Thrills, Spills & Punctures

It was fantastic to see so many Belper jerseys at the Triangle for riders heading to different cafes. A big welcome to Brian D who did his first Saturday Social ride on the lumpy route to Carsington - great to see you. 14 riders left the Triangle and the group quickly divided into two groups. It was quite an eventful day which was filled with punctures galore (my first two occured even before I had left home), mechanicals and an off on the way home. After a climb up to Belper Lane End and up Gorses we had our first puncture which was expertly changed with minimum of fuss and solo by Richard. Off we went again and it was not long before Ash encountered a mechanical issue with his front mech. He need not have worried though as our on route mechanic Stu used all of his experience to demonstrate his highly honed skills by using mixture of finesse and gentle persuasion to adjust things beautifully allowing Ash to continue. (It should also be noted that Stu didn't damage his new shoes!!). The ride had barely been going for an hour but we pressed on undeterred by the set backs. After one or two lumpy bits we arrived at the cafe and saw the faster group tucking into their third courses whilst patiently waiting for the next group. Most of the riders enjoyed bacon and egg cobs on the ground floor whilst apparently a small group in the penthouse suite tucked into lobster thermidor and canapés whilst being served by singing waiters. With some riders chomping at the bit to get back on the road disaster struck again in the form of punctures with both Chris and myself succumbing to flats. Chris sorted his puncture and was ready to rumble after only a few minutes. Unfortunately it was not the case for yours truly and I had a mare (I love Gatorskins) luckily Andy and Paul came to rescue. Fellow riders shook their heads in disbelief at the performance. At last we left the cafe (hopefully we would be home for tea). The riders divided into three groups on the way back which again was a little lumpy. Luckily there were no more mechanicals or punctures but Mark had a fall near Atlow. Hopefully no lasting damage and after a short stop he jumped back on and rode back to Triangle with the group. Fingers crossed you are on the mend very quickly mate. Thank you all for a very memorable day which included a bit of everything and plenty of fun and banter as always. 🚴‍♂️👍