I decided not to bother cycling today after a brief excursion out of the front door to test the elements, but conditions had brightened slightly in the early afternoon. The roads were wet and the air was damp, but winds were light and it wasn’t that cold.
I set off on the Tricross at 13:21 without a clear plan except to do about 20. I pretty much followed my nose, and my nose took me up to Isley Walton, then west and up over Swarkestone Bridge, along the A road for a bit. Then I turned for home after 17 miles, but I came back the usual way through Melbourne.
Delighted to find that the single worst road surface on any of my routes – a stretch that regularly gets waterlogged through the woods between Melbourne and Coleorton, characterised by a gruesome collection of potholes, crumbly layers and haphazard lumpy repairs like massive blobs of grey blu-tack – has now been resurfaced with proper, smooth, luxurious tarmac. Beautiful.
The road west of Isley Walton has also been very nicely resurfaced, although only up to the Derbyshire sign, after which it’s business as usual. But it’s not nearly as bad.
Listened to a phone-in on LBC about the North Shropshire by-election result . Very frustrating to hear how many people have been taken in by the media spin and lies, although there were one or two rational callers thankfully. But before long we’re going to have to make sure there’s a media regulatory body with a commitment to genuine impartiality and fairness, that has teeth.
The mist really intensified after sunset, but I’d wrapped up warm. Had to clean the bike up back at base.
Back on 31.76 miles.