Like yesterday, a downpour of rain in the early afternoon gave way to sunny skies. A bit windier today, but warmer as well. Very nice out there by the time I withdrew Boardman II from the garage. I wouldn’t usually do consecutive days, but I only did 20-odd yesterday and the weather looks iffy right into the weekend.
At lunchtime, I had decided to replace the slightly rusty stem bolts with some nice shiny corrosion-resistant titanium ones. I’d taken the steerer tube bolts out before I realised that I’d mislaid my torque wrench. Couldn’t find it anywhere! So I just tightened the new ones by hand, and left the old face plate bolts in for now.
On call at the moment so I couldn’t go far. I didn’t really fancy a Twycrosser again so soon, so I did something a bit different. I went up through Coalville and Belton, up over Swarkestone Bridge and west along my beloved flat A road for a couple of miles. Then I turned back – the tailwind was very pleasant after I performed the U turn – and came back down through Ticknall and Ashby.
Some beautiful views out there. After a long climb going up toward Ticknall from Melbourne, I stopped to take a pic of the view to the east. But as I removed my phone from my pocket, I saw that the view down the hill I’d come up, toward Derby about ten miles away, was even better. So I snapped a pic of that.
I don’t think my phone did the view justice, unfortunately. One sunny day I’ll take an SLR with me up there, in a backpack.
Extended my ride a bit by taking a detour through Packington and Ibstock, which apart from adding a few miles to the May tally, got me out of climbing Alton Hill. Having already suffered Bastard Hill south of Ticknall, I felt that I deserved that.
Back well before sunset, and a really enjoyable run out. 40.81 miles.
Matt Hancock’s press briefing started just after I set off, so I listened on 5 Live. I was quite amused that one of the journos asked a question about “pregnant people”. Jenny Harries did not indulge her, and referred consistently to “women” in her reply. And I’d have to say that if you identify as a man and you get pregnant, you probably haven’t quite got the hang of the male lifestyle.
I’ll have a better look for my torque wrench in the garage tomorrow.