Originally, ie earlier in the week, the plan was to do a fondo today. But the forecast changed to threaten rain in the afternoon so since it was rather cold anyway, I decided I’d settle for 40 miles or so.
I left the house at about 1020. The wind was coming from the north-west. I went up to Swarkestone Bridge the long way through Isley Walton, then west along the Beloved A Road. I was going to stop after 20 miles or so then come back an even longer way through Ticknall and Hartshorne, but when I saw a right turn to Etwall, I thought – why not have an excursion into Derby? So I did; all the way through Etwall and Mickleover and right into Derby city centre. I’ve done this a couple of times before, though I took a different route through the centre this time.
I took a wrong turn near Mickleover and quickly realised that I was heading the wrong way down a one-way entrance to the roundabout I’d just left. Worse, the occupants of a police car queuing there in the other lane observed me doing this. I pulled up sharply, manhandled the bike onto the verge and retreated quickly. Fortunately they didn’t trouble me. Ten minutes later I got bored of waiting for the lights to change at another road junction so since it was clearly safe to do so I went right through a red, only to find another police car waiting at the same set of lights around the corner. Happily they didn’t seem to be bothered either.
I came down Osmaston Road to Swarkestone Bridge, then home the usual way from there. Stopped for a few snacks at a petrol station near Chellaston.
Nice sunny weather for the first 90 minutes or so. Then a bit gloomy. Then light drizzle. Then, a few miles from home, tiny hailstones. I examined a couple of them that had landed on my right glove. They looked like tiny shards of glass and they felt like it as well, when they were bouncing off my face. Fortunately that only persisted for a couple of minutes. Regular rain for the rest of the ride.
I entered Derbyshire of course so that’s another neighbouring county ticked off. I did Nottinghamshire last Sunday so that’s three done, four to go.
Back on 46.47 miles. 236 done this year which surprisingly is more than I’d done this time last year.