Dry

Thought the roads would be wet this morning after yesterday’s precipitation but they look fairly dry. The forecast is for high winds pointing east over the next couple of hours, which made me think of taking advantage and heading over to Melton Mowbray. But I’d still have a headwind, albeit less powerful, on the way back.

Wow – weird – in the very second that I typed that a caller to Danny Baker on 5 Live mentioned Melton Mowbray. Spooky. Perhaps it’s a sign.

Probably better sticking to 23 miles or so for the time being. It’s not a particularly low elevation route anyway. But I do feel the need to do something a bit different.

Twycross

The roads were acceptably dry by lunchtime so I did a Twycross on the Boardman. Cold, but beautifully sunny. Just before I set off, the Man from Amazon turned up with a balaclava that I’d ordered – a full face affair, with just a letterbox for the eyes, and long enough to go right down the collar of a jersey. it certainly kept the cold wind off my face but it does have one disadvantage – it captures your breath as you expel it, then directs it up to the eye gap, where it fogs up your cycling glasses for a moment.
At my first wee stop near Twycross, I removed it. I think I would definitely wear it again in very cold weather though. There must be a solution for the lens misting problem.
It probably looked a bit silly under a red dutt.
Onward through Sheepy, and back to the A44 along Wellsborough Rd. I’d done 13 miles at that point and was hoping to do 22. I knew that the end of Gibbet Lane -> home is about 8, so I took a left and came back that way. Stopped at the Gibbet Post to see if a few of the physio exercises might help, but they seemed to wear me out a bit – I felt a bit dizzy when I got back on the bike for the first minute or two.

My front tyre picked up a bright grey stripe – salt on the roads, no doubt.

Saw a couple of buzzards.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2119442890
21.83 miles, 200 this year (all on the Boardman).
I think the exercises are helping a bit.