I really wanted to do at least a fondo today, maybe even 100+ miles – but then the weather forecast changed to threaten thunder and showers in the afternoon. I set off at 0850 hoping to do 30 or 40 before the rain came over.
Actually spots of rain were coming down as I wheeled the bike out, but they died off ten minutes later. Warm out there from the outset, even in minimal clothing. Conditions grew uncomfortably warmer and more humid ad the ride wore on.
I went eastbound as far as Narrow Lane, which I took to hook northward to Wymeswold, then came back via Hoton. After crossing the border back into Leicestershire I detoured via Diseworth. Came back down the longer way through Griffydam and Peggs Green.
Spots of rain again over the last couple of miles but it didn’t get any worse.
Listened to the Stones’ Steel Wheels, then Nai Palm’s Needle Paw. Then (unusually) a bit of classical. Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Back on 45.44. 258 this month. Looking good for 500.
Well that was a bit different. I started work at 0600 so I left early, with the intention of maybe doing 20 miles of the Lower Westbound route, then coming back.
Unfortunately I somehow missed the turn for Lullington. Realised this when I found myself about to enter Coton in the Elms. Well, no matter – I’ve been that way dozens of times as well. But then I missed the turn for Walton. So I found myself entering a depressingly busy and urban Burton on Trent. I kept on keeping on though until I saw a sign for Abbotts Bromley, and I took that.
Went as far as Needwood, where I stopped for a very welcome cold can of Dr Pepper at a petrol station. Then I took a sign to Barton under Needwood, which is also familiar territory.
Quite enjoyed the new bits of road between Burton and Barton under Needwood though it would be tricky to get them into a regular route without negotiating Burton.
Later, trying to get back on the usual track on the way back I unnecessarily took a turn for Lullington that was no more than a pointless detour. Then bizarrely, later on again, I strangely missed the turn to Packington and continued right on to Ashby.
I can only think that the heat must have cooked my brain a bit. It was hot out there.
On the way into Ashby I overtook a lad on a BMX. Clearly he was affronted by this and he attempted to overtake back. He pulled alongside with a huge grin on his face, bless him. He was about 13. I’m sorry to confess that I did indulge him. He was never going to catch even an old man on a Roubaix with short legs and a BMX. I suppose I shouldn’t have done that, he wasn’t wearing a helmet and he gave it a good go. Then again, neither was I.
I think I probably missed an opportunity today .. should have taken the day off and done Wales and back or something. Probably not going to get another opportunity for a long day on the bike in weather like this in 2023.
Listened to Steely Dan’s Aja and Radio 5. Back on 49.12 miles.
Another very warm day with light winds. I did a Bypasser. Unusually, I went right down to Atherstone – not done that for a couple of years – and I found a short cut to take me back northward without going right into the centre of town. I think I’ve done that once before. I suppose there must be a way to search the times you’ve done a particular segment on Strava.
On the way back up I decided to take a left to take me to San GIovanni at Sheepy, for a pit stop involving a margerita. However, embarrassingly, I somehow got lost and ended up looping back onto the main road, further down than when I’d taken the turn! I decided just to head for home at this point. I came back the quick way along Gibbet Lane.
That must have been the warmest ride since last summer and I wore my skimpiest cycling clothing. But the last 45 minutes or so was glorious with a cooler breeze and that beautiful pre-sunset light.
I listened to a highly entertaining feature about the Rolling Stones’ new album on 5 Live Drive, in which they had the guitar player from a tribute band accompany listener’s Rolling Stones anecdotes with classic Stones riffs played as background music. And they played a snippet from the new single – nothing special but remarkable energy.
A properly warm, sunny day with a light wind coming from the south. I was only going to do about 35-40 today having put a decent shift in on Friday, but by the time I was 20 miles down the southbound route, I’d decided to make another fondo of it.
I didn’t go all the way down to Welford. I turned back after the half-fondo distance, at Welford Road. Bought some snacks and Lucozade at a petrol station on Gilmorton Road and stopped in Gilmorton to consume them. The village shop is closed on Sundays, but the bench on the opposite side of the road is always open.
As I sat there munching on a Ploughman’s sandwich, I heard the growl of a vintage piston engine. Looked up to see a P51-D Mustang circling overhead. Obviously I wondered why so I did the necessary Google research when I got back; there was a “Victory Show” featuring an air display at Cosby, a few miles to the north.
Listened mostly to footy on 5 Live but also to the Stones’ Dirty Work, which against my expectations is actually not bad at all.
I was on call but it’s been so quiet this last few weeks that I didn’t even think about it, let alone stress about it.
Back on 63.67 miles so already, it’s a Double Fondo September! That was this year’s 23rd fondo. I’m hoping to do 5776 miles this year to equal the 2016 distance tally, my second-highest.
