Stunning weather again, but I didn’t have a lot of time and besides, I want to save my energy for a possible long ride on Friday. I wasn’t going to go out at all today actually but I couldn’t resist the first minimal clothing ride of the year.
I did about 15km of the Twycross route, then came back the same way. I did a little bit of pootling around Ashby at the top, and a detour round the village over the last km or so.
Beautiful out there. Properly warm. Back on 32.98km. The shortest ride of the year so far, but that’s OK.
Beautiful weather again and today’s plan was to ride out to Stafford Bingley Hall and back. It’s a sort of occasional pilgrimage I do, to honour memories of gigs I attended there as a teenager in the previous century.
I’d plotted a slightly different route this time, though. I was going to do my usual Lower Westbound route to Abbots Bromley, and find my way to Bingley Hall, on the outskirts of Stafford, from there. Usually I’d go through Rugeley, which bypasses Abbots Bromley by a long way to the south.
So: I did that. I set off pretty early, at 0815. Really enjoyed the outward leg, taking it easy in the sunshine, until I got to the new stretch of roads west of Abbo. Unfortunately they were mostly lumpy, crappy country lanes liberally furnished with potholes. Got to Bingley Hall nonetheless. Didn’t hang around long. Usually I gaze sentimentally through the gates for a minute, but today my view was blocked by marquees and stalls. Some sort of event going on.
I decided to come back the usual way through Rugeley, so I came down the A51. It was fairly quiet thankfully. But before I got to Rugeley, I saw a sign to Abbots Bromley, and had that “why not” thought. So I took that. Thankfully that turned out to be a really nice stretch of quiet, well-surfaced road that took me over a reservoir a few km further on. Lovely, but looking at the track on Strava now I see that it was a massive detour. So not really likely to be useful in future, although I quite enjoyed it today.
Conditions were cool-ish in the morning so I wore tights for the first 50km or so. Took them off when I stopped for an impromptu picnic somewhere west of Abbo to consume some food I’d bought at a shop there. Nice and warm in the afternoon.
I listened to footy chat on 5 Live. Quite annoyed by the coverage around the Liverpool / Spurs game as every pundit and presenter was treating the proposition that Liverpool would take the league title today as a done deal. But they weren’t wrong.
I did enjoy the United / Bournemouth game, with an equaliser in the sixth minute of added time. Took the pic at Lullington, about 14 klicks from home. That church will be a Tesco Metro one day.
I’d hoped to do an Imperial Fondo today, 161 km or if you prefer, 100 of His Majesty’s miles. I envisaged going east of Waltham, perhaps beyond the A1. I actually woke up at about 0500. I was quite tempted to get up early and have a really early start. I could probably have made it to the Fens and back. However, I went back to sleep.
Which was just as well, because I was slightly uncomfortably cold for the first couple of hours, even after setting off at 1020. Cloudy, with a rather cool headwind. It didn’t seem to be a long ride day. So I’d go as far as Eastwell and come back.
But once I got to Eastwell, I thought I’d come back a different way, via the roughly parallel route to the north. So I plunged down the steep hill from Eastwell, north through Stathem. And once I got there, I had another idea – to go north-east along Long Lane, something I’d been meaning to do again for years. It’s delightful along there: a quiet, scenic, mostly flat road with a view of Belvoir Castle on a hill in the distance. Trouble is, it’s a pain to get there, either involving a buttock-clenching descent from the usual eastbound route, or the crappy road surfaces east of Wymeswold.
But I’d already done the buttock-clenching descent, so I thought I might as well have a pedal along there. After a while I came to a crossroads, and turned left in the spirit of exploration. A brand new stretch of road! Or so I thought. I’d gone about 4km through there, through a village called Redmile, then parked up near a stream when I realised that I’d been there before. Sometimes I get a flashback to an obscure place in a bike ride and think to myself – where was that? I’m glad I never got a flashback to this place, because it would have driven me mad trying to remember it.
But I checked my Strava history and I was there three years ago. Anyway I turned back after that but came back the different way I’d intended, through Long Clawson, Upper Broughton, Wymeswold.
A small flying creature with yellow legs – possibly a fuzzy fly of some sort, or a small bee species, alighted on my arm at Long Clawson. I carried it for about 2km. Did wonder if I’d done it a permanent disservice by carrying it away from its little bee society or territory, but apparently they have fantastic navigation skills and 2km wouldn’t faze them. Most bee species are solitary anyway.
Stopped at a shop at Whitwick on the way out, which was a first. I’d realised that I’d forgotten to get the food I’d packed out of the fridge. It’s only about 6km from home, so not particularly useful usually.
