VC Norwich 50mile reliability ride

Set off on my first reliability ride and it turned out to be quite an experience thanks to some dramatic and rather unexpected snow. Having been slightly nervous about the ride I went with the middle group (which Im quite glad of because it sounds like the fast group really hammered it). The pace was fairly steady and I felt comfortable. It seemed like a reasonably dry morning until we got to about half way when it really started to snow. We ended up cycling through inches of fresh snow with very little visibility. We had to stop and agreed a rapid change of plan to call it a day at garden centre about 10miles up the main road. By this stage the roads were covered with thick snow and with no tracks to cycle in it was dangerous cycling conditions. When I was offered a lift a few miles from the garden centre I couldnt have said yes quicker! We reached the garden centre sodden and literally frozen with teeth chattering and had to summon rescue lifts back home. I think even the toughest of us would have needed a lavender bath after that! It was a shame we had to cut it short but I certainly gained a few bike handling skills from the ride.