The weather forecast has improved quite a bit for the end of the month. There was a bit of rain this morning, but the afternoon looked dry. So: I set off at 10:45 to take another bite out of the (roughly) 150km I wanted to do in the remaining (or “last” if you’re a Blue Oyster Cult fan) days of May.
I really wanted to do the Dad’s Army route. But careful scrutiny of the rainfall radar suggested that a band of rain was going to pass close to the south. I’d get rained on if I went that way. So I decided to do go up and west; the Upper Westbound route.
So I did that. I went up through Swannington rather than Coleorton, to avoid the “resurfacing” near Alton Hill. Up through Melbourne and Swarkestone, right along Uttoxeter Road to Scropton, looped back through Hatton.
I came a longer way back, through Weston and Aston, then Shardlow and over Cavendish Bridge. Much warmer by now, and sunny. Took off a couple of layers at a bench at Weston. Or Aston. Can never remember which is which.
As I descended through Donington, it occurred to me that I’d probably be back on about 93km. Rude not to extend the ride to a fondo. So at Belton I performed an anti-clockwise loop – along Ashby Road, up to Long Whatton, west to Diseworth and back down to Belton. Then back the usual way.
Would have been better to have gone exploring a bit further at the remote end, but 106.22km is 106.22km.
Took the Tricross for the first time since February and I must say I really enjoyed it. It rolls nicely despite being heavy and feels reassuringly solid and stable.
Listened to 5 Live and finished the Reacher novel. The conclusion does make sense and actually it’s quite clever. Very different from the film. But a bit anti-climactic.