The Hybrid is still off the road, caliper and pads have been replaced but the disc is below the minimum and so I’ve left it with @Rickshaw Phil to get that replaced as well. That meant a long winter ride on the Carbon, which hasn’t happened before, and the remarkably dry and mild weather meant the roads were in a better condition than they’ve been in some summers!
It was grey and very blustery out, which meant quite a chilly start to the ride, but mostly a tailwind for the first half. I headed up to Heathgates and then through Sundorne, where a chap almost walked straight into my path from a side road, completely unaware of what was around him and jumped to a startled stop when he eventually saw me! I then followed the old canal path to Uffington, complete with a big Shire Horse also being ridden down the path. Definitely not an animal to mess with!
Out onto the roads to Upton Magna, Withington, Rodington Heath and then a short section on the busy main road to High Ercall, before I turned up Silver Hill and onto lanes i’d only ridden once, but not in this direction. It was very pleasant riding along here, mostly flat lanes and the wind behind me, which made for quick progress to Osbaston, where I was surprised to see hundreds of shiny Vauxhall cars parked in the old RAF base and eventually saw that it’s the national PDI centre for Greenhous’ Vauxhall, which I never knew was there, Rowton, Ellerdine Heath and High Hatton, where I paused for some lunch, just as it started to rain!
The clouds were very black, but luckily the rain didn’t amount to much and by the time I’d reached Stanton upon Hine Heath, the sun was out. I had, however turned into the wind now and boy what a slog it was for the final 19 miles into the hoolie. Indeed my avg speed dropped from 14 to 12.7 by the time I got home.
At least it had warmed up nicely, with the sun, as I headed through Moreton Corbett, Shawbury and Bings Heath, before the hard climb up East Haughmond. I paused, back at Upton Magna, to have a drink and clobber my shin on the pedal
before retracing my steps to Uffington and Sundorne. Unfortunately there had been an accident at the ridiculously stupid mini roundabout, on Sundorne Rd, which necessitated an Ambulance to be in attendance.
The remainder of the ride was along cycle paths to Meole Brace and back home.
41.2 Miles with 1575 ft of climbing and a bruise on my shin!
It was grey and very blustery out, which meant quite a chilly start to the ride, but mostly a tailwind for the first half. I headed up to Heathgates and then through Sundorne, where a chap almost walked straight into my path from a side road, completely unaware of what was around him and jumped to a startled stop when he eventually saw me! I then followed the old canal path to Uffington, complete with a big Shire Horse also being ridden down the path. Definitely not an animal to mess with!
Out onto the roads to Upton Magna, Withington, Rodington Heath and then a short section on the busy main road to High Ercall, before I turned up Silver Hill and onto lanes i’d only ridden once, but not in this direction. It was very pleasant riding along here, mostly flat lanes and the wind behind me, which made for quick progress to Osbaston, where I was surprised to see hundreds of shiny Vauxhall cars parked in the old RAF base and eventually saw that it’s the national PDI centre for Greenhous’ Vauxhall, which I never knew was there, Rowton, Ellerdine Heath and High Hatton, where I paused for some lunch, just as it started to rain!
The clouds were very black, but luckily the rain didn’t amount to much and by the time I’d reached Stanton upon Hine Heath, the sun was out. I had, however turned into the wind now and boy what a slog it was for the final 19 miles into the hoolie. Indeed my avg speed dropped from 14 to 12.7 by the time I got home.
At least it had warmed up nicely, with the sun, as I headed through Moreton Corbett, Shawbury and Bings Heath, before the hard climb up East Haughmond. I paused, back at Upton Magna, to have a drink and clobber my shin on the pedal
before retracing my steps to Uffington and Sundorne. Unfortunately there had been an accident at the ridiculously stupid mini roundabout, on Sundorne Rd, which necessitated an Ambulance to be in attendance.The remainder of the ride was along cycle paths to Meole Brace and back home.
41.2 Miles with 1575 ft of climbing and a bruise on my shin!
The sun came out briefly and it was nice to ride down some different roads. 42 smiles but my hands and wrists are really sore now.
