Bike Diary

I booked a day’s annual leave for today to take advantage of a dry day. I didn’t have a clear plan, but I did have a rough idea to do a route I’d worked out last night that would take me along the upper westbound route, but go further west than usual through a village called Marchington, to Uttoxeter – then south-west to Stone, to join my usual route to Wales. I’d turn back after about 50 miles along the Lower Westbound Route and end up having done about 100, or a bit more.

Well – I did that, except that I took a bit of a weird detour in the first six miles by going up through Griffydam on autopilot.

But after Uttoxeter, I decided I wasn’t really enjoying the road that I was on. Too busy and a bit climby. So I had a change of plan and plotted a route down to Abbots Bromley, to connect up with the Lower Westbound Route earlier than planned.

I had lunch consisting of stuff I’d bought at a petrol station, at a bench in Abbots. Then, instead of turning homeward the usual way I took a road south down to Hill Ridware. Then west to Rugeley, then I took a road back north to Abbots Bromley, to loop back. I hadn’t been along that particular road before – it took me over Blithfield Reservoir (pictured).

This time I came home a traditional way, through Yoxall, Barton-under-Needwood, Walton, Coton, Lullington. One of my occasional Lower Westbound routes, though not the usual one. And just to add a mile or two I came through Packington and along Alton Hill on the way back.

It was mostly a cloudy, but dry day with low winds. I only started to feel too warm when the sun came out for the last 20 minutes or so. Beautiful warm sunshine for the last four miles! So in that respect it might have been nice to stay out longer. I didn’t do the 100 miles I intended, only 89.12. But really I didn’t feel I had anywhere else to go by that time. Nonetheless, I feel I made decent use of a day off. I’m especially pleased to have visited some new cycling territory – especially through Marchington, which was quite pleasant. I’ll do that again.

Ideally, I’d like to do Wales and back soon. But today wasn’t the day for that. Too cool early in the morning.

Listened to more of Pete Townshend’s autobiography – up to 1995 now. And the Who album Quadrophenia, and a bit of 5 Live.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11638157498

Rain this morning, but nice and dry by the early afternoon. Decently warm, but annoyingly windy. I hoped to do about 45.

I intended to take the Planet X but weirdly, I couldn’t get the stirrup pump nozzle to fit the valve on the front tyre when I went to pump it up. I mean – it seemed to fit over and clamp down correctly, but I couldn’t pump air into it. Maybe there’s some sort of obstruction in the end of the valve, although I don’t really see how there could be since I keep a cap over the end. Oh well, I’ll have a closer look tomorrow, maybe.

So I took Boardman II instead.

I didn’t have a definite plan. I set off as if to do a Twycrosser but after seven miles, took a right along Atherstone Road to Measham. I’d formed a vague intention to head along the Lower Westbound route by this time. However, having approached Measham in an unfamiliar manner, I missed my usual turn. So I kept on, to No Man’s Heath. From there I continued to Clifton Campville then followed a sign to Lullington, which is on the Lower Westbound route. Shame really because looking at the map now, if I’d kept going I would have gone through Haunton and Harlaston which I used to do occasionally years ago. Perhaps I’ll revisit them soon.

I’d forgotten to bring a water bottle with me so I stopped at a services next to the M42 to buy a little bottle of raspberry juice drink and a sandwich. And an almond croissant.

I continued on as far as Alrewas (pronounced “or ‘e was”). By this time the oncoming wind was really annoying me – as much because it was interfering with my audiobook listening as because it was making propelling the bike harder work. I decided I’d had enough and turned back.

But I went right into Alrewas on the way back. Nice little village. I’d passed it many times, but had never been into the village proper. I stopped and ate at a bench, while listening to my DAB personal. As I did so, I felt a sudden sharp tap on the back of my head. Nearly jumped five feet in the air! I turned to see a young man, aged about twelve. Initially, I assumed I was confronting a fledgling hooligan, taking an opportunity to harrass an older gentleman for a laugh. Then I realised he was holding one of my cycling mitts in an outstretched hand. It had fallen from the bench, presumably. At that moment I noticed that he was accompanied by a yummy mummy. So I thanked him.

To be honest I would have found it without any trouble before I set off again but hey.

Just to add another wrinkle to what had been an unusual ride, I turned right at Acresford on the way home to come back through Appleby Magna, Snarestone and Swepstone.

Quite a nice ride out, lovely warm sunshine later on. But that headwind over the first half was really annoying.

Listened to more of the Pete Townshend audiobook, or tried to – I missed every third word or so due to wind noise. I’ll have to redo a few chapters I think. Also listened to phone-ins about the election, which I’m finding highly aggravating at the moment.

Back on 44.96 miles and that’s 152 this month, just about satisfactory for eight days in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11604890651

An indifferent morning gave way to a rather nice afternoon, apart from a stiff wind from the west. I left work early – how many more times will I be able to say that? And set off on a Bypasser.

The wind was a bit of a brute as a headwind, but a bit of a joy in tailwind mode. I freewheeled quite a long way along Warton Lane, letting it push me along where usually I’d have to pedal.

I came through Upton and Shenton on the way back up. Lovely along there, so quiet and scenic. Should do it more often.

Listened to 5 Live, which feels a bit like a continuous Labour Party political broadcast at the moment. Then more of Pete Townshend’s autobiography which has been a brilliant listen.

Because I have a magnet-based bike computer on the first Boardman I used a GPS logger app on a phone to track the ride. I was surprised to take it out of my pocket and find that it had logged 40 miles, when the bike computer (which I’ve calibrated fairly accurately) claimed 38.5. And when I uploaded it to Strava, I got 43.67! On closer analysis it turned out that the GPS logger app had gone a bit wappy, tracking a strangely zig-zag, wayward line. So I plotted the same route on a route planner. I got 38.8, and that’s what I’ve put on the official (spreadsheet) record. Perhaps I’ll do the same route again soon with a Garmin watch and see what I get.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11582116642

I want to take another three or four days off before I leave my present employer and with a dry day forecast, I decided at the weekend to take one of them today. A moderate wind was coming from the north-west and I thought I’d do the Upper Westbound route, not having done it for a while. This goes up to Melbourne, over Swarkestone Bridge, west along the Beloved A Road, then, after Sudbury, north toward Ashbourne.

I woke up at about 0500 and briefly pondered getting up there and then to do Wales and back. But the conditions weren’t quite right for that today and anyway – quite honestly, I didn’t feel like it. I went back to sleep and got up at about 0900.

So – I  went with Plan A and set off at about 1020. Conditions were cloudy and overcast, and a bit windy. But very comfortable. Not too warm, and on a longer ride bright sunshine can be fatiguing.

I intended a fondo but went a bit further than the half-fondo distance. I pressed on toward Ashbourne until I arrived at the top of a steep descent. I didn’t fancy coming back up it so I turned back and came home exactly the same way.

Stopped to refuel at the petrol station near Hatton. I was pleased to see that they’ve now filled in the pothole where the forecourt joins the pavement. Wish they’d done that before I came a cropper at the beginning of December, an event that cost me a rear mech and, for a week or so, the use of my left hand ring finger. The finger is still a little bit stiff and crooked but it doesn’t seem to have compromised my ability to play guitar. So I’m not overly bothered.

Took the pic at the bridge over the A38, south-west of Derby. The crash barrier made a surprisingly comfortable bench. I stopped there to eat a packet of crisps and a sandwich. I saved a Fry’s Chocolate Cream for the outskirts of Melbourne, to give me a boost up Rotter’s Rise.

I had an annoyingly long wait for a gap in the river of traffic on Ashby Road before I was able to cross it to come back into the village, two miles from home. I was standing there for seven minutes.

This was my third or fourth run out on the Roubaix since I applied some grip paste to the seat post and I’m pleased to say it hasn’t slipped at all since then.

Listened to more of Pete Townshend’s autiobiography, LBC and 5 Live.

Back on 68.45.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11564049194

The wind was coming pretty much square on from the north, so I thought I’d try a route that I devised a few weeks ago. This would take me up to Castle Donington the usual way, then up to Borrowash – then up to Ockbrook, which is a small village a few miles out of Derby that I frequented occasionally in the early ’90s. I hadn’t been there for about 20 years. I set off at 1510.

Noticed a few planes taking off from the airport in the distance as I approached Donington. Thought I might be fortunate enough to see one taking off as I passed. I did see a DHL A300 taxiing so I stopped at the roundabout for a few minutes to watch it take off, but it didn’t.

I passed a number of ROAD CLOSED signs on the way through Donington, hoping I’d be able to squeeze past whatever obstruction had closed the road to traffic. But the road wasn’t actually closed, in fact there was a temporary traffic light system in place to allow vehicles to pass the roadworks that had (presumably) prompted the signs, in both directions. I suppose it’s a useful deterrent to keep the traffic down.

Over Cavendish Bridge, through Shardlow, up past Elvaston Castle. Then I crossed Nottingham Road and negotiated a steep climb into Ockbrook. Very nostalgic, as I approach the end of my career, to pass two pubs which I used to visit on Friday lunchtimes with work colleagues from my first job. I stopped at a bench at the top of the hill to refuel with crisps and a pork pie that I’d bought. I continued on through Ockbrook then took a right onto Spondon Road. Another old haunt from the ’90s lies along there; a pub called the Bartlewood Lodge. I did come this way a few years ago. I passed it, kept going for another couple of minutes then turned back. Just as I did so, the sun came out! It had been a cool, gloomy day until then but I had bright, warm sunshine for the rest of the ride.

I decided not to come back through Ockbrook. Instead I thought I’d visit Spondon. A girlfriend of mine lived there, as I believe she still does, and I used to cycle to her place from my own house in Oakwood, on the outskirts of Derby. So I pedalled into Spondon and repeated my old ride home, past Locko Park. Lovely in the early evening sunshine. I didn’t actually visit my old house. I pedalled southward along Morley Road to Nottingham Road. Normally from there I’d head toward Borrowash but on this time, since I was indulging my nostalgia, I decided to risk Raynesway, so I could ride past my old place of work between 1989 and 1994. I was pleased to see that the building where I worked on the Rolls-Royce site is still there. I think it’s due to be demolished soon.

Raynesway is a lot scarier for the hapless cyclist than it used to be. It’s a very busy, multi-lane road. I did resort to the cycle lane eventually, somewhat reluctantly. Since I worked along there a bypass has been built which connects to it and unfortunately, I found my way onto that rather than into Alvaston, where I intended to join Shardlow Road.

Ah well. I propelled myself along the cycle lane alongside the bypass for two miles then joined Shardlow Road a bit further to the south than I intended. I came home through Aston, Weston, over Swarkestone Bridge then Melbourne and Coleorton as I have many times before.

Near Weston, a young man driving a fast hatchback of some sort pulled alongside briefly as he overtook, pointing his finger in an agitated manner. I only caught a couple of the words he shouted through the passenger window, these being “left side”. I think he was intimating that I was, in his view, not riding close enough to the gutter. But I was considerably closer to it than the broken white line in the middle of the road. Still – he wasn’t aggressive or threatening, just irritating.

Not far from Coleorton I stopped to make a phone call and as I checked the road behind me before remounting the bike, I saw two very young deer strolling across.

I was passed by a few riders with yellow squares pinned to their backs bearing a numeral and the text “JUST BIKES ASHBY”. I wasn’t familiar with Just Bikes but Ashby is only four miles from Chez Moi so I did a google search on my return and found their website. Oddly it just features the text “SHOP NOW CLOSED” and “Thank you for your custom”.

I listened to 5 Live and more of Pete Townshend’s autobiography, one of the most fascinating audiobooks I’ve ever downloaded.

Back on 48.88 miles which took my May total to 649, and my 2024 total, slighly irritatingly, to 2499. Would have been nice to hit the halfway point to 5000 miles before June. Not quite.

Really a nice sentimental ride out past old haunts. And the evening sunshine was glorious.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11542728393

The forecast was for rain (again) in the afternoon, but I hoped to get 41 miles or a little bit less in to bring the May mileage total to 600. I set off at 1005 to do a moderately long bypasser.

Cool and windy as I pedalled away from the garage door. Sunny, but a few ominously dark grey clouds lurked the skies.

I did the whole length of Fenn Lanes right along to Sutton Cheney. Hadn’t done that for a while. Very nice with a tailwind. Stopped at Sutton to backpack my tights and relax on one of the sofa-sized wooden benches there. The temperature climbed a bit after 1130.

Listened to 5 Live until they decided they’d cover Keir Starmer’s speech in its entirety, which – since he’s a self-serving liar and a conman, wasn’t quite to my taste. Then I listened to another couple of chapters of Pete Townshend’s autobiography. Fascinating man.

I did get rained on, but only lightly and only for about 20 seconds. There was a downpour about 40 minutes after I got back.

The Bypasser route generally takes me over a road that passes Twycross Zoo, at a crossroads. Today the road I was crossing was choked with traffic. Bank holiday zoo enthusiasts, possibly.

40.88 miles, so I judged the route nicely to bring the May total to 600.19 miles. 2450 done this year now so 5000 seems like an eminently achievable target for 2024.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11508927646

Rain due over at about 1400, but I thought I could get 35 miles or so in before then. Set off at about 1015. With the wind coming from the east, the idea was to do 17 or 18 miles of the eastbound then come back.

I went east the “old” way through Rempstone. At the crossroads there I noticed, as I waited for a green light, a metallic grey Range Rover (or similar) in my mirror. He isn’t going to try to overtake me going up the hill is he? I wondered. There wouldn’t be a lot of space given the oncoming traffic.

He did overtake me. I was relieved as he passed though, he wasn’t too close. However a split second later I discovered that he was towing a caravan, and that missed me by about seven inches. I shouted WANKER at the top of my voice. Not sure if the driver heard me or not. Bloody annoying.

By the time I got to Wymeswold, I’d decided to join up with the newer route. But when I got there I thought I’d keep going east for a bit first. I wasn’t wholly sure I was on Narrow Lane, my intended way to the “new” route (although actually, I was). So since I’d done 18 miles by this time and I was half expecting to get rained on, I turned back. But I came back via Hoton and Cotes, to do the “new” route at least as far as Zouch. After crossing the A6 I extended the ride a bit by detouring through Long Whatton and Diseworth, then I came home down Top Brand.

I didn’t get rained on. Actually as I type it still hasn’t rained today, meaning that I could have done a fondo in very nice weather. It’s sunnier now than it was this morning. Irritating.

Listened to another few hours of Pete Townshend’s autobiography. Fascinating. Back on 40.46 miles.  559 this month now so I should get that to 600 before June.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11494131464

A couple of months ago I might have described today’s weather as “mild”, but in a late May context I think it’s fair to say it was cold. But at least it was dry. I wrapped up warm and set off to do a Twycross Bypasser at about 1500.

Came back along Heather Lane for the last couple of miles, which I haven’t done for a while. Even though it’s a country lane, it’s usually less likely to be flooded than the road from Ibstock, which is the A447.

Listened to election coverage on 5 Live. Then I listened to another hour or so of Pete Townshend’s autobiography. Very good.

Back on 35.36, and that’s 518 for May so far. First 500+ month of the year.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11480610499

I planned to do a long ride today, to take advantage of lovely weather. The wind was coming from the east. Too early in the year and a bit too cold in the extremities of the day for Sutton Bridge and back, but I hoped to do at least 100 miles, depending when I woke up this morning.

I woke up sufficiently early and was pedalling away from the garage door at 0705. The basic idea was to do some variation of the route to Norfolk, but turn back for home somewhere in Lincolnshire.

I made it to the village shop at Buckminster at about 10:30. Stopped and had a feast there. After Buckminster there are two options to go eastward, one route goes directly east from there and the other dips south first. Today I did the lower version. I haven’t done this one so often and I missed a turn after Castle Bytham. But that was fine, I was happy to go exploring. After a while I came to a sign for Stamford so I headed in that direction. Well surfaced roads, decently quiet (although it was a Sunday of course).

I went right into Stamford. As it happens one of my brothers lives there, and I did briefly consider paying him an impromptu visit. Then I thought to myself – what would my reaction be, if he did that to me one Sunday? It wouldn’t be positive. So I didn’t. I turned back at a convenient roundabout. As I made my way back I wasn’t 100% sure I was coming back the right way. I’d tried to memorise the turns. Fortunately I got them right.

There’s a handy little village shop / cafe at Castle Bytham, but annoyingly it had closed by the time I passed it on the way back. But I found a handy shop at South Witham and bought some more stuff, including a Mars Bar drink. Ideal fuel for the return leg of a long ride.

At Buckminster I turned east again to take an excursion along the “upper” route eastward as far as Colsterworth, just to add a few miles before turning for home.

Came back via Burton on the Wolds and Stanford on Soar. I’d gone through Rempstone and Wymeswold on the outbound leg. I also had a bit of an excursion through Sutton Bonington and Kingston on Soar.

It was a beautifully warm, sunny day. Cool in the morning but I wrapped up decently warm. I’d backpacked my tights and two upper layers and was down to minimal clothing by 1100. Caught the sun on my arms and topped up the tanlines on my legs.

Listened to 6 Music, the first few chapters of Pete Townshend’s superb autobiography, read by the man himself and then coverage of the final Premier League games of the season, on 5 Live.

Back on 127.17 miles. Probably should have done more given that I was back more than two hours before sunset, but I limited my options by going to Stamford I think. Lovely day out on a bike anyway and especially nice to do a bit of exploring in that bit of Lincolnshire. Lovely over there.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11450009463

A beautiful afternoon and I wanted to escape from work at about 1500, and do a fondo. Then someone thoughtfully invited me to a meeting at 1700.

So instead I thought I’d take an extended lunch at about 1300 and do maybe 35 miles or so. A light wind was coming from the east, roughly, so the plan was to do about 18 miles of the eastbound route, then come back.

After about four miles, I entered Loughborough Road as usual, only to find that it had been “resurfaced”, if I can dignify what they’ve done with the term, by having a huge quantity of dusty, sharp gravel piled onto it. I tolerated it for about 150 metres or so then decided to turn back. My tyres were liberally coated in grey dust.

I’ll have to avoid Loughborough Road for a while, but fortunately there are other options for that part of the route.

I went west along the Coalville bypass then past Sinope and north through Peggs Green and Griffydam, up Top Brand. Rather than pursue the eastbound route I did a sort of loop through Belton, Long Whatton, Diseworth – just following my nose – and came back down Top Brand. Then west along Alton Hill, to Ashby then Packington, then Normanton Road to Heather, which I don’t think I’ve done for at least two years. Back home via Ibstock, on 37.81 miles, in plenty of time for the meeting.

Really nice out there, warm and sunny. I trialled a pair of cycling shorts in a garish black and green colour scheme that were a Christmas present from Stepdaughter 2. You’d think I’d get a bit of credit for this from her mother but no, she just wanted to point out that they look ridiculous with a black and red cycling top. I suppose I need to buy a new top, I don’t really have one that goes with it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11432305648