Date: Tuesday 10th April 2012
Route: Earthquake, Cadover, Trig point, Clay pits circumnavigation anti-clockwise, Cadover, HQ.
Riders: Julian, James, Sam, Keith, Colin & Dan.
Depart WP: 19:45
Arrive HQ: 10:05
Distance: 18.5 miles
Weather: Good

The Moral High Ground

In the formative days of the GOWCC (the winter of 2008/09), Paddy used to give me much credit for cycling the one whole mile home from HQ to HQ2 (Yelverton Golf Club), whilst the other six freewheeled down to WP. Steve Bradfield later joined me in holding the moral high ground with his ride back to Meavy, but this year it seemed that Paddy moved house partly to make his own claim for the high ground! He cemented this position by cycling from his home to WP then straight back again before completing a tough ride and then cycling back home again after two Jails!

But after only a few weeks in this elevated position, Paddy now has competition from Dan who rode to and from Whitchurch for this evening's ride (and he didn't stint on the Jails either)!!! Not only that, but he has also offered to take the Huckworthy route home when Paddy comes out, just to see him home safely!

So to the ride, when Westy finally turned up having come the shortest distance, he had an idea for a route in his head, dangerous! As it turned out Sam had a similar plan, so we headed through Meavy where a man in a white van tried to take out Sam and Julian on the bend! Earthquake lay ahead then we headed for Cadover and turned left. We dallied a little here as we decided on left or right. Thankfully I was out voted for as we got to the trig point, a black cloud was depositing it's load just where we would have been! From this position we had a great view of Plymouth and Cornwall, although some of the Gents geography was a little suspect!

We stayed high and did the anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the clay pits, going through Lee Moor and taking the track beside the Cornwood road before the stiff climb up through the woods to the top side of the pits. At the bottom end of the high track Sam was itching to put another loop in, but with the little hand past nine and the big hand pointing at six, the rest of us felt it was bee-line time, for HQ of course.

Riding up Meavy Lane I had the surprise of bumping into Debbie finishing her evening shift. I didn't need to send her a text this evening, she could tell from all of us (apart from Sam) that we'd been on a 'big one'!!! Once ensconced around the committee table we had the pleasure of the Meister turning up for a couple of pints (having not managed to get a baby sitter like myself). Finally, a word of caution to all of you with smart phones, if you need to use it when in the pub, don't sit next to Westy!!!!

Reporter: Keith