Sunday 30 October 2016
It was a very misty Autumnal morning when four riders from the club met at Potters corner for their scheduled 09.15 start. Brenda Davies, Taj & Sue Matharoo and Bob Burden were the representatives from the club, and were joined for the ride by De Laune CC’s Malcolm Adams. All the team took on the 50-km route with a maximum time limit of three hours.
It was the well tested route leaving via Eastwell Towers, Boughton Aluph before the climb of Challock Hill. Then a short descent to Baddlesmere before the drag past the Wagon and Horses to the top of Charing Hill then the welcome descent through the Village to cross the A20 and onto Pluckley. By now the weather had improved to a lovely Autumn day.
After dropping down the hill to Pluckley Thorn it was a right-hand fork to take the road past Smarden Bell to the Airport Crossroads thus skirting Smarden and picking up the Lane through Haffenden Quarter to Bethersden. After passing through the village it was the familiar lane to Worten Bridge for a left hand turn through Godinton to the finish at Potters Corner.
All four riders finished together in approximately two hours fifteen minutes well within the time limit, and received their medals from organizer Paul Mepham who has done a fantastic job building up this event – this year receiving 549 entries.
After some banter with many old cycling colleagues Taj, Sue and Bob completed the day with a beer in the Hare and Hounds. It seems that the club finished 21st out of 24. Not bad as we had an 80% turn out!