Bike Diary

Bit of a strange one. Nice dry day, colder than of late but still reasonably mild. I sneaked out not long after 1430 with the intention of doing some of the Lower Westbound route and coming back on 45 miles or so.

But – I was so engrossed in the audiobook I was listening to (Geddy Lee’s My Effin’ Life) that I took the turn down Gallows Lane, as if doing a Twycrosser or Bypasser, on auto-pilot. So my options for doing more than 40 miles or so were a bit limited. I did a bit of the old Dad’s Army route down as far as the A5, then went down toward Atherstone, through Ratcliffe then west to Sheepy, after which I came home via a part-reverse Twycrosser.

Home on 43.15.

Nice run out on the whole, the only really annoying thing was having to cope with copious quantities of mud in great big chunks along Sibson Road. It was fine last time I went along there a few days ago; clearly some large farm vehicles have come and done their stuff. It was so bad that my own road bike tyres were flinging off chunks of mud like tractor tyres, and the wheels were slipping. Not what you want in the dark. I stopped a couple of miles later and was pulling huge clumps of earth out of the front fork, jammed under the front brake.

More on Friday I hope, might take the afternoon off work.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10225175704

Very windy out there today, 40+ mph in the early afternoon, but conditions had improved markedly by the time I mounted the X at 1550-ish. Still pretty windy though. But unusually mild, about 12C I think.

I did a Bypasser. I only had half an hour before sunset but it was lovely out there in the dark. Especially in the open between Norton and Orton. Listened to the commentary about David Cameron returning to government and Suella leaving it, on 5 Live.

Unbelievably, yet again this morning the weather forecast had warned of rain later in the afternoon, then later claimed that it wouldn’t rain. And of course the rain did come down, for the last half hour. Still – it was worth it for a very enjoyable run out.

Back on 35.45 miles. 5677 done this year now, so 6,000 miles in 2023 looks nailed down.

In 2020 I set myself a target of doing 6214 miles, or 10,000km. I could well do the same this year without particularly having tried to. Not sure why it’s been such a high-scoring year really.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10212897533

I hoped to do at least 80 today, originally. Very light winds were forecast. It was going to be sunny. But the forecast changed to threaten mist after sunset, so I decided to keep it down to fondo distance or thereabouts.

The wind was coming from the west, but I decided to go east anyway. It was only supposed to be 4 mph, not enough to worry about. The wind direction was due to do a 180° turn later in the afternoon interestingly, although not until after sunset so I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of that.

I put too many layers on, unfortunately. I ended up stashing a pair of overtrousers and a winter cycling tunic in my backpack after about 17 miles and I didn’t need them again during the ride. I guess I hadn’t taken the direct sunshine into account, it does make a big difference.

Got to the Eastwell crossroads at about 1150 (I’d set off at 0905) but decided to press on. I went right past the left turn to Belvoir Castle and kept going, something I hadn’t done before. This led to a long, steep descent. My curiosity to visit the village of Knipton overcame my instinct not to go down the hill. Happily it had a (very small) village shop with a table outside, so at least I was able to take a break for lunch before slogging back up and homeward.

Took a different way home after Six Hills, through Wymeswold and Hoton. And after Belton, I came back through Peggs Green and Coleorton.

I took the pic near Cotes. Very impressed with the multi-exposure capture function on my phone; even with the camera facing the Sun directly, the bike was exposed nicely.

Listened to LBC,  the British Sea Power album Do You Like Rock Music? and 5 Live, including some of United v Luton.

Back on 74.05, about half an hour before sunset. I could have done a bit more. But the lure of a coffee and a couple of digestive biscuits is strong.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10200952416

I set off on a Bypasser at about 1500.

Twice in the last week, the weather forecast has changed from rain to dry in the afternoon, but it rained anyway. And today, once more, by midday the BBC had replaced the rain cloud symbol in the forecast for the afternoon to a harmless-looking white one without the raindrops coming out of it.

It didn’t take the wisdom of Nadine Dorries to work out that it would probably rain regardless. And it did, but it was very light and only lasted half an hour.

I was going to go down to Kisses Barn Lane at the bottom end, but Orton Road was closed off near Warton, so I backtracked and took Sheepy Lane instead.

