- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
I got out this morning to brave the sunny but frosty weather on a variation of one of my regular loops (Longnor, Acton Burnell, Harnage, Cound, Berrington and back through Condover).
Getting the bike ready should have been easy since the ice tyres are already on it but a frozen padlock slowed things up slightly. I headed over Lyth Hill and despite the studs took it quite carefully on the steep and icy descent to Little Lyth. The road to Condover was better with the mud on the road having been freeze-dried, which I hoped would mean a fairly clean bike at the end.
The road to Ryton put paid to that idea as it was wet and was also into the sun so a bit of glare off the road had to be put up with. The lane to Longnor started off dry but where water had been standing or had run off the fields it was pretty icy. From Longnor to Acton Burnell gets salted so this was fine. I caught and overtook another cyclist at the foot of the climb to Frodesley which is good going with the winter tyres on. There was more ice through Cound Moor and Harnage
Dropping into Cound a passing walker warned me there was ice ahead (no, really?) and I couldn't tell what the flag in the village was this time as it had wrapped round and frozen to the flag pole.
All I know is that it was primarily red.
After Cound the roads were drier up to the A458 and the lane to Berrington, mixed on the way back to Condover and thawing in the sun as I retraced my steps over Lyth Hill. An extra little detour to Lower Pulley rounded the mileage up a bit.
Just three other cyclists seen today (for some reason
). Plenty of folk out walking though.
26.5 miles at 11.9 mph average. Not terribly quick thanks to the Marathon Winters but they do a good job of keeping the bike upright.
The view to the Wrekin from Lyth Hill with some remnants of the overnight fog lingering.
From the same spot, looking towards the Stretton Hills.
At the turning for Ryton.
Pausing at this spot between Acton Burnell and Cound Moor the road didn't seem particularly icy until I stepped on it.
A view to the Wrekin again from Harnage.
Berrington.
Getting the bike ready should have been easy since the ice tyres are already on it but a frozen padlock slowed things up slightly. I headed over Lyth Hill and despite the studs took it quite carefully on the steep and icy descent to Little Lyth. The road to Condover was better with the mud on the road having been freeze-dried, which I hoped would mean a fairly clean bike at the end.
The road to Ryton put paid to that idea as it was wet and was also into the sun so a bit of glare off the road had to be put up with. The lane to Longnor started off dry but where water had been standing or had run off the fields it was pretty icy. From Longnor to Acton Burnell gets salted so this was fine. I caught and overtook another cyclist at the foot of the climb to Frodesley which is good going with the winter tyres on. There was more ice through Cound Moor and Harnage
Dropping into Cound a passing walker warned me there was ice ahead (no, really?) and I couldn't tell what the flag in the village was this time as it had wrapped round and frozen to the flag pole.
All I know is that it was primarily red.After Cound the roads were drier up to the A458 and the lane to Berrington, mixed on the way back to Condover and thawing in the sun as I retraced my steps over Lyth Hill. An extra little detour to Lower Pulley rounded the mileage up a bit.
Just three other cyclists seen today (for some reason
). Plenty of folk out walking though.26.5 miles at 11.9 mph average. Not terribly quick thanks to the Marathon Winters but they do a good job of keeping the bike upright.
The view to the Wrekin from Lyth Hill with some remnants of the overnight fog lingering.
From the same spot, looking towards the Stretton Hills.
At the turning for Ryton.
Pausing at this spot between Acton Burnell and Cound Moor the road didn't seem particularly icy until I stepped on it.
A view to the Wrekin again from Harnage.
Berrington.