With the wind coming from the east for a change and a light wind at that, I left work early in the hope of getting the September fondo in early. I’d been looking forward to doing the traditional eastbound route for a while. So I did. Went as far as Eastwell crossroads, came back exactly the same way.
I listened to the last few hours of the Reacher novel, Nothing to Lose. I’m afraid that this one, the twelfth in the series, didn’t quite hit the mark. The plot is sillier than a Roger Moore Bond film, the ending is preposterous and the way that Reacher works out what the bad guys are up to is just not believable in the slightest. He’d have to be psychic. Having said that, it did maintain my interest and I enjoyed it. But it’s well daft.
Then I listened to the Stones’ Undercover, which as I expected is a weak record.
Nice out there, A bit too warm after the first twenty minutes but fortunately I’d thought to take a backpack so I stuffed a layer into it after 20 miles or so. I treated myself to a Magnum ice-cream lolly on the way back, from the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds.
Back about a minute after a beautiful sunset. I’d put my rear light on a few miles from home, coming through Thringstone. Yep, it’s that time of the year when you have to start thinking about lights on a ride after work.
A dry afternoon, though it rained heavily in the morning. Wanted to do at least 36 to get me to 500 for August, which I’m more than happy with having been away for the first ten days.
I did a Twycross Bypasser; the version that takes in Ratcliffe Culey and Fenn Lanes. I was a bit annoyed that the western end of Fenn Lanes has had the el-cheapo resurfacing treatment sometime in the last few weeks. But apart from that, a thoroughly pleasant run out.
Cool at first, warm when the sun came out later. I listened to more Reacher throughout and I have to say that it’s gone a bit bizarre. The plot doesn’t quite make sense.
40.29 miles, 505 done this month. And that’ll be it for August.
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.
Yet another warm, dry day – we’re being spoiled, aren’t we? I was a bit tired today after a night in a Travelodge and a long drive up from Oxford, but I always seem to have enough energy for 30-odd miles. Almost as if it comes from a different internal power supply.
So I set off at about 1600. I went up to Swarkestone Bridge the long way via Isley Walton, went west as far as Willington, looped round the village there and came back the same way (barring very minor deviations over the last few miles).
Back on 37.63 which very pleasingly takes me to 414 this month. Will be happy with 450, but 500 seems likely. A decent enough figure given I was away for the first ten days.
Listened to another couple of hours of Reacher.
Very pleasant run out apart from jamming the transmission near Melbourne. The chain is too short on the X and there’s a combination of big chainring / big cog at the back which will do that every time. I must put a longer chain on. I had to turn the bike upside down to free it up.
Couldn’t leave work as early as I wanted to but I’d set off not long after 1600. I intended to ignore the ROAD CLOSED sign forbidding the turn-off to Norton, and do a bypasser. When I got to the roadworks it was easy enough to get the bike through the traffic cones and past the big hole in the road.
I did a longish version, along Mythe Lane and Atterton Lane at the bottom. Unusually, I went through Upton and Shenton on the way back up.
The road going east into Shenton is lovely – narrow, quiet, scenic but well surfaced. Every time I do it, I ask myself – why don’t I do this more often? Then I forget about it.
Back up the usual way through Bosworth.
Warm and dry out there, but overcast. Unusually humid. I stopped at Heather, a couple of miles from home to take the pic at the derelict petrol station there. It must belong to someone so I assume I was on someone’s private land but I was quick. I suppose some of the residents of Heather consider it an eyesore, but I quite like it. The following image is lifted from Google Street View.
Listened to another couple of hours of the Reacher novel, Nothing to Lose. Definitely one of the better ones.
Back on 36.60 miles and that’s 377 this month, 4012 this year.
I wanted to dedicate most of my Saturday to idling around the house but with more delightful weather on offer, it seemed rude not to do at least 30. I set off on the S Works at about 1115. The wind was coming from the south-west, so I decided on a Twycross Bypasser
I got held up for a long time at the crossroads on Gallows Lane / Swepstone Road. There were temporary traffic lights there, for roadworks. The two cars ahead of me went through on a red light. I assumed the light had just changed. I stopped. Then about six minutes later I gave up and just went through. I’m pretty sure all of the lights were frozen on red. As I passed them I noticed a large queue of stationary motor vehicles in all four directions.
The road to Norton Juxta Twycross is still closed, so I continued down to Twycross – making today’s outing a Twycrosser, rather than the intended Bypasser. I did do the detour to Orton though.
I went down to Ratcliffe Culey and across to Twycross Road, but rather than coming back up through Congerstone or Bosworth, I went west through Sibson back to Sheepy. I’d forgotten to bring a bidon with me so I decided some hydration (pictured) was in order.
I came back up the quick way from there, up the usual downward stretch. I did take a mild detour through Ibstock over the last couple of miles.
Really nice out there. I overclothed again, with two tops on. The temperature climbed pretty quickly after the first hour.
Listened to more of the Reacher novel – very entertaining so far.
