Ride with: Solihull CC
With its membership boasting a smattering of famous riders, it’s no surprise that Solihull is a popular club
It’s Mothering Sunday and we’ve passed a number of familiar faces on the way to the meeting point in the centre of Solihull, raising concerns that there won’t be many club members there — but as we round the corner we find a huge number of club riders gathered, with the faster A and B groups just about to head out.
We’re riding today with the more moderately paced C group, which includes Lucy Blackman; here with her mum appropriately enough. Mum is heading out with the D group, and dad has already left with the As. “The whole family are members; dad has been for a long time and the rest of us joined over the years. The three of us get out quite a bit, my two siblings are currently at university but are out with us when they are back home.” This is a common situation at the club we’re told, as the availability of the circuit and youth coaching encourages all ages to take part.
The roll out of town is steady, the busier town roads dissolving into greener shades and quieter lanes, with a much needed and welcome bonus of some sunshine, the first decent bit of warmth most of us in the group have seen this year. This brightens the mood no end as we drop due south through picturesque villages and cross swollen rivers towards the Cotswolds.
We chat about the long history of the club and how the large membership reflects its flexibility and the variety of age groups it encompasses. There are so many people willing to help run the club and lead the vast array of rides that are on almost every day of the week giving ample chance to ride with fellow members and friends.
Custom-designed rides
Our group leader is Pete James. “I lead the C run pretty much every Sunday whatever the weather. We have a schedule up front of cafe locations on any given week for all five groups that will give a good idea of the distance, so members can choose runs to suit their needs”.
Chatting away in the sunshine, the miles fly by and the cafe is upon us in no time. It’s so nice we debate sitting outside, but plump for the everso-slightly warmer interior. Choosing a cake proves harder than usual with such a large and tempting selection, one of the main reasons the club comes here, and a warm welcome from the staff show that they are well known.
Over coffee we talk to longstanding member Ann-marie Bathmaker who has flown the colours for 28 years. She tells us, “I live some miles away, but 28 years ago when I was
racing, very few clubs catered for women but Solihull did. I joined for the racing but now stay for the life-long friends and social side.”
The sun is still shining as we head out on a different route north, with tantalising views of the Cotswold hills that feature in the club’s rides once summer rolls around. We pass through villages built from honey-coloured Cotswold stone for a while and cross the River Severn at Welford-on-avon, the water running well above the banks; a sign of the snow and terrible weather we’ve had recently. From here the chatter subsides a little as the gradient increases with a steady climb out of Welford with a bit of respite after the descent, ahead of the road climbing gently for pretty much the remainder of the ride. We don’t finish back at the clock tower in town though; rather the club ends their ride at the Bull’s Head pub in Earlswood, allowing members to meet up over a drink and a chat no matter which group they headed out with, further enhancing their social bonds and friendships, a great way to end a ride.