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Nice cycling weather was promised so I booked the afternoon off. A light wind was blowing from the south-east and the sun was supposed to shine most of the day. I wanted to do about 80 to get the 2022 distance score into four figures and the eastbound route was the obvious choice. 40 miles would take me just beyond Buckminster, to the border with Lincolnshire.

I was a little tired when I woke up this morning because I’d had a minor work incident to deal with at 0400, and although it only took 15 minutes, I didn’t sleep properly after that.

Nonetheless – I set off at about 11:20, undeterred. Very pleasant out there although actually the sun went in a few times. But conditions were consistently bright.

I’d brought a cheese & onion pasty, a croissant, a white chocolate cookie, banana-flavoured milk and some toffees with me but I stopped and bought more at the deli at Waltham, after about 34 miles. A flapjack (which I didn’t touch in the end) and a cornish pasty (which I ate at a nearby bench). And a can of pop.

Was slightly nervous on the way back after 5pm because I was on call and I didn’t get back until 7:15pm, but I didn’t get a call.

I started a new audiobook, a Philip K Dick novel called The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch which I’ve never read before. Written in 1965, but set in 2016, when mankind has colonised several of the other planets and moons in the solar system.

I find Philip Dick a bit of a mixed bag. I read The Man In The High Castle in the late 80s and was blown away by it, one of the best books I’ve ever read. Some of his short stories are pure genius.

This one though, although extraordinarily imaginative hadn’t really grabbed me by the first three chapters. I must say though the guy who narrates the audiobook gives a terrific acting performance when voicing the various different characters – he really gives them each a distinctive personality.

Still a bit of light at 6:45 this evening and since the last few miles are mostly well lit (through Thringstone and Coalville), I made do with my little strappy blinker and didn’t bother getting the proper front light out.

Back on 80.36 miles, 283 this month and 1001 this year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6829660021

Sunny day. Got out of work early and – since a moderate wind was coming from the south – decided I’d do 20 or so miles of the southbound route, then come back. Pretty much the same thing I did on Monday, except that I went further.

I got as far as Broughton Astley. But instead of turning for home and coming back the same way, on a whim I took a right turn. I thought I’d give myself a bit of an adventure, and try to navigate home along familiar roads.

A couple of hundred yards later I saw another right turn signposted to Stoney Stanton, so I took that. All this did was to loop me back onto the original route within about half a mile. Not much of an adventure then but I did notice a decent shop and a petrol station along the way. Might be handy for supplies on a longer ride in future.

The return journey, with a tailwind, was really very pleasant except for 15 minutes of rain. I listened mostly to 5 Live, and speculation about Chelsea football club. It was a mild evening, so at least my own assets weren’t frozen. Really nice to be out after dark without feeling cold.

Took this pic on the bridge over the M69.

Back on 42.38 miles. 165 miles this month, happy with that 10 days in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6804176756

Beautifully bone dry, sunny afternoon in the East Midlands. I left work reasonably early and set off on the southbound route. A Twycrosser wouldn’t have worked out too well with the wind coming from the east.

I wanted to do about 30 miles, but I got as far as Kirkby Mallory before I decided I’d had enough. I’d wrapped up a layer or two lighter than of late, and I definitely shouldn’t have. Bloody cold out there. I had a brief incursion into the grounds of the race track (Mallory Park, of course), which I hadn’t done before. Then I turned back for home.

I briefly gave some consideration to the idea of coming back via Sutton and Bosworth, but I assumed I’d regret it because it would take longer. Actually looking at the map on Strava it would probably have been quicker.

Back on 26.34 miles which takes me to 123 done this month.

I trialled the new AA-powered bike light I bought a week or so ago and while the light itself works nicely, the mount it comes with is rubbish. It’s really cheap plastic and it was impossible to tighten it enough to stay in one place. I suppose I’ll end up affixing it to the bike with a plastic tie, or quite possibly it will end up in one of several crates of barely-used retail therapy detritus in the garage.