Mostly listened to liberal conspiracy theories about the Home Secretary on LBC.

I had the bright idea of using the Strava app on my phone to record the ride since I have an old-fashioned magnet-driven bike computer on the Tricross handlebars. Unfortunately the app (or the GPS chip on the phone) seems to have gone into some sort of weird minimalist mode. It only saved a couple of dozen track points then claimed I’d done 32.20 miles. But the bike computer recorded 34.75, and a route planner agrees with that very closely. So: back on 34.75, although I haven’t fixed the track on Strava.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10189832357

The weather forecast held a threat of showers at around 5pm, although this had been withdrawn by midday. I left work early and set off at 1500 to do a Twycrosser (I thought Orton Lane might be a bt too waterlogged for a Bypasser).

About a quarter hour later, rain. Cold, persistent and somewhat unpleasant. About 45 minutes later though as I approached Twycross, the rain died away to be replaced by blue skies, yellowy fluffy clouds and sunshine, and the roads were dry. Looks like if I’d set off an hour earlier I’d have missed the rain. It was actually really nice out there by this time in the last of the afternoon light. I mostly dried out except for my feet, which were in woolly hiking socks.

Back on to the wet roads as I approached Bosworth coming back up north. Pretty horrible in the dark. I enjoy cycling in the dark mostly but wet roads are annoying even with a bright front light.

Came back up through Newton Burgoland and Ibstock. Quite an enjoyable run out on the whole. Back on 37.35. 159 done this month, I hope to get that up to about 400.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10178439021

Wanted to do the time-honoured Upper Westbound Fondo today. Sunny, no rain, fairly mild and not too windy – but there’s a lot of standing water around at the moment.

I took this image of Ferry Lane, off the Beloved A Road as I passed it – fortunately I had no intention of going that way, but thought it was worth a pic.

So I wasn’t surprised when, about nine miles later, my path was blocked by a flood near Scropton. A couple out cycling were coming the other way so I let them try it first so I could gauge the depth. At the deepest point their chainrings were part-submerged.

So I gave it a miss and turned back. I headed down through Tutbury instead. I didn’t have that far to go to make up the necessary mileage for a fondo before heading homeward, so I went exploring. I followed a sign out of Tutbury for a place called Rolleston on Dove and that was really a very pleasant stretch of road. But ultimately, a couple of miles after Rolleston, it ended in a T junction with the A50. After turning back I followed a sign for a place called Stretton. That took me to Burton on Trent, ultimately. I turned back at a roundabout near the Burton Albion ground before going too far into the centre.

Back the same way to Tutbury, then the A road, then homeward. I realised at my 20-miles-from-home point that I was going to be short of a fondo. I didn’t fancy the hill south of Melbourne (aka Rotter’s Rise) anyway so I detoured home via Shardlow and Castle Donington.

I also took a detour into Donington via a place called Hemington. I’d noticed this opportunity while perusing maps a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately this involved a brutal climb up a narrow, twisty, but inexplicably beautifully-surfaced road that was far worse than Rotter’s Rise. This led to a sphincter-tightening steep descent to the main road in Donington which had me jamming the brakes on tight, and I hate to waste kinetic energy.

Saw two Airbuses taking off just as I was passing the airport. One going to Antalya, the other going to Lanzarote. I checked when I got home.

Listened to 5 Live and 6 Music. Very entertaining game between Forest and Villa.

Anyway, back the usual way from Donington and home on 69.37, about half an hour after sunset. That’s 122 this month despite the weather, pleased with that. And 5495 this year, which takes me past last year’s total (5477). More on Tuesday hopefully.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10166607425

I was very happy to see the forecast change to offer a respite from the rain today, although the roads were still wet. I started work early, downed tools early and, with a stiff wind coming from the west, was off on the old Lower Westbound trail by 1330.

I did about 25 miles, then came back. Fairly sunny for the first couple of hours, then dark. As usual when cycling after dark I had to put up with a few oncoming cars with full beam on, but carefully aiming a head torch into the driver’s eyes for a moment seems to do the trick.

