The worst of the Beast from the East, aka the Siberian winter wind, fortunately arrived a day later than expected, and the second reliability trial of the new year went off without a hitch. 20 riders turned up at the start; a few didn’t finish, but most did, and they did so with very good times. The results:
GOLD award (16+ mph)
Malcolm Baker (Braishfield) Tom Budden Richard Burch
Joffrey Carlier* Graham Harman Gordon McKinnon (Braishfield)
Nick Malbon John Phillips (Ben Scott-Munden)
Will Weynberg Paul Witcombe. Jonathan Wren
SILVER award (14 to 16 mph)
Mel Cook Jorge Manso (as yet unaffiliated)
BRONZE award (12 to 14 mph)
Mick Bradban Colin Witt
As mentioned on the club’s closed Facebook page, the next reliability ride will be held on the last Sunday of April, starting again from Romsey Bus Station and following a new route out to Longleat Safari Park and back via Shaftesbury, Cranborne and Fordingbridge: 100 miles in all. On the last Sunday of this month, 25 March, I shall be doing the route as a social ride with café stops in Warminster and Shaftesbury, and checking my draft route-sheet along the way. Both events will start at the earlier “summer schedule” time of 9 o’clock.