Thursday, I get an email from Gary -"I won't be there on Sunday". Oops - this means there is one potential winner of our Sore-Ass award this year. Now, you may wonder why I mention this at the beginning of a ride report. Well, it's been a keenly fought contest all year. Gary and Phil have been neck and neck and only one small ad-hoc ride had separated them. Then, the word came that Phil might not make it (moving house) but that was postponed by 5 days - then Gary emails me. So, who will really turn up?

The weather forecast was good, so I was expecting a decent turn out - and I was not disappointed. 12 bikes and 3 pillions on a long summers day ride. Pretty good for mid August. After our normal banter, the admiring of Neils new bike (MV Augusta - sounds superb and looks the bees knees), Bobs new bike (Kawasaki GTR 1400 - a big monster) and the obligatory coffee before our late start, we set off just as a few dark clouds loomed on the horizon. But they soon went and we were zooming across the Derbyshire countryside with great abandon, avoiding closed off roads (navigating Keith from the back was "interesting") and generally having fun. After about 90 minutes, we were asking for a stop. As we came to a roundabout to turn right, Keith (our beloved leader) said "How about that place on the left"? "OK", I said and indicated left. Keith went round the roundabout and back the way we came - which was the wrong way. Oops. I parked up only to hear "Someone's dropped it". There were enough people looking so I didn't rush over. And there was no great fuss or damage. Bob had just forgotten to put his foot down when he stopped. No real damage apart from his pride. Of course, Phil immediately texted all his mates to tell them - after all, what are friends for?

We had a 30 minute break and then carried on. It would have been quicker but Keiths SatNav was insisting we were about 2 miles away from the route, so I took over for a while until it had sorted itself out. Just outside Lincoln, we stopped in a Garden Centre for food. Great nosh and excellent value - we need to remember that place for future reference. I'd forgotten my camera so went to get it. What I didn't realise (and I did wonder why everyone was staring) was that the gate I used had a big sign saying "This gate is alarmed". Well, it wasn't! A couple of pictures later and we set off for the last stage of our journey into Lincoln. Apart from Neil missing a turning and setting off at a great pace (with me in hot pursuit) the rest of the ride was uneventful.

After doing the one-way system two or three times, we found the cathedral and parked up. Keith and Josh were the only sensible ones who'd brought shorts. The rest of us sweltered in our leather. But we were saved by cafes and a brilliant ice cream shop. So we wandered around the ruins for a while until it was time to leave.

This is where it want horribly wrong. I'd decided to go my own way (I needed to get back) and announced this. Some of the others then said they wanted to go a different route (A57) and set off. But no-one told Keith. So, at the end, there was Keith and myself left. I chatted to him and said I'd stick with him for a while and set off to go round the one way system (I was facing the wrong way). By the time I got back, Keith had gone. I set off in hot pursuit but misheard what he'd said and ended up catching the rest of the crowd. Meanwhile, Keith had found Neil and they'd gone the original route (which by all accounts was a cracking ride).

The rest of us had a nice time over the A57 and A619 to Baslow. We had the odd message from Phil - "I've left my sunglasses and hat at the cafe" and Alan "I'll wait for you at the other end of this nice road" and Phil "Oh no you won't" and soon covered many nice miles. After another brew (and a diet Guinness for Mark), we set off for the final run home. I went over Snake pass while the others headed for Chapel-en-le-Frith (that's what my sat-nav said and who am I to disagree) and rejoined them after a wonderful "spirited" ride with a Ducati over the hills and down into Glossop.

So at the end, I think we all enjoyed it (apart from all the roundabouts on the Barnsley bypass) and the sun shone all day!

Lastly, some pictures: