wmtlynx
Active Member
Having done bits of cycling in the past 12 months I went for my first big ride out today, and covered 45.5 miles during the course of the day. I'm in Kings Norton, Birmingham and this morning got a text of my mate in Bromsgrove saying he'd like to take me up on my suggestion of having a ride round the block. Before I realised what I was doing, I'd decided to cycle to his house without having any idea which route I'd take, but as I had all day I didn't really care if I got stuck on a hill or couldn't cycle home.
Went down the A441 to Hopwood, then the B4120 to Robert's Corner. Then took Aqueduct Road and found Barnt Green, where I went up Hewell Road and followed the lanes until I ended up just north of the M42 on the main road that goes over the Lickeys. After then going down into Bromsgrove and up to my friend's house, him on his MTB and me on my Wayfarer set off for a quick spin round the block. This turned into a ride up to Tardebigge and then down the canal as far as Hanbury, then into Droitwich and back up the A38. I then went home on a more direct route out towards Barnt Green, then back home down Bittell Road and the A441.
When I got home I remembered I'd promised my dad a ride out with him, so did another 5 miles down the Stratford Canal to the Horseshoe pub and back.
All in all a very successful cycle. Only dismounted for 100 yards near Hanbury on the canal due to a combination of nasty tree routes, narrow towpath and low overhanging trees. And a couple of times when my friend ran out of puff on his MTB and I had to wait for him to catch up. My body doesn't seem any worse for wear, only sore fingers due to me still being at the "holding on for dear life" stage. Only one parping off a boy racer to spoil things - He didn't like me claiming a pinch point for myself and obviously valued those 2 seconds I held him up more than he valued the diaphragm on his horn.
Went down the A441 to Hopwood, then the B4120 to Robert's Corner. Then took Aqueduct Road and found Barnt Green, where I went up Hewell Road and followed the lanes until I ended up just north of the M42 on the main road that goes over the Lickeys. After then going down into Bromsgrove and up to my friend's house, him on his MTB and me on my Wayfarer set off for a quick spin round the block. This turned into a ride up to Tardebigge and then down the canal as far as Hanbury, then into Droitwich and back up the A38. I then went home on a more direct route out towards Barnt Green, then back home down Bittell Road and the A441.
When I got home I remembered I'd promised my dad a ride out with him, so did another 5 miles down the Stratford Canal to the Horseshoe pub and back.
All in all a very successful cycle. Only dismounted for 100 yards near Hanbury on the canal due to a combination of nasty tree routes, narrow towpath and low overhanging trees. And a couple of times when my friend ran out of puff on his MTB and I had to wait for him to catch up. My body doesn't seem any worse for wear, only sore fingers due to me still being at the "holding on for dear life" stage. Only one parping off a boy racer to spoil things - He didn't like me claiming a pinch point for myself and obviously valued those 2 seconds I held him up more than he valued the diaphragm on his horn.
