onionbagblog

Published as part of the Keep Colchester Cycling project.

Another weekend, another early morning roll out with the wonderful @VC_Revolution Cycling Club. When it becomes routine to wake up on a Saturday morning and to physically feel that your legs are ready for the roll out, then yep – you know that your return to the would-be King of the Colchester Mountains is well and truly complete.

The only category Stage 1 climb was the approach to the meet up – climbing (yeah, right) the junction of St Johns Road and Parson Heath. I thought it a bit much to be wearing the colours of my polka dot jersey, but I took the points, all the same. Shame I was cycling alone at this stage…

With the club’s very own criterium road race taking place over in Woodbridge, this was always going to be something of a relaxed, and reduced in numbers ride. Six cyclists set off shortly after 9am, with the pelaton creeping up to just under twenty as some club members from Clacton picked up the route with us.

My pre-ride preparation of curry and five pints of lager didn’t appear to be holding me back; in fact I was even holding my own as I took on the early workload at the front of the pack, and somehow holding the chicken tikka masala down as well.

Also being held were some charming conversations. This is the central point of any decent cycling club – you join to meet like-minded cycling freaks, and to have a regular social catch up at the weekend. For all the individual glamour of road racing and time trials, at the centre of any worthy cycle club has to be the Saturday social ride.

@VC_Revolution has got this spot on. It is great that a chainring rotation of riders informally takes place, giving everyone the chance to catch up (and lead the way / hide in the pack) as the morning takes hold and the miles are put in.

By 10am I had spoken with a fellow ex-Dulwich Paragon rider (those hills! THOSE HILLS!) a visiting cyclist down from Warwickshire down for the weekend and a lovely army bloke, who very kindly answered my delicate questions about seeing service in every major world conflict from the Falklands through to Iraq.

Beaumont-Cum-Moze brought us back down to earth (well, Tendring) with simply the BEST village name in which to ride through on a Saturday morning. The golden rape fields gave it all a continental feel, and for one glorious moment, the Essex Riviera could genuinely compete with its Mediterranean companion.

I predictably got dropped on the bunch sprint into Mistley. No worries – time alone and time in the saddle to appreciate the natural splendour of the estuary as you ride into the village.

I shared a cappuccino with a sheep at the Nature Reserve – that’s not something that I bet Bradley Wiggins can boast as he climbs Alp d’Huez in few months.

And then soon we were back in Sunny Colch, two and a half hours after first rolling out. These club rides are the perfect introduction to anyone considering a gentle stretch this summer. New faces are always welcome – we even had a fixie freak out this week.

Chapeau!