I noticed at the weekend that the weather forecast for Wednesday afternoon was highly promising – comfortable temperatures, intermittently sunny and not much wind – so I booked the afternoon off, and I departed the garage on the X at about 11:45 yesterday.
I’d decided to go out east, with perhaps a little exploration of previously untravelled parts at the other end.
Beautiful out there. I had slightly more headwind going east than I’d been led to expect from the forecast, but it wasn’t annoying. Almost perfect, really – so liberating to be riding on dry surfaces in light clothing, after all those cold expeditions on wet roads. Very nice to see that all the waterlogged fields are now dry, leaving yellow / brown grass where they were covered by water for months.
Took enough food / fluids for the whole ride; didn’t want to go in a shop. I didn’t actually have that much suitable food in the house – I’ve been limiting my trips to Tesco – so I emptied half a tin of macaroni cheese into a small plastic tub. I sat on a log near Cotes, and ate it with a plastic spoon. Not exactly Marco Pierre White. Or even Jamie Oliver, but it wasn’t as bad as it sounds.
I stopped short of Eastwell, then decided on a whim to take a left to Harby, and continue eastward via Long Lane, which runs parallel to my usual route. I’d done this once before years ago but I’d forgotten what a long, steep descent it was – like a rollercoaster ride. Of course I was slightly disheartened by this as in cycling, what goes down must come up. But I hadn’t actually been east of Harby along Long Lane before so I was exploring new territory from this point. I stopped at a bench at Harby for a bit first.
The part of Long Lane east of there is absolutely beautiful cycling territory – long, flat and with lovely scenery, including a view of Belvoir Castle in the distance, on a hill. Of course I can’t say how quiet it would be in normal circumstances, but it was very quiet yesterday. I aimed for the castle, to come back the usual way from there.
Conveniently, I came to a right turn signposted for Belvoir a few miles later. However, two police cars were parked there, next to a large black car that was literally on its side, wheels pointing sideways, right on the junction. The road was coned off. I asked one of the police officers in attendance, from a safe distance of course, whether I was OK to take the right turn anyway – but he replied that I’d risk puncturing a tyre on broken glass.
Good point. The windscreen was properly shattered.
So I continued on for a bit hoping to find another right turn toward the castle. I ended up in a pretty town called Bottesford, where I stopped in the shadow of a shop building to consult Google Maps. An elegant lady in her early 40s stopped on the pavement to ask if I was lost, or looking for something. I literally had to step back a metre or so from her to maintain a reasonable distance, but I replied that I’d found what I was looking for and thanked her, and she continued on her way. It really feels so rude and inappropriate to be backing away from someone who’s trying to help you as though they might give you the plague, but I suppose that’s one of the lesser inconveniences of the situation we’re all in at the moment.
I plotted a route that would take me round onto the A52 for a short distance, before turning down a road called Woolsthorpe Lane to Woolsthorpe, which is my usual Lincolnshire “neighbouring county” destination. When I got to the A52 I did ponder turning the other way, toward Nottingham – not something I’d normally do, but it seemed quiet enough yesterday. It would have been a bit of an adventure, but I decided not to. I was a bit pushed for time already – I’d come further than I intended, and I didn’t have a proper front light.
The road down to Woolsthorpe was delightful and a few other cyclists were out and about. Really nice scenery over there.
Back the usual way home from Woolsthorpe and Belvoir. Normally the last ten uphill miles of a long ride along Ashby Road are a bit of a slog, but I stopped at Cotes again, and doped myself up with half a flapjack, 100ml of Mars drink and some chocolate that I’d brought. That seemed to help considerably.
Back not long after sunset, no problem with the fading light.
Nice to have my tanlines back.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3273081899
84.33, 209 this month.