A cracking ride with OD and Carlosfandango this morning.
I left home a bit late after deciding I didn't need to find my keys only realising I did once I got to my bike and saw the military grade chain and lock around it. I ended up about 10 minutes behind schedule but that made for perfect timing for the bacon rolls and tea generously prepared by OD.
We headed out of Witham via the Notleys then took the turn down to the mill below Black Notley heading for Stisted towards the Colnes. The first piece of the kind of road that OD is famous for came soon after as we descended down the road that has been closed for years and ends up around the back of the Earls Colne Airfield.
We rod on through Earls Colne and White Colne where we took the left up towards Pebmarsh before turning off to Bures. Lots of small lanes and not too far out of Bures OD through a Straight Ahead at me which made little sense (to me) until I remembered who I was riding with. It was a fresh approach to Bures and it actually cut out a bit of uphill
From Bures we took the back road on the Suffolk side of the Stour up Clicket Hill until the left back towards Wormingford. Shortly after we crossed back over the Stour into Essex. Where the usual route would take you up the hill into Wormingford today we took the track along the bottom of the valley until the climb up to Little Horkesley where we found Carlos waiting for us just over the road from the Beehive Pub.
We carried on down reasonably familiar roads until again we were given a "Right Turn" instruction that was a little dubious. This took us down Hundred lane which although Narrow was actually perfectly rideable. A small dip down and a quick climb up the other side and we were back on the road near Langham.
Crossing over the A12 by Birchwood and on through Ardleigh it was all lovely. Coming close to Lawford we had another Straight on in a lefthand bend. This time it looks a little more 'challenging' but it had been a good day and it wouldn't be an OD route with out some proper COR.
This one was called Barn Lane and it was adorned with a burnt out Series One Discovery. There was a bit of walking and lots of feet down to rebalance due to some reasonably bat rutting. My new Durano pluses were struggling for grip but I managed OK. OD was in his element!
Not long after this we ended up on a Track that we may or may not have been allowed to ride on, we made it through without bullets flying so I suspect we were ok. We pushed on with a quick eyes closed 'holy shit' crossing of the A120 through Little Bentley, Tendring and Thorpe-le-Soken along the B Road. We spotted a Hunt along this bit of road, 3 riders and all the hounds, it was a pretty impressive sight.
Just as the B Road was getting a bit boring another "LEFT" had us back on a Bridleway. This one had concrete tracks where a vehicle wheels might be and as OD found out they were quite difficult to negotiate if you came off them.
The track was a real tooth rattler and it would have rattled anything slightly loose off the bike but the concrete under wheel actually made for OK going.
Shortly afterwards we ended up in Clacton at The Old Lifeboat House Pub which I have to say is a Cracker. They do £2.70 pints on Wednesday as well so combined with a train back to Witham/Chelmsford I think it would make a great MEMWNS location.
Thanks again to OD for sorting the route, I really enjoyed it and the train home in the rain and wind was a treat! Carlos went hard and rode home on his Tod, Legend
