual Cycling Jaunt

It rained, boy did it rain!!! …… and it rained and it rained and it rained !!!!! The date was booked miles in advance and as there are four of us and I for one have to exclude every other weekend due to the kids, it would have been hard to find an alternative. So with the rain having bucketed it down over night and the forecast for a rainy morning we meet up at Stanwick Lakes. This year was group was ……. The three stalwarts of Steve, Andy and Moi …….. and the new comer …. Michael. Apparently, Bren was a bit skint and would rather spend his cash on beer than a new inner tube!!!! Shame. So, I arrive and it’s hissing it down. Steve, Andy and Michael are hiring their bikes (you know, just in case there is a rush!!). Having secured their steeds they promptly leave them at the shop and we head off to the café ….. as if there is any chance it might stop raining in the near future. And in the café it is back to the old ways. I’ve had Alpen not that long ago so just take a coffee. The boy’s are on full English’s (full European’s?!?!?!). It’s not going to stop so after a while we have the obligatory photo in the dry and then head off. Il pluet – big time. But you know, once you “give yourself” to the rain and the mud, it is actually quite brilliant fun :-) The guys got free waterproof trousers with the hire bikes but I don’t like them anyway as they make me sweat too much. So, I’m in my green shorts that I got from America. Before long, my legs are just pasted in mud, but apparently, that does n’t stop the wee biting things doing their biting thing :-( It does indeed rain all morning but calls a halt around noon, by that time we’ve done a big muddy loop to the south (including a little wading for Steve and I) and we are back at the café. Steve says there are a couple of pubs to the north, one about two miles away and the other about double. Well we never see the closer one and before we get to the second one Andy is getting tired and grumpy (brings back memories of the wonderful SDW). As we pull at one place about a mile from the second pub I notice it is 1:50 and joke with Andy that they probably stop serving food at 2 pm. Bad joke, we end up in the nearby café having a sandwich! Another great day with wonderful lads who I am lucky to have as mates:-)