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Hello Niall, I've uploaded Guy's revised route. If numbers exceed 12 and you need another leader I can navigate a third group

Morning Niall, I've just withdrawn, regretfully. It looks too icy for my old bones. Hope you all have a good and safe ride. Look forward to seeing you next time.

Hello Paul, do you intend to do the 48 miler to Hackleton illustrated above? Or the 42 miler recorded on Garmin/the gpx file, that only goes as far as Quinton?

Pleasure Stewart. I've uploaded the route.

Have just pushed number over six. Don't mind loading route and navigating a second group.

Sorry guys, I've decided to cry off as there's ice on the windscreen and the air temperature isn't due to rise enough for me to be sure that any road ice will melt quickly enough. I may go out after lunch.

It may be of interest to share a decision, perhaps imprudent, to register (with Sportive Breaks) for the Etape du Tour in Nice on 5th July next year. If others have done the Etape in previous years, any advice would be welcome.
I had assumed that such a venture was out of reach for a club rider of my standard. What gave me the idea that perhaps I could, was doing the Chiltern 100 this July. That was 161km with 2,380m of climbing, which isn’t so much easier than this year’s Etape - 177km with 3,600m of climbing.
From previous rides in the Alps and Pyrenees, I know I can manage the climbs on the Nice Etape quite comfortably, at my own pace. What I’m less sure of is whether I can do them at the pace required to meet the 10-hour total and the intermediate time cut-offs. The Chiltern 100 took me 8¼ hours, so it may be tight.
However, I rode it on a wettish day and spent a leisurely 65 minutes on feed stops. Nice will probably be dryer, with smoother broader roads, more drafting opportunities and no motor traffic. Also, I will do more preparation and have a sharper focus.
Anyway, my wife wants to spend time in Nice and go walking in the Cevennes afterwards, so it won’t be a wasted journey even if I am swept up by the broom wagon!

Thanks Luke for leading an enjoyable ride. Enjoyed meeting new fellow riders (new to me) and the lovely runny scrambled eggs and the unfamiliar feeling of being full of beans at the end (helped no doubt by the nice flat route).

Thanks Phil for a very enjoyable ride. Special thanks for towing me along the Shutlanger straight, which helped me to three Strava PRs!

As Pat's Wahoo wasn't working he's welcome to my Wahoo stats:

• 61.1 miles
  
• 3642 feet of climbing
  
• 15.6 mph (per Ride with GPS, which ignores the time the auto-pause wasn't working)
  
• 140 average heart rate, 168 maximum (a lot lower than the rowers in the boat race)
  

AR30 wheels now delivered and fitted and ridden twice. I feel 10 years younger, reflecting their exceptional lightness (1376 gms) and no doubt better aerodynamics and stiffness as well. Big chunks knocked off some Strava PRs.

So impressed that I have taken advantage of Cycle Division's Black Friday offers to order a pair of their RC35 carbons at £749, reduced from £1099. They are even lighter at 1293 gms, slightly more aerodynamic with 35mm rims,and stiffer - carbon vs aluminium. I'll put them on my carbon Merida and transfer the AR30s (£299 reduced from £499) to my aluminium Pinnacle.

Discovered that Steve Carline, at Team MK, has had Cero AR30s for about three years, finds them very nippy and has had no reliability problems.

Indeed. I'll give an update in due course.

One other factor in my choice was that Phil Corley said how good Mavic were about spares and how bad Fulcrum (Campagnolo) were. This prompted me to reading about Cero users' experience, which seems pretty good. Being a small company in Derbyshire, shipping and communications are presumably easier than with a large Italian company. And maybe more Brexit-proof!

I learned on Sunday that I am only one of several thinking of upgrading wheels, so I thought I'd share my thinking. Following online research I went today to speak to Geoff Baines and Phil Corley. They helped me think straight(ish). However, neither had heard of Cero, the choice I was leaning towards, and recommended instead that I upgrade to Mavic Ksyrium and DT Swiss respectively.

Nonetheless I've ordered a wheelset of Cero AR30 EVOs. Why? Because the reviews are very good. It seems to be a small British company, basically designing wheels and nothing else. Their products seem outstandingly the lightest and most aerodynamic for the money (£400 including tyres). They are tubeless compatible, but for now I'm not yet thinking of going that way. I hope I know what I'm doing!

https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/wheels/cero-ar30-evo-wheelset-8763

Thanks Guy and Malcolm for your second posts. I had contingency plans to shorten the route either after Muswell or after Dorton if anyone was struggling. I hadn’t thought about inexperienced newcomers, assuming that the Leisure rides were intended to cater for them.

Taking up your suggestion of soundings, I propose loading this alternative route and deciding between the two on Sunday depending on who comes: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27662327

This route too can be cut short if necessary, either via Kingswood or via Botolph Claydon (after coffee in Quainton). If a novice shows up then we can do a shorter local run, e.g to the Thrift café or Twyford.

PS I agree with Guy and Dan that climbing Muswell and Brill in particular is more challenging than lots of little hills.

If you all think this is an unsuitable route I will of course plan another one, although I won’t have time to reconnoitre again.
I would nonetheless ask you to acknowledge that the criticism of my original proposal as unusually hilly is unfounded. It averages 48 feet of climbing per mile (2355 feet over 49 miles), which is the same as we did last Wednesday and typical of all my riding this year. According to Ride with GPS I’ve averaged 49 feet per mile (88,325 feet over 1802 miles). Strava climbing figures are about 6% lower but I’ve compared like with like.
My intention was merely to repeat Pete’s much appreciated Wednesday ride up Brill and Muswell hills but in the other direction and to extend it slightly, in view of it being a Sunday and summer, while keeping within the club’s published maximum of 50 miles.

A flat ride except for Muswell and Brill hills, 48.9 miles, coffee at Quainton. Estimated 3h15 pedalling, 0h45 coffee, back at 1h00.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27636256