OGIL ride report 6th April 2022
After receiving another strong suggestion from our Illustrious Chairperson on Sunday that it would be nice to have a report from last week’s OGIL ride (perhaps because he wasn’t there and wants to know what we got up to in his absence), I hereby submit my latest effort to recount the exploits of the OGIL core group.
The weather forecast was a bit iffy, and the WhatsApp group was awash with excuses and simple declarations of not wanting to ride in the wind and rain (not a totally daft attitude to take). The general consensus was that it would be a Miss Molly’s day, the only problem being that nobody who suggested this actually turned up. Still, the cast was set, and so Miss Molly’s it was. Phil3 commented that the six of us gathering at TOP were either mad or dedicated – I’ll leave it to the reader to decide which. Dean had the inspired idea of reversing the usual route, which provided us with a completely different take on the lanes we ride so often.
As we rode down the hill into Stithians, we passed a Nolan articulated flat going fairly gingerly in the opposite direction. To our surprise, we encountered a further three on our journey to Penhalvean. Perhaps there was a problem with their satnavs. I’m reliably informed that there are currently five members of the Nolans, so clearly we had missed one somewhere.
As you would expect, our route took us to Four Lanes, Carnkie then St Euny church, enabling an entertaining climb to the start of the cycle path past Carn Brea to Brea and our destination. Miss Molly’s was moderately busy when we arrived, but Svetlana (not her real name) was keen to agree to our suggestion to set up in the library room – she was either being accommodating, or else preferred to have the unruly bunch of cyclists out of sight of the regular customers. After perusing the extensive menu, several of us clearly had problems choosing what to eat – several were tempted by the Bangkok Bad Boy Burger, but thankfully resisted. Simon was thrown into paroxysms of indecision when offered three kinds of tomato (canned, fresh and cherry), and Jan did her usual and ordered a omelette combination that wasn’t on the menu. Phil3 ordered beans on toast, but generously accepted the scrambled eggs that arrived on the grounds that he wasn’t fussy. Otherwise we acted like normal people in a cafe (apart from the clothes). Svetlana provided entertainment by turning on the miniature digital jukebox, which led Dean to play ‘spot the 50s tune’ and impress us with his encyclopaedic knowledge of rock ‘n roll (who would have thought?). This segued into a nostalgic appreciation of BBC comedy programmes from the 50s and 60s and the usual oldie complaint that they don’t make them like they used to (the only exception being I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue). There was also talk about the upcoming club Audax, which was eagerly anticipated by those who had actually entered (or offered to help).
Reluctantly we eventually abandoned the comforts of Miss Molly’s for the ride home. Emerging into the light, we were taken aback by the absence of the forecast rain, but not wishing to look a gift horse in the mouth we set off sans rain jackets for Bolenowe, Nine Maidens and Carnmenellis. Our luck ran out as we approached Stithians causeway and the rain started. Still, we were close enough to home to grit our teeth and get on with it.
A surprisingly dry ride considering the forecast, with added interest from the route reversal. About 53 km for me.