There aren’t many days when I can go riding in my camo jersey, because it’s the thinnest and lightest cycling top that I own. But today was undoubtedly one of them. One of those days when you swing open the back door and feel like you’ve opened an oven. I felt the heat on my bare arms as soon as I stepped outside.
Today’s plan was to go up through Melbourne, across Swarkestone Bridge then west to Stenson, where I planned to have a cold beer at a table outside the Bubble Inn. So that’s what I did. I took a slightly longer route than last time I did this a few weeks ago. I went through Isley Walton to elongate the route a bit, and to make it more interesting. And I intended to come back the same way but got waylaid in Melbourne. Had to consult Google Maps a few times and ended up coming a quicker way home, through Wilson. That way took me past the quarry at Breedon which I try to avoid normally, as the road along there (Stocking Lane) is always coated with dust from the quarry traffic.
From there, back home the usual way down Top Brand which I also used to avoid coming south as it was a bit of a bone shaker, but it’s been nicely resurfaced now.
So warm out there. And very sunny. A bit cloudy later on mercifully, but the temperature didn’t seem to drop much. Really nice to be out on the Cannondale; it just feels so light and zippy. And nice to know all’s well with the new stem bolts.
I teamed my camo jersey with a retro yellow cycling cap, to keep the sun out of my eyes.
I’d thought to do about 40, but the shorter route back robbed me of a couple. 37 miles (I knocked off .19 for clogging around outside the pub) and that’s 244 this month. Probably no cycling for me until Friday though; I have other plans for Thursday and it’s going to be scorchio (32 degrees)!