The new phone my company has sent me is bigger and heavier than the one I smacked against the unforgiving tarmac of the A5132, so I’ve reverted to an older one. Unfortunately the old one doesn’t take photos nearly as well as the last one, and I was unable to capture the majesty of the sunset on the way back.

So I CGI-ed one in. I hope you like it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6788514731

I was going to go out tomorrow rather than today but my dhb shorts arrived from Wiggle, and I thought I’d brave the cold north wind and try them out. I thought I’d do the eastbound route for 20 miles or so then come back. Conditions didn’t really seem to suggest a longer ride than that.

The eastbound route is actually a bit north-east-ish, at least as far as Eastwell. So actually I had a blend of sidewind and headwind to contend with and it had become a bit of a struggle after 20-odd miles. As I stood at the entrance to a garden furniture depot to the east of Six Hills, contemplating the famous Loughborough skyline in the distance and munching a cheese & onion pasty, a light rain started to descend. I did think I should probably turn for home, at this point. But Eastwell (my default Fondo endpoint) was only six miles away so I pressed on.

The rain got a bit heavier. Not a lot of fun propelling yourself uphill with a wind blowing stinging cold rain in your face. But – I was a lot more comfortable after turning back at the Eastwell crossroads, especially when the rain stopped.

Stopped to buy provisions at Burton on the Wolds on the way back and had a sandwich and doped myself with a Malteser bar at the log near Cotes, where I took this pic.

The rain started up again shortly after this, but it was light and only lasted 15 minutes or so.

Mostly listened to footy on 5 Live.

I passed a young man deploying a hazard warning triangle behind his white BMW near Six Hills as I pedalled east, and he was still there sitting in his car nearly two hours later on the way back. Waiting for the AA or similar, I assume. Poor lad.

Annoyingly my Garmin bike computer only lasted five hours on its charge, and I had to track the last 12 miles or so using a GPS app on my phone.

The shorts fit well and are very comfy. I’ll probably save them for longer rides.

Back on 62.37 miles, dead on sunset. Lovely sunset as well with the tall trees in the village silhouetted in front of a glowing orange sky. Good timing.

Pretty tough one that, at least in parts, but ultimately satisfying. Pleased to have got the March Fondo in early.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6778969870

Dry day, decently bright though not quite sunny, but – a cold wind was blowing. Since it’s likely to rain for the next few days, I thought I’d leave early and get the March campaign underway.

I decided on a Twycross Bypasser; hadn’t been along Orton Lane for a while. I did the longish version going into Warton. Since I was suffering slightly in a cold headwind I decided, once I got to Sheepy, that I’d come home the quickest way from there. The trouble is, I never know which way that is. I came back through Twycross, Congerstone, Shackerstone, Swepstone and Ibstock anyway.

I bonked near Twycross. Hadn’t eaten that much today, I guess. But two mini pork pies soon sorted that out.

I saw a large, grey bird near Shackerstone. At first I thought it was a pigeon, but it was flying along the ground along the side of the road in front of me, in a most un-pigeonlike manner. Then it just cleared the hedge on the opposite side and swooped down over the field again. I’m pretty sure it was an owl.

33.98 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6758244853

Today’s mission was simple, to do 40 miles and get the February distance total over 300. The wind was blowing from the south-east, so even though I did the eastbound route on Friday I thought I’d do the first 20 miles or so again. It’s not as if I do it that often.

However I thought I’d go up through Coleorton and Peggs Green rather than Coalville and Thringstone. The latter route is more efficient in terms of distance and elevation but it’s nice to change things up a bit.

I was annoyed that I couldn’t use my usual wee stop, a few metres off the road at the edge of Prestwold Park. Some sort of event was taking place there and people were walking to and fro near my cosy little secluded spot.

