Twenty Inch
Guru
- Location
- Behind a desk
Given the surfeit of mince pies, the promise of some cold, clear weather, and relatively traffic-free roads, I decided to cycle all the way to work this morning. I thought it would be nice way to get some miles in, on a day when it doesn’t matter too much if I’m a bit late.
Well, some of my assumptions were wrong – it was wet and blowy this morning. But I’d spent 1.5 hours fettling the fast bike and laying out my kit last night, so I wasn’t to be deterred, and set off with a happy heart and a song on my lips at 0610.
My route is Chatham-Cuxton-Luddesdown-Longfield-Darenth-Swanley-Chislehurst-Bromley-Elmers-End-Thornton-Heath-Norbury. The first part was scary – dark, dark, dark country lanes and choppy hills. I have good lights but was still inclined to lean on the brakes a little. At Darenth I lost 45 mins trying to get out of the warren of little and confusing doubling-back and going-over-again lanes. At Chislehurst the sleet started in earnest. By Bromley South I was cold, miserable, hungry, and still had 8 miles to go.
But arrive I did, with sore legs, cold feet, and a silly grin. I’m now tired and wondering what the trade-off between doing some work, putting wet kit on, and cycling back to Bromley South to pick up my train shall be. But I’m glad I did it.
The route in numbers:
Got up: 0515
Set off: 0610
Miles: 37
Attempts on my life: 3
Got lost: 1
Nearly fell off the bike: 1
Hours on the bike: 3.5
Big silly grin: 1
Happy New Year, everyone.
Well, some of my assumptions were wrong – it was wet and blowy this morning. But I’d spent 1.5 hours fettling the fast bike and laying out my kit last night, so I wasn’t to be deterred, and set off with a happy heart and a song on my lips at 0610.
My route is Chatham-Cuxton-Luddesdown-Longfield-Darenth-Swanley-Chislehurst-Bromley-Elmers-End-Thornton-Heath-Norbury. The first part was scary – dark, dark, dark country lanes and choppy hills. I have good lights but was still inclined to lean on the brakes a little. At Darenth I lost 45 mins trying to get out of the warren of little and confusing doubling-back and going-over-again lanes. At Chislehurst the sleet started in earnest. By Bromley South I was cold, miserable, hungry, and still had 8 miles to go.
But arrive I did, with sore legs, cold feet, and a silly grin. I’m now tired and wondering what the trade-off between doing some work, putting wet kit on, and cycling back to Bromley South to pick up my train shall be. But I’m glad I did it.
The route in numbers:
Got up: 0515
Set off: 0610
Miles: 37
Attempts on my life: 3
Got lost: 1
Nearly fell off the bike: 1
Hours on the bike: 3.5
Big silly grin: 1
Happy New Year, everyone.