The first
Origami ride of 2003 drew a reasonable collection of
riders and bikes - 3 Moultons, 3 Birdys, 2 SPs and 5 Bromptons.
Conditions around Meriden were quite murky all day, although those
travelling from further afield reported that this was a local
problem. Or ride took us to nearby Allesley, but via a very
circuitous route. The reduced visibility and cold weather meant
that suggestions that we should make even more excursions from the
direct route in order to avoid arriving early for lunch were
greeted with a pronounced lack of enthusiasm. The rather early
arrival at our lunch stop had other advantages, as it turned out
that they produced their own beer there, and it was also
exceptionally cheap - we shall be going there again in the future!
On the outward ride we encountered a few icy spots, and also quite
a lot of mud; it was interesting to see how some of the bikes
seemed to be more prone to collect the mud than others - the SPs
and the Moulton Mk III seemed to show the effects more than most.
On our return ride we stopped at a local bike shop to have a look
around, and, in some cases, to make purchases. To avoid
temptation, I stayed outside and guarded the bikes!Photograph: Cold and murky conditions at the start of the ride. Photograph: Chris Eley
Photograph: Deserted bikes at lunch time. L to R: Mike Roberts'
APB, unidentified Brompton, Paul Evans' 'new' Mk III Moulton,
Trevor and Irene Batchelors' Birdy Reds, Phil Wray's Brompton T6
and my T6 (folded in the background).
Photograph: Preparing to leave after lunch - no, we didn't
empty all the barrels in the background! Photograph by Trevor
Batchelor.
Photograph: A stop at Jardine Cycles on the way back to Meriden.
Photograph by Chris Eley.