I’d done just less than 19 miles when I decided to turn back. I thought I’d make up the distance by detouring through Long Whatton and Diseworth on the way back. This was a bit unfortunate in one respect because it meant that I had a very unwelcome headwind coming down Top Brand. Wasn’t sure I’d quite be back on 40 miles (I think I would have been, looking at the map) so I added a bit of distance by detouring along Breedon Lane.

Beautiful day today. I took my phone out to take a pic of Boardman II, resplendent in the afternoon sunshine near when I stopped near Cotes. Alas, I was distracted by a WhatsApp message and it looks like I didn’t. Or at least I can’t find a pic from today on my phone.

Back on 40.94 miles, that’s 302 this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6747060657

Very handy to have a few days of good weather at the end of the month. It’s been a pretty successful cycling weekend; I got the Feb Fondo in, got the distance tally over 300 miles and ticked off the last two neighbouring counties.

The forecast promised a sunny, dry day. I took the afternoon off with the idea of doing 80 or so, to bump up the February mileage tally and get the Fondo done, having left it somewhat late in the month.

The wind was blowing from the west as usual but I decided to break my rule of not returning home into a headwind, and go east. I wanted to do part of the Norfolk route. The roads east of Eastwell through Waltham and Buckminster are my Cycling Happy Place. And the wind was supposed to dissipate a bit later on.

I didn’t really want to turn back after 40 miles, it was so nice over there – sunny, scenic and quiet – so I kept going. I hit a Lincolnshire sign not long after Buckminster, then a couple of miles later, a Rutland sign! So I’ve ticked off the two remaining Neighbouring Counties of Leicestershire for 2022 without having intended to.

I’d intended to pursue the Norfolk route but missed a turn for South Witham. I ended up there anyway though, somehow. Then I turned back for home after 45 miles and came back the same way.

Usually my DAB personal radio would be pretty good company on a Friday bike ride with Elis & John on 5 Live, then the film review show. I believe Kermode has been sent on an impartiality course. However today it was just wall-to-wall Ukraine news all day. I got Ukraine fatigue eventually; I know that’s an easy thing to say from this safe distance but it was pretty much the same news cycling round for hours.

I listened to the new Sea Power album on my MP3 player, then – unusually – I did silence for a bit.

I’d had to take a layer off earlier in the day and stuff it in my backpack but the temperature dropped just before sunset. I was still 30 miles from home when the sun dipped below the horizon, but I’d brought good lights.

Two teenage girls waved at me from the back of a car I was stuck behind at some roadworks in Waltham. I waved back of course. This only seemed to encourage them and I was quite relieved when the lights changed and they pulled away.

Terrific run out, 90.56 miles, 261 this month which gives me a decent chance of 300 before March. Really looking forward to going further on that route, on a longer and warmer day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6737414282

A decidedly windy day but it’s been slim pickings so far this month so – since it was at least dry and sunny, I felt I should try and do at least 25. For some reason though, the wind didn’t seem so bad once I was underway, even going directly west.

I went up through Coalville and Belton to Isley Walton, up over Swarkestone Bridge, west along the Beloved Flat A Road. I was feeling unusually thirsty for some reason so I decided I’d go as far as the garage near Hatton and buy a drink. I didn’t have a lot of water with me. Chilled Lucozade. Lovely. I also ate a cheese & onion pasty I’d brought with me before I mounted my bike to come back the same way.

The return trip, with a tailwind and having fuelled up a bit, was a real joy. Until I stopped for a wee near Willington, and dropped my phone. The screen cracked, rendering it inoperable, and making it impossible for me to send a message to say I’d be later than expected. Even worse, I was using it to listen to the PM’s press conference on 5 Live because my DAB batteries had died – and I didn’t want to use the spare AAs in case I needed them for the front light. Worst of all, ‘er indoors started ringing me and it was impossible to answer calls.

Needless to say she was irate when I returned, and my explanation only placated her partly. But Lib Dem supporters can be impervious to reason, sometimes.

