I was determined to get a fondo in today, having been foiled in my effort to do so yesterday by a flat tyre. The wind was coming from the west again (allegedly) and I thought I’d do the Lower Westbound route. I set off at about 1020.
Since both my usual winter bikes have had new tyres, and in one case a new inner tube fitted since last time they were used, I took Boardman II. I don’t test new equipment on a fondo. It hadn’t had a run out since October. I knew it was due a lube though, so to save time I just hosed round the chain with a spray can of 3 in 1 and gave it a good wipe. I’ll lube it properly at the weekend. Probably.
I turned for home after a bit more than 50k, at Bagot Wood. Came back the same way except that at King’s Bromley, instead of taking the right turn toward home, I kept going toward Yoxall. Just in pursuit of a few flat, well-surfaced, low effort additional kilometres. My intention was to turn back to King’s Bromley, but I saw a road signposted to Barton-under-Needwood. From there I could come home via Walton-on-Trent .. might have made a nice change. But I remembered that it involves some steep climbing and I stuck to Plan A, a U turn back to King’s Bromley and back the usual way from there.
Although the wind was supposed to be westerly, I seemed to have more of a headwind on the way back. But it wasn’t bad. I was warm enough in the morning but the temperature seemed to drop sharply after about 1300. But it rose again, or seemed to, an hour later. I had a bit of drizzle to contend with as well early in the afternoon but nothing troubling.
I took plenty of food with me but oddly, although I’d only had toast and a banana for breakfast, I didn’t feel hungry at all on the outward leg and I didn’t stop to eat until I was coming homeward. Testament perhaps to the benefit of a large sunday dinner the previous evening.
Back on 107.52km. Another 10km will take me past the 2023 distance total, which is currently a personal record. Another 167km will mean I’ve fulfilled my aspiration, expressed earlier in the year, before I succumbed to metrication, to have done at least 400 miles in each month of 2024. And another 228km, which I think is doable, will mean I’ve done 80,000km in the last ten years exactly.
I listened to 5 Live and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.