The clocks have shifted, the evening light has finally held its ground, it was almost warm and crucially perfectly dry.
With the spring air finally here, we had a few take on the chilled social, a healthy-sized group of Inters keeping a steady rhythm, and a six-strong pack of the Mag7 deciding to go long up and over Cleeve (although on the main road and not Gambles Lane, it's too early in the season for that!).
As is tradition, the Mag7 were in no mood for mercy. I found myself once again humbled by their relentless pace, and after being dropped for the third time, I finally took the hint and gave up the ghost of catching back on. I wasn’t the only one having a unique experience on the road, however; Grant managed to get a significant head start on his spring training by consuming a fair amount of "protein supplement" via the swarms of flies he encountered on the route. While Grant was busy filtering the local insect population, Tim was having his own battle with the digital age. He is currently trading the saddle for the pool, but his preferred swimming sessions remain strangely silent after he forgot the docking station for his Jawbone headphones. In 2026, relying on a physical dock to sideload MP3s for a swim has officially become "vintage" tech.
Away from the tarmac, the club has plenty to celebrate. A massive happy birthday to Meek Dog, we all hope that gushing boiler has finally been tamed and your house is dry again. We also send our warmest congratulations to Matt and Mel on their 20th wedding anniversary; New Dawn Inn as opposed to sharing a pizza at the club? Fair enough.

As we look forward to next week, please don’t forget to cast your votes for the most improved rider and ensure your memberships are renewed to keep the club rolling smoothly.

It is blooming lovely out there at the moment, so make sure you’re at the start line next Wednesday to make the most of it.