A conflict of interests today. On one hand, I’m on call. On the other hand, I wanted to do at least 50 but didn’t want to waste 50 miles of effort on a boring orbital route round familiar roads that wouldn’t take me too far from base.
I wanted to go somewhere reasonably distant. And since the oncall phone has been silent all week, I decided to take the chance. Because there was a stiff breeze coming from the west, I decided to go westward toward King’s Bromley then come home with a tailwind.
I took the X. I did pretty much the same route I did last time I went over that way 12 days ago – out through Measham, past Netherseal, Coton in the Elms, Walton on Trent and Barton-under-Needwood. I didn’t expect to be rained on but I was for a few minutes, after Measham. After that it was sunshine and a warm breeze all the way, bar a few short cloudy spells.
Stopped for a snack at Barton – I’d brought a mini pork pie. Sat on the big concrete block anchoring a wooden post with a sign on it, and noticed a large moth on the post. It didn’t seem to be bothered by my attention, so I took a pic.
Cute isn’t he? Or she.
I turned left at Yoxall down toward King’s Bromley, then after 21 miles, decided to turn back at a roundabout. I was getting slightly nervous about the phone going off despite my earlier bravado. As soon as I turned and the headwind disappeared, things became markedly more tranquil and I started to warm up a bit. Once again I’d slightly overdressed. But feeling too warm on a bike will seem like a luxury three months from now.
Came back the same way and stopped for a break near Netherseal. At this point the batteries in my eTrex died but it had done its job; I was back on familiar turf and no longer in need of technology-assisted navigation. I wasn’t using it to record the track. It really had made life a lot easier than last time I rode out that way.
Rather than continuing on to Measham, I turned down the A444. I wasn’t sure how far down Twycross was, but bolting a part-Twycrosser onto my ride would extend it nicely. However when I came to a large roundabout I realised I was near Appleby Magna so I went across to Snarestone from there, and continued down to Twycross via the usual method, down Ashby Road.
Again though on a whim I executed a slight change of plan just before Twycross and took a left to Bilstone and Congerstone along Bilstone Road. Up through Shakerstone and Swepstone, but I took the long way home from there, looping left round Packington and coming back along Ashby Rd over Alton Hill (not the same Ashby Rd – there are at least five of them on my usual cycle routes).
After about 50 miles on Gallows Lane I started to feel a bit knackered – mostly because I was too warm I think – but half an oat bar and seven minutes’ rest later, I was fine.
I’d done 55.30 by the time I got back which is pretty much what I was aiming for. Not bad considering the conspicuous random element of this one.
Knees are feeling a touch tender know but they did OK. I have this next week off and will try for a Fondo over the next few days. The weather has settled a bit though it’s still a bit blowy. I really want to go out east though, so I’ll just have to put up with a headwind on the way back.