The "Feels like" 0 deg temperature was indeed a bit chilly, as somewhat surprisingly more than forty folk turned up at the 'Drome to ride. Only six for the G2, dropping to five as Andy announced he had a slow puncture in his rather suspect tire.
So we headed off to Chiddingstone against a very cold easterly wind, zig-zagging somewhat to provide some relief. In fact, when the sun briefly broke through the overcast it was almost warm although the multiple layers of clothing might have helped a bit. Helped too by a warm greeting from each the eight members of a Rapha squad as the (sped) passed us in Bough Beech.
But we were cold at the end of this outward leg as we arrived at the wonderfully cosy and wonderfully alliterative The Tulip Tree Tearoom in Chiddingstone village. Good service, totally unfazed by the anomalous request of a bunch of cold cyclists. We were just finishing when Andy showed up having gone home and fixed his puncture problem by choosing a different bike.
Warmed up and with the cold wind now on our backs, we headed home at a much faster pace and on a very direct route in order to get as far as possible before the cold set in again.
A typical winter's ride really, a bit chilly but always worth the effort (Rule #9) and a perfect cure for a hangover or jet-lag. (shame I didn't have either).