What is it with the rides I organise and rain. The last one was aborted half way round due to the heavens opening.
The 3 Wise men Muskateers Amigos mad cyclists.
A friend (Tom) and myself left Hemel for Harpenden Station and it was still dry. I had checked various weather sites and apps on the iPad over breakfast with conflicting reports. Some said a little rain, some none at all and the BBC saying it was going to pi** down all day. Anyway, as we cycled up to the station a few drops of the wet stuff were starting to fall. Nobody was outside, but there was this strange pink glow coming from the coffee shop. Yep, Topcat1 was inside ordering a brew. Coffees were drunk as we waited for the next train to turn up just to see if anyone else was stupid enough to join us. No one did.
The rain wasn't that bad at first to be honest. We set off towards Redbourn and picked up the lanes out into the Hertfordshire countryside, Due to the rain I missed out the part which would of taken us to Markyate before Dunstable Downs and headed straight for the Downs instead. A quick P stop at the top and we were off down the other side and into Bedfordshire. Thats when the rain hit us. And I mean hit us. It pi**ed down, stinging as it hit you in the face, leggings absolutely soaked, couldn't see bugger all out of my glasses so they went on top of my head. It must of lasted for about 15 minutes or so and as we got to the other side of Slapton a decision was made to cut about 15 miles off the ride and head straight for the coffee stop. The rain went from biblical to bearable and we got to Tring where we stopped for coffee and cake.
Refueled and with the rain now a slight drizzle we set off towards Ivinghoe Beacon where the climb up warmed us up (nothing worse than putting your hands into cold soaking wet gloves) Tom was having problems warming his fingers up and was getting pains in his hands, and as he was about 5 miles from home at this point decided to leave us and went his own way home.
Dave and myself carried on the route back towards Harpenden, the rain hardly noticeable now, we had to get off and walk around a rather large puddle covering the road but apart from that it was a nice ride back to the station where I left Dave and made my own way home.
67 miles for me. It was a shame we didn't do the whole ride and that more people didn't show but there is next time. The Cervelo has had a super clean, I've had a bath, and a roast dinner (thanks Mrs J for sorting out both of those for me) and now I'm relaxing with a whisky or 3
Jay