That was a really nice run out apart from writing off my phone. 47.30 miles, but felt more like 35. Beautiful starry night, with all of Orion clearly visible. The fields near the river at Swarkestone Bridge were waterlogged like lakes which was actually quite a beautiful scene.

Only 170 done in February so far. Would really like to get that up to 300 if I can, but it’s a short month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6718185140

The weather forecast promised a day off from the rain and it was sunny when I set off on the Boardman this afternoon. The roads were a bit wet, but nothing too troubling. A strong wind was blowing from the west. I decided to go up and west, along the A road for a bit.

I went out through Swannington, unusually. I used to go that way often, but it fell out of favour. It’s a bit rattly on the long downhill stretch.

Up to Isley Walton, then west. The flags outside Donington Park were flying dead straight in the direction I was coming from. The wind was gusting strongly, like an invisible hand lunging at the brake levers.

Not long after I crossed Swarkestone Bridge, the rain started to come down. It only lasted a few minutes. But it came down again fifteen minutes later. As I stood at my favourite rest stop near Willington munching a cheese & onion pasty in the pouring rain, I decided to turn for home. Very nice to have the tailwind coming east.

I came back the quick way through Melbourne and Coleorton.

Despite the wind and the rain I remained in good spirits, and even ascending the North Face of Rotter’s Rise in the dark didn’t piss me off. Much. By then the rain had stopped again.

Had an extraordinary view of the Moon looking huge just above the horizon near Coleorton, with a streaky cloud in front of it – it looked like a ghostly huge Saturn.

I was listening to Drive on 5 Live, and people were texting in their anecdotes for Random Act of Kindeness Day. Here’s one to melt the hardest heart. I’ve just listened to it back on BBC Sounds so I can transcribe it:

Ten years ago my teenage daughter was new to both cycling and London. One very cold winter Sunday she found herself with a puncture to fix at the side of the road with fingers so cold she couldn’t do it. A stranger stopped his car and fixed it for her. A third party saw what was happening and posted a picture on social media – of Mark Cavendish fixing her bike.

Feel like I’m leaving the February Fondo a bit late, but next week looks OK weather-wise and I won’t be on call.

Back on 31.76 miles, 123 this month.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6698710901

So having fitted a new seat post to the X, a test ride seemed to be in order. It was very nice weather for cycling on the whole this afternoon – dry, sunny, a bit windy and cold but not bad enough to spoil the fun.

I faffed around a bit near home before deciding what to do, then I decided to go up Top Brand to Isley Walton. From there I went west to Melbourne as I often do, but rather than going up over Swosser Bridge I decided I’d turn for home there, but come the long way through Ticknall, Hartshorne, Boundary and Ashby.

I set the seat post slightly too high but apart from that it was fine. I must admit I didn’t pay careful attention to the saddle position before I dismantled the old seat post but the riding position felt very comfy. I got the impression that it was a slightly more comfortable ride than usual but that could be psychological, or possibly just a different saddle angle than before.

I also used my Olight torch as a front light. Despite being small and light (it takes a single AA) it’s adequately bright, but the battery didn’t last that long. I turned it off at some traffic lights for road works near Ashby to save juice, but when I turned it on again it wouldn’t come on. I assume the battery was low. Would be ironic if it’s a fault as it’s one of the very few LED torches that I own that’s a reputable brand rather than an anonymous Chinese product.

Had a beautiful view of a half moon in a clear blue sky just before I set off. Didn’t notice any stars after dark, though. Actually I did get 15 minutes of rain near Ticknall so it must have clouded over after sunset.

28.17 miles, 91 this month. Enjoyed that one.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6662709425

I used my Xoss bike computer and I was delighted to discover that the phone app now has a feature to replay your route as a 3D aerial view – a bit like that Relive facility that was popular a few years ago. It saves the video to your phone’s gallery, but I uploaded this one to YouTube. You can alter the perspective while the track is playing but if you do, it will record your changes to the video (it works as a sort of screen capture function, hence this would have worked better if I’d been holding the phone in a landscape stylee rather than portrait).