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First Sunday Ride of 2012 |
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Thursday, 26 January 2012 13:16 |
AVP social cycling calendar got off to a flying start with a ride along the Umborne Valley. Almost 20 riders turned out on a surprisingly warm Sunday morning in early January for a pleasant pedal into the countryside north of Seaton.
The group meandered its way out through Axmouth along the Axe estuary and onto National Cycle Route 2, passing the Colyford tram station and up along Cownhayne Lane to the river bridge at Colyton.
The objective of this early season ride was to go as far as possible without encountering a hill, but inevitably the hill outside Colyton loomed up to test the abilities of some of the riders. However, everyone managed the ascent at their own speed and we re-grouped for the now customary ‘cake stop’ at the top, and to admire the view in the sunshine across the Coly Valley.
Reluctantly moving on, our route then took us past the old railway station at Seaton Junction and towards Shute House, turning left down the narrow lanes to Umborne. There was plenty of debris and some flooding along the low lying lanes, but the group took the wise precaution of sending their ride leader ahead to check suspect puddles for potholes. Bikes can usually negotiate a few inches of water more easily than cars and everyone got through unscathed.
Through the metropolis of Umborne (3 houses) and circling back along the beautiful Umborne valley to the river bridge at Colyton, we paused to check that everyone was still present. Then passing Soanes Cycles (our sponsor) the tempo increased as we approached Seaton and the prospect of mulled wine and baked potatoes at the ride leader’s house on Beer Road. After the success of cycling’s Mark Cavendish as BBC Sports Personality of the Year, it was difficult to resist a bit of a sprint up the final hill - with Bobble trailing in second to Handbag, who needed to turn the oven off. A good start to 2012 for AVP in Olympic year!
There will be an AVP ride on the second Sunday of every month. Please check the Ride Schedule for more details.
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