GOCC — gariochchurch Occasional Cycling Club

The purpose of our new club is twofold — to meet together in this form of exercise, at various levels, and to invite our friends to join us for events.

Our first Event was the Inaugural Ride on 18th August. This was an evening ride of about 25 miles, from Insch to Kennethmont, Keig, Auchleven and back to Insch. The ride was for those who could manage 11+ miles per hour and were happy to climb hills.

Six members wanted to take part but three were unable to, and we ended up with Graeme, Philip and Philip’s son-in-law, Pete.

The weather was kind, though with somewhat of a headwind at times. The first section, to Clatt via Kennethmont went easily, bowling along at between 12 and 16 mph. Then we faced the cruncher! Suie Hill starts just beyond Clatt and rises 500ft in 1 mile. The gradient varies between 10% and 20%!

Pete and Graeme set off well, though Pete found the pace rather hot as the climb steepened. Philip followed at a gentleman’s pace, having taken a ‘power gel’ at the foot of the climb. His time was just 15 minutes. Graeme won the points for the King of the Mountains classification.

From there we swooped down towards the Don Valley and turned left to Keig, left again, over the second major hill to Auchleven/Premnay, and so back to Insch.

With the three of us going up the hill together, Philip tactically (sneakily?) asked, about 100 metres from the top, whether the top was at the next bend. Graeme gullibly replied ‘Yes’, and Philip immediately accelerated and sprinted, to gain the second summit points, equalling Graeme as ‘King of the Mountains’! However, Graeme gets the bottle of wine for the prize, as is right. We want no sneaky guys in the Club!

Statistics: 24.61 miles in 1 hr 55 mins, average speed 12.8, maximum speed 37.1 mph. Total feet of ascent, 1850.

The next event is likely to be a Family Ride, or a short Coffee and Cake Ride, where we go in sedate fashion to an appropriate caff, and return.

Philip is also working on another real tester, just for those who are stupid enough to like hilly routes!

An update – early December

OK, this is no longer a weekly blogg.  Often life keeps you running, especially when you have young children.  I’ll try my best to get back into writing this blog to keep you up to date on what gariochchurch is up to.

Last weekend was our first church weekend away.  Amazingly we had nearly 80% of the whole church gathered together for the weekend in Aviemore.  A time to grow relationships and learn to work as a group.

I’m sure it seemed very quiet to most of us when we woke up on the Monday morning after. Quite different to the buzz of activity we’d all enjoyed on Saturday and Sunday morning! It was a great weekend. Everyone took their turn on meal preparation, washing up and setting up, or doing Sunday school.  The weekend had been a great opportunity to deepen relationships and I am convinced that is part of Kingdom living that, in the past, has been neglected. We need to be real with each other and what better place to do that than at the breakfast table having had very little sleep the night before!!

 

I hope, like me, you enjoyed the snow. It seemed that life goes down a gear when you can’t keep all those appointments, can’t go shopping etc. because you can’t get the car out of the drive. Everywhere seems more peaceful somehow. Sounds from traffic etc are cushioned. Life just seems quieter and more sedate. Even when the kids go out to play in the snow there is a lovely softened sound to the shrieks of laughter and squeals of delight as snowballs are thrown and snow men are made. Don’t you just love it?!!

 

As you look at the snow remember that Jesus covers all our sins and makes us as white as snow. (..I feel a song coming in somewhere there…!) We are the ones who tread on it and make it dirty, metaphorically speaking….. Have a great day whatever and wherever you find yourself.

Advanced notice of Carols in the Barn at 7pm on Thursday 18th December. yes, it really is in a barn.  For more information please email us at contact@gariochchurch.org.uk