Back at about 1735 and by that time conditions were beautifully sunny and warm, so I regretted not staying out longer. But once I’d descended northwards off the usual eastbound route, options for extending rides by a significant amount are sub-optimal. But I think I will go exploring over that way soon.
A dry day, anticipated to be warm in the afternoon and not too windy. The wind was coming from the south-east so I thought a southbound fondo was in order, either down to Northamptonshire as usual or down Fosse Way.
I had to reroute at Earl Shilton due to a road closure. Usually I try to sneak the bike past whatever obstacle has been put there to annoy me but no chance this time, the road (Thurlaston Lane) had been dug up right across and into both grass verges. So I backtracked and plotted a new course to Stoney through Elmesthorpe. Also at Earl Shilton – an old bird walking along the pavement flagged me down for a chat! She must have been at least 80. Told me how she used to do a coast to coast walk as a young woman. And her dad bought her first bike when she was 12. Bless her.
By the time I’d got to Stoney Stanton I’d decided to go down Fosse Way. So I did. Got as far as about 5km past Brinklow when I decided to turn back. I did want to go a bit further, but the headwind and the up-and-down hill climbing had started to grind a bit. Stopped for a bit of a feast at the village shop in Brinklow. Always like to sit and watch the world go by there, especially in the sunshine.
Back on 105.01km.
Listened to LBC and 5 Live mostly. But also, on an inexplicable whim, the Alphaville album Forever Young and Zappa’s Shut Up ‘n Play Yer Guitar which I bought as a triple album boxed set in 1981. Requires a particular mood.
Rain was due over at 1600-ish today supposedly, so I didn’t want to go too far. Last night while idly toying with a route planner, I devised a different southbound route – one that would use the usual route as far as Bagworth, meet it again at Broughton Astley, but go through Desford, Thurlaston and Croft on the way there.
On a map it looks more direct but in practice it’s more hilly, not really very practical. Made a nice change though. Some stretches of road I hadn’t done before. Some nice scenery. I went down as far as Broughton Astley then came back up the usual way. Stopped at the Co-op at Stoney Stanton and had a bit of a feast at the Belarus Bench (actually a massive tyre bearing the text MADE IN BELARUS) near Potters Marston.
A very light rain started to descend at about 1400. It was tolerable, but of course I didn’t know if it was going to stay tolerable so rather than coming back through Ibstock as I intended, I came the quick way through Donington Le Heath. The rain did start to come down a bit heavier over the last few km.
I listened to Adrian Chiles on 5 Live and the 2017 British Sea Power album Let the Dancers Inherit the Party. I’m never sure if it’s perhaps a bit better than its successor, Everything Was Forever.
Anyway, something a bit different and another 63.67km in the bag. 571 this month now, 3077 this year. I’ll be happy enough with another 200 this month but what I really want is a warm day with a light easterly wind so I can pedal over to the Fens and back.
Cloudy (mostly) and cool, with rain threatened in the afternoon. But I thought I’d do 60km or so. To make it interesting, I planned to do one of my regular Twycross Bypasser routes, but in reverse. I thought it might be a challenge to remember the turns the “wrong way round”. Clearly it was, because I took the requisite right turn on the way down a bit early, at Barton instead of Carlton. Actually looking at the track now, I took a short unintended detour at Swepstone, as well.
Anyway after that I mostly did what I’d intended, but I made better time than I thought, partly because I’d inadvertently used a more economical route. So I took a detour to Measham on the way up and approached Ashby via Heather rather than by Gallows Lane. Actually to be honest that latter detour was mainly because I’d confused myself.
So yep quite an interesting challenge. The headwind was a bit annoying. But there was occasional sunshine. 62.32 km done.
Checked the Boardman wheels when I got home. I’d managed to get the very slight wobble out of them by tightening the hubs, but it’s come back a little bit. So I have to either change the bearings myself, get someone else to do it or buy new wheels. Maybe an excuse for an upgrade.
Didn’t think I’d feel like cycling today after walking around London for seven hours on Thursday then maintaining my old legs in an upright position for two hours at a gig last night, but – it was the last day of a nice run of weather and a particularly pleasant one, so I thought I should do at least 65km.
Pleasantly warm when I set off. Didn’t know what I was going to do really. Just wanted to busk it. I did the southbound route as far as Kirkby Mallory, then I cut across to Sutton Cheney and did a sort of Reverse Twyrosser from there.