Listened to 5 Live. Back on 52.26. I feel I should have done another 10 really to make it a fondo, but I’m glad to have an entry in the spreadsheet for November. More on Sunday I hope unless the forecast changes.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10154528466

A dry, reasonably mild, sunny day with a moderate wind coming from the south. I thought I’d go down Fosse Way. No firm intention to do a fondo though I thought it was likely. So I did that but, after 29 miles, when I came to the crossroads a few miles north of Brinklow, I turned right instead of going straight over. The right turn was signposted to Nuneaton. Certainly I could find my way home from there, and I guessed it was probably five or six miles away (actually it was about seven).

I hoped I’d find an opportune moment to turn off the road before going all the way into Nuneaton but I didn’t, so I ended up going right into the town. Unfortunate, because it was remarkably busy for a Sunday and at one point I took the wrong lane at a roundabout and ended up in an Asda car park.

Anyway I found my way to the railway station. I’ve driven home from there many a time so I was on familiar territory now. I wanted to go to Sheepy Magna on the way back though for a pit stop at San Giovanni, so I took a left onto Atterton Lane, then Myth Lane from the main road.

Unfortunately, Myth Lane was flooded and there was no way round it so I had to backtrack. I found my way to Sheepy eventually through Atherstone. I stopped at a Greggs there for a sandwich and a sticky bun. For some reason I missed my usual route out of the town (I’ve probably only cycled through there about ten times) and I ended up on the A5. Scary, but the turn off for Sheepy came up quickly, thankfully. A quick half Peroni at San G then I came back via Gibbet Lane.

Nice to go adventuring and do something a bit different. I quite enjoyed the stretch between Fosse Lane and Nuneaton. Perhaps I’ll plan a route that uses most of it but doesn’t go right into the town.

Back on 66.88, 595 in October so far. Might be able to squeeze in a few more October miles on Tuesday, looking at the forecast.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10126607919

Well that was an odd one. With a light wind coming from the south I thought I’d do a bit of the southbound route and come back. I took a bit of a detour after Ellistown. After 14 miles I couldn’t be bothered with the climb into Earl Shilton so I turned back to Kirkby Mallory and took the road from there to Sutton Cheney.

After that I took a road I’ve only done a few times, to Market Bosworth. From there I had the idea to go to Sheepy Magna but I couldn’t for the life of me work out how to do that in my head – so after a bit of faffing around I gave up and came back northward to home, albeit via a rather circuitous route up the main road then left to Barton in the Beans.

A remarkable sight confronted me coming down the last hill before the turn for Heather – the ground ahead and below me was swathed in a ghostly fog. I took a pic but didn’t quite manage to capture it. It was a while after sunset though, so actually it’s a testament to the low light capability of my phone that I got a decent image at all.

For some reason at about the same time, a helicopter was lurking a few hundred feet up about half a mile to the east. Police helicopter maybe?

Fortunately I was through the ground-hugging fog after a couple of minutes.

The roads were a bit wet after a lot of rain overnight and this morning. For days the BBC had been forecasting showers for this afternoon. They withdrew their threat this morning. However it turns out they were right all along. But I only had to put up with light rain for ten minutes. The sun was shining nicely at the same time.

Finished the Reacher novel.

That one was more about getting another 30-odd miles in than the experience, but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless.

Back on 38.21 which leaves me on 5306 this year. Just 694 to do to hit 6,000 for 2023.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10109452090

A couple of days ago there was nothing but rain in the forecast for the coming week, but in practice the weather always gives you a bit of unexpected respite. And so it proved this afternoon – nice and dry, very low winds and fairly mild. The sun even came out for a while.

No clear intention on where I was going to go or what I was going to do. I made it up as I went along. But I definitely wanted to go up Top Brand. I did that then went round to Diseworth, through Castle Donington and west to Shardlow.

I got as far as the very outskirts of Derby, then turned back. I took a road off toward Aston, intending to come back down over Swarkestone Bridge, but somehow ended up back in Shardlow. I was happy with that though because I didn’t really fancy Rotter’s Rise on the way back.

Somehow, without actually trying to, I came back exactly the same way after Shardlow. I was quite surprised when I saw the track on Strava. Hadn’t even realised I’d done that.

Wanted to do at least 40 really, but – it was an enjoyable ride. Back on 37.30, a minute after sunset.

I listened to the Reacher novel for the entire ride. Some really grim content. But gripping.

https://www.strava.com/activities/10097666989