Month: October 2019

I’m not really a wine person but I’ve developed a taste for red recently and had, arguably, a glass too many before retiring last night. Despite this I felt OK this morning when I woke up at about 6:30. I pondered getting up and setting off to Lincolnshire and back there and then, but fell asleep again for a couple of hours.

Got up at about 9:30 and set off at about 10:10. The roads were still a bit puddly here and there outside and I wanted to test my new bike computer, so I took the Boardman.

Wrapped up warm, no overshoes but I had tights on and three layers on top. Felt a bit cold for the first hour or two but as anticipated the temperature improved and I was comfortable by midday. I listened to a couple of hours of the Beatles bio audiobook, then switched to 5 Live for football coverage. Surprised to hear Tottenham getting tonked by Brighton.

I was slightly concerned to see a flood warning sign on a road leading off my route near Stanford on Soar but apart from minor puddles I wasn’t troubled by water.

Really nice to reacquaint myself with the last stretch of the road to Belvoir Castle and Woolsthorpe, where I crossed the border into Lincolnshire before turning back. I stopped at the Belvoir Castle caff a few minutes after turning for home. I hadn’t expected it to be open at this time of year so that was a very pleasant surprise. It’s changed quite a bit since I was last there, now Café Allez! with tables and chairs inside and a closed-off seating area outside. You can no longer get sandwiches or pasties there though, sadly. The best I could do for a lunch main course was a large packet of crisps, possibly the first packet of crisps I’ve had this year. I also had a scone with jam, an excellent Americano and a Fruit Shoot to top up my bidon. I must say that the guy who served me is the single most polite shop or cafe assistant I’ve ever encountered, possibly to the point of being obsequious or irritating. Better than being rude though, I guess.

Noticed that they have a strirrup pump on hand for cyclist patrons as well. Nice touch. I actually put cleat covers on at the caff, first time I’ve used them and they do make walking around a fair bit easier. I’ve had them a couple of years and never bothered to use them (even though I’ve taken them with me in a backpack more than once).

Seemed to be facing a bit of a headwind on the way back as well as there, which I hadn’t expected. The occasional wind turbine I encountered seemed to suggest that it was cutting across at an angle. But it wasn’t too troublesome in either direction.

Very happy to hit the 70 mile mark, as the nearly-70 I’d done four weeks ago had given me a bit of pain to the left knee, and I didn’t experience that today. For sure they both felt a bit tender after 60 or so but nothing debilitating or of concern. Of course, I do miss the days when I didn’t spare my knees the slightest thought while out on a ride, but this time last year I was giving myself a setback if I did more than 25. So I’m encouraged.

It’s been a good day. First ride of more than 70 miles distance since April 2018. October Fondo done. I’ve now done all of Leicestershire’s neighbouring counties in 2019. And very happy to have done Belvoir Castle and back again as it’s one of the classic longer rides in my repertoire, and one I missed.

I tidied up the track in a GPS editor to remove the parts recorded while clogging around the caff, walking to farm gates at wee spots etc. This claimed to knock off half a mile, which can’t be right! But I’ll go with it anyway.

The new bike computer did OK. Needs calibrating, but I’ll do the maths later.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2765407421

76.25 miles, 111 this month – not bad for 5 days in. But the weather for the coming week looks none too promising.

Took the afternoon off work with the intention of doing a run out to Stafford Bingley Hall and back, about 74 miles. I’d chosen this particular destination for several reasons: first, I’d have a tailwind on the way back. Second, I should mostly have the sun behind me both ways, and third: as a sort of ceremonial pilgrimage in the memory of two brilliant gigs, 40 years ago last week.

Very nice day for it on the face of it – clear blue skies, sunny, not that blowy and surprisingly, not that cold although I’d wrapped up very warm, with tights and overshoes on.

Spent twenty minutes this morning preparing in-flight snacks, fitting an eTrex mount to the Boardman (usually it lives on the X) and pumping up the tyres to spec. I set off at about 12:20.  I expected the roads to be wet here and there due to the amount of rain over the last few days.

Mostly the roads were bone dry, but here and there on lower ground I did encounter water running over the road in front of me; no more than a few mm deep I guess. No biggie, I just slowed down so as not to fling too much of it up into the cables, chain etc and continued on.

Until I got to a road junction near Croxall, where the crossing was about a foot deep in water. I snapped a moody pic that underexposed slightly:

You can’t gauge the depth of the water from the image, but cars and vans going through it were more than half a wheel deep.

I thought briefly of plotting a different route from there to Bingley but assumed I’d most likely just hit the same problem again. I’d have added some unwanted distance, anyway. Didn’t want to try more than 75 for now. So I decided simply to give up, and turn for home.

Took the same route back until I got to Measham, just 5 or 6 miles from home. Then I took a different road, to join the time-honoured Twycross route. I’d had the idea of tacking on a Twycrosser to end up on 50 miles or so. But when I got to Snarestone I just took a left for home. My failure to do a run out to Stafford had taken the wind out of my sails. What was potentially a really enjoyable run out had been ruined by weather; not in the present but over the previous few days.

I did feel slightly guilty going straight back. It was a nice day, the roads were dry enough near home and I’m sure I could have got round the Twycross route without difficulty. Furthermore the weather looks iffy for the next couple of days.

Anyway. I stopped at the Alpaca farm tearoom at Snarestone and had a coffee and a scone with jam in the garden there. One of the staff – one of the owners I think, actually – came over and struck up a conversation about my handlebar tape, wanting to know where I’d got it. She explained that she had white tape on her own bike, and it had become grubby very quickly. The perennial problem with white bar tape, of course. I don’t even know why it exists. I told her that I’d changed mine for exactly the same reason and directed her to Amazon, where I’d got mine quite cheaply.

Home on 34.81 miles which isn’t a bad start for the month, I guess. This month’s target, adjusted for the new yearly target of 4,000 miles, is 362.

Nice to go out west for a change; I don’t go that way so often. A few times over the last few years when I’ve been out on a bike and listening to the radio, news has broken about the death of some celebrity or well-known figure. Mohammed Ali, Prince, Victoria Wood for example. Today it was Peter Sissons’ turn, sadly. For some reason – well, it must just be coincidence – this only ever happens when I’m cycling over west of Ashby which is actually not very often. I’m a rational person, but it seems a bit spooky.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2757355981

I’m afraid my optimism about the bike computer and its new magnet was a bit premature, it did drop out for about .8 of a mile. I noticed this when I glanced down and it was showing 0mph. I suppose I’ll just buy a new one.

According to the forecast, temperatures will pick up a bit on Saturday and it probably won’t rain. However, the wind will be blowing from the east. If that holds true I’ll do Lincolnshire and back, all being well.