I got invited to a company party by one of our suppliers this weekend. They’re a Dutch cycle distributor based in Rotterdam and the CEO loved the venue we had our party at that we invited him to back in January so much, he brought his whole company over for the weekend to the De Vere Hotel Tortworth Court, South Gloucestershire. With a room going too it was a great oppo to ride there yesterday, have some fun last night then ride back today.
I’d planned a pretty direct route which came out at 108km or 67 miles in old money. I couldn’t check in till after 3pm so I decided to leave about noon thinking it would probably take me 4-4.5hrs. Perfect.
The weather was stunning and the Red Arrows were due to fly over about 11.58am so after watching them thunder past I got on the road. It felt like a posh send off tbh.
I’d managed to pack everything into one pannier bag. Good job because I found my other had seen better days as the stitching at the bottom of the bag had come away and there was a gaping hole now. An excuse to buy a posh pair of Ortliebs now I think.
The first part of my route was on familiar lanes that meandered down through Bradley Green and Huddington. I crossed the A422 and picked up one of my favourite lanes to Naunton Beauchamp. Left in the village was a little shortcut across a ford I’d never ridden down before then into Pinvin and Pershore where I went off course slightly and the Garmin had a wobble.
The wind was NW and the tailwind meant even with the heavy bag on I was getting up some speed in sections.
So far the roads had been pretty quiet but as I got into Tewkesbury the traffic was stationary as is almost always the case. It’s a beautiful little town with a fabulous Abbey but a traffic sewer at the same time. Shame really. As I neared the Abbey on the other side of town I did see signs for a food festival which may have added to the mayhem.
I wasn’t looking forward to the A38 to Gloucester. There isn’t any alternative on quieter roads but I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed to be over in a flash and the traffic was light and drivers behaved themselves when overtaking. I did catch up a tractor doing about 20mph though with a Land Rover that just wouldn’t pass. It did eventually pull over to let the queue pass and for a bit the road was busy but no issues.
Into Gloucester I got lost. I took a wrong turn just past the Gloucester Rugby stadium and confused the Garmin again so I had to pick my way through some streets until I found a familiar road and got onto the Bristol Road I knew quite well because we had a warehouse there in the old match factory for a bit.
After a couple of km I took a right and crossed one of the many swing bridges on the Gloucester canal and hit the towpath. This was a revelation. The big wide canal made it feel like I was cycling along the Rhine or something. Loved it. Everyone shared the path nicely too.
I had only plotted a couple of km on the towpath when I could have probably done a lot more. Instead I went off into the lanes skirting the River Severn and wormed my way through some fab little villages until I popped out in Frampton-on-Severn and crossed back over the canal again on another swing bridge.
Back onto the A38, again the traffic was refreshingly light but the section via Cambridge does have quite a wide painted bike lane until I turned for Dursley and crossed the M5. Just outside Cam I did decide to stop at a garage and top up my bottle and have an ice cream. The sun was baking with no wind to take the edge off.
Refreshments done the only real climbing of the route kicked in as I skirted Dursley and climbed up and around one of the big hills that sits just south of the town. The climb topped out at Stinchcombe which gave way to an awesome view of the Severn Bridge and Estuary in the distance.
I caned the descent the other side and missed my right turn because my garmin was too slow to tell me. The last 6km were nice, quiet rolling lanes with a couple of punchy climbs, one at 13%, just to burn my final couple of matches before one final descent and I was at the hotel. I’d made decent time.
I rolled upto the entrance and I could see the Dutch guys all playing volleyball and taking it quite seriously too based on the whoops and shouts coming from them.
I checked in, showered and decided to have a beer on the sun-drenched terrace. At £6.75 for a pint of Birra Moretti though, I savoured it. Luckliy from then on I was able to pop everything on our hosts tab for the night.
The dress code was summer smart casual so I donned my ‘Man from Delmonte’ get up which got noticed and some piss was taken. Fair dos. It was nice to see everyone made some effort though.
After some (free) beers I needed food as I hadn’t eaten for the few hours it had been since I arrived. We had a buffet BBQ on the terrace and I smashed it. Meat sweats the lot. And twice. Nom.
The sun went down and it got a bit chippy (chilly & nippy!) so we went into the room that was hosting the disco however it looked a bit sparse. Big room, 60+ people, 2 tables and a DJ. We all had to stand up. The Dutch were on the dance floor most of the night but they are a little more reserved than us. Just dancing from side to side. Nothing mad so I decided to get amongst them do some running man and then walk off leaving them a little bewildered what just happened? the kind of thing I do LOL. Love it.
I’d had enough by 11pm so I went to bed but woke at 4am and just dozed till 7.30am when I decided to get up and have some breakfast. Most of our lot were already there!
Cooked brekky done, I forced down a bowl of granola and yoghurt too to load up and got on the road about 9.45am. All the hills were at the start going back so I just throttled back and saw them out but the wind hadn’t changed direction. It was obvious why I felt I rode so well yesterday, the headwind was a bitch and I faced 68 miles of it. There was no point trying to push on and burn my matches I had to embrace it and just roll the gear.
Hills done, the A38 was busier today and I didn’t really enjoy it. I felt a bit on edge with the cars hammering past. I couldn’t wait to get off it and get into the lanes again to Gloucester.
At Saul junction, the crossing lights came on and I got to see a swing bridge in action. The gap between the underside of the bridge and the water is only a few foot so the bridge has to be opened to let narrowboats through. The first one chugged through and then we waited quite a while for he other one coming the other way but as it was parallel with the bridge, the bridge oppo berated the couple driving the boat, telling them to hurry up because they were holding everyone up. I don’t think they could go any faster. The guy must have been having a bad day as it seemed everyone in the cars and on bikes like me waiting didn’t seem bothered. I crossed the bridge and a wanker in an E-type got all uppety as I cycled past the other way on the bridge. He did have priority but that doesn’t mean sole use, so he deliberately didn’t give me any room and and said something about reading signs. I think the bell end needs a lesson himself.
More lanes then back onto the canal towpath for a couple of km. Loved it again and I told myself I will go back and do the lot next time.
Gloucester was fucked again. All the roads were closed for the Race for Life so I ended up scooting around some of the course with ladies in pink until I found where to get off and carry on.
The A38 to Tewkesbury was horrible. Just idiots driving too close too often. I didn’t really enjoy that and Tewkesbury town centre was stationary again until I got out and on my way to Bredon. The headwind was beginning to take its toll now too and in Pershore I was thinking about food but as I was only 20 miles out I supped a gel instead and pedalled on.
My ride came to an abrupt end just outside Naunton Beauchamp. I jumped onto the path to cross the bridge over the ford and the hiss of my rear tyre pissing out sealant meant I had to stop at the picnic table on the otherside. No worries I thought, a bit messy but I can stick a tube in, CO2 it up and I’ll be on my way but when I took my tube out I only had a 40mm valve to go in my 50mm rims. The tyre was flat, the cut was too big so my ride was over because I’d taken my other bikes spare tube. Doh!
I called Sally to come and pick me up and I sat baking in the sun a couple of lads on a scooter, one pillion rode across the ford and tanked it. Soaked they picked the bike up and as they drew near it was obvious they were ‘travellers’ from the accents and the bike was probably nicked as it had no reg plate. Tut tut.
I was then joined by a couple of ladies out for a walk who were looking for another picnic table, there was only one, mine, so I said come and sit with me and we got chatting and it turns out the one lady used to live on the same road as me when I was a kid! Mental!
Sally arrived, we carried on talking for a bit then loaded up and went home. Quite a heavy weekend for me drinking and cycling. Done and in the bag.
