The forecast threatened showers until 2-3pm, but I took a chance and set off at 1325-ish. A fairly strong and rather annoying wind was coming from the west. I decided to go up over Swarkestone Bridge and west along the A road. I wanted to do at least 35, to get my monthly tally to 450. I was going to go to Hilton or thereabouts, then come back.
However, not long after Willington I decided to take a right turn and navigate my way into Derby. This took me to Etwall, and not long after that, a T junction – with both directions signposted to Derby, somewhat counter-intuitively. I took the right turn indicated by my sense of direction. Unfortunately after a couple of miles, this led me onto a stretch of the A38 that is a three lane motorway in all but name. I felt absolutely ridiculous pootling along there on a gravel bike. More embarrassed than unsafe. Fortunately the traffic wasn’t heavy and I came off at Kingsway – a part of Derby that I used to frequent often in the early ’90s. I used to go to the EnormoTesco there before one opened closer to my place in Oakwood, on The Wyvern.
From there, down Uttoxeter Old Road, past the place where I lodged with a colleague in 1990, right onto Friar Gate and right through the City Centre. Memory Lane.
Ideally I’d have liked to come back homeward via Alvaston and onto Shardlow Rd, but that would have involved negotiating Raynesway, a fast dual carriageway. So I played it safe and left Derby via Nottingham Rd, to Borrowash. About 16 years ago I used to cycle up Nottingham Rd regularly when I commuted to work via Derby Railway Station. It was a bit of an ordeal as I recall and yet today, even on a relatively heavy bike, it hardly seemed much of a climb at all.
I decided to come back down through Donington although I was in two minds about this, because of the high likelihood of annoying my other half by being late for dinner. Which in fact I was, but only by 15 minutes. I eat faster anyway, so I caught her up.
Looking at the track I did turn off Shardlow Road to go through Aston, and yet I looped back up onto Shardlow Road a mile later. Not sure what I was doing there. Perhaps I was thinking of going the Swarkestone Bridge way when I made the turn.
Came back the quickest way from Donington, down Top Brand. Back on 50.34 miles.
Cool and cloudy, but the Sun came out later in the afternoon. I snapped the pic at Shardlow in bright sunshine. Fortunately the wind was behind me at this time and the heavy clouds in the distance were moving away. I didn’t get rained on.
Listened to a highly entertaining game of football between Man City and Sheffield Utd. Then more Reacher.
This ride was an odd experience in that I was wearing contact lenses – I’m wearing trial disposables at the moment, pending my proper prescription ones arriving some time next week. They’re supposed to be varifocal but for me they don’t seem to be. They’re great for reading the bike computer, using a phone or checking a watch, but the view to the distance looks a lot like not wearing any sort of eyesight correction at all, ie blurry, but adequate. Still – they were comfortable enough. Nice not to have to wear glasses to ride a bike, not sure how often I’ll wear them for cyclng though.