Stopped at the petrol station near Sutton to buy some food and as I parked up, a young guy in cycling gear strolled up to me and asked me, sheepishly, if I had a bike pump! I did of course so I lent it to him while I went in the garage. He and his mate were doing an audax. 2 lovely bikes, 0 bike pumps. Anyway he was very grateful when he handed it back a few minutes later.
Really lovely out there. I took it easy and just soaked up the nice weather and the relaxing Saturday vibe. Listened to LBC, then footy chat on 5 Live. Back on 69.06km.
Yet another sunny day, but this time the wind was supposed to be much lighter than of late. Almost warm, as well.
I wanted to do a longer one. Ideally, and if I may invoke imperial measurements for a moment, I’d have liked to do a 100-miler. Alas I had to be home by about 1830, and my Echo Dot was claiming that the temperature was fridge-ish before about 1000.
I did the eastbound route, but a bit further than last time, past Stainby. Would have loved to go another 20 km further east, but maybe next time. Went through Stanford and Burton on the way out, Wymeswold and Rempstone on the way back. Used the longer route through Griffydam and Peggs Green over the last few km.
Really, really nice out there. Glad I did do the eastbound route though because the wind was a bit more forceful than I was led to expect.
Speaking of ’70s sitcoms, as we were earlier in the thread, or at least alluding to them – Bob Grant, who was Jack in On the Buses lived in Waltham, which is on this route, in the 80s and 90s. I sometimes stop at the Deli there.
Another sunny day, a little bit cooler than Friday. Still too windy for a particularly long ride, but I thought conditions were just about decent enough for a fondo. The wind was coming from the east. I thought I’d do the southbound route. I’d have a sidewind both ways, but not too much of an annoying headwind.
I did that, down to Sibbertoft Gliding Club the usual way, penetrated Northamptonshire for a few metres then came back up the “old” way via Blaby and Enderby. My original idea was to cut across to the “new” route on the way back up after Blaby to avoid the busy traffic near Desford. But I didn’t bother and in the event it wasn’t too bad.
On the way up I took the Wood Road detour which added a bit of distance. But after Ellistown I came the short way through Donington Le Heath. I wished I’d set off back up a few seconds later than I did, because I saw a huge aircraft-shaped shadow cross the road in front of me. Stopped the back and twisted my head round just in time to see a glider landing. It must have passed over the road behind me, just a few metres over my head. Would have been a spectacular sight if it had been in front of me instead.
I decided to use my Casio GPS watch to track the ride, which I haven’t done for a couple of years because the Android app that syncs to Strava had always been unreliable. I thought I’d see if matters had improved, and thankfully they have. It does seem to work decently now. On the other hand the watch itself didn’t start tracking the ride until I’d done about 1.5k. I fixed the track with a GPS editor. Annoying but I think I can put it down to not having used it for a long time. GPS devices use a dataset known as an “almanac” which is updated when they’re used. My watch would have had to download a big chunk of new data from the satellites before it could start tracking.
As I emerged from a petrol station carrying an all-day-breakfast sandwich and a cheese pasty, a kind bald gentleman passed a nice compliment on his way in. “Lovely bike!” he said. I thanked him warmly of course. That’s nice, isn’t it?
Oh and I performed a good deed. I stopped for an impromptu picnic near Amesby, at a farm gate. There was a single item of litter, a flattened coke can. So I brought it home with me to recycle.
I listened to LBC and footy on 5 Live. Fulham vs Liverpool (very entertaining) and the first half of the Manchester derby. Dull.
Beautifully sunny day. Not a cloud in the sky and I had a nice view of the Moon in the afternoon, in fact I see I’ve caught it in the pic. But I did get a headwind intermittently both ways, depending on the particular direction of travel of course.
Back on 101.95km, pleased with 241km so far this month.
Sunny again, and touted to be warm in the afternoon. I didn’t set off until 1050, by which time I judged it was warm enough for bare legs.
I wanted to go out east again, preferably into my Cycling Happy Place to the east of Waltham and beyond. But the headwind was really aggravating. Not merely because of the additional force I had to apply against it, but because of the roar of wind noise going past my head while I was trying to listen to the bloody radio with earbuds in. So I decided a fondo would do. I went to Eastwell, sat on the bench and had lunch consisting of cheese rolls and a flapjack, then turned for home.
I went eastward through Normanton and Stanford rather than Rempstone and Wymeswold, which has been the norm of late. I came back westward through Wymeswold and Rempstone, but used a different road to detour that way than usual. Hadn’t tried it before. Quiet, but nothing special.
Enjoyable ride on the way back with a headwind. Back on 102.86 km.
