Well that was a bit interesting!
The weather was much better than forecast, with lovely sunshine and a light breeze from the West, so nipped out for a shortish ride this morning.
Heavy overnight rain meant that I knew the lanes would be full of water and so I remembered to don the waterproof overshoes for a change.
Took the cycle lanes up to Harlescott and then out to Uffington, passing the pub that I enjoyed a couple of pints at with @Rickshaw Phil last night, before the climb up to Upton Magna and East Haughmond, where the LBS group from Stan Jones' cruised past me on the climb, with friendly hello's though
I then had the nice downhill mile to Somerwood and Rodington Heath, before taking the very flooded minor road back up to the bottom end of Upton Magna. Managed to free wheel through the floods and avoid wet feet this time
Just after leaving Upton Magna I was caught and passed by a chap who, on the bridge over the A5, was looking at the view instead of the road and weaved into the middle of the road just as an Audi tried to pass him. Very close to being collected on the bonnet of the Audi
From Berwick Wharf I took the rat run to Atcham and then crossed the bridge over the flooded River Severn, before climbing up and over the lumpy section to the A458 and then began the climb up the other side.
About half way up the climb I shifted down into 1st gear and there was a clang and then the realisation I was now back in 9th gear in mid range?
Tried shifting the gears and it all felt wrong and nothing was shifting, so I stopped and looked down to find the gear cable had snapped at the junction with the shifter 
I was about 3 miles from home and walked up the remainder of the hill, before trying to call @Rickshaw Phil 's brother to come and rescue me with his bike rack. Phil was out on a ride himself. Tried a few times and there was no answer and so I had 2 choices, walk the 3 miles or limp along in the single gear I was stuck in. Took the latter decision and it was ok other than a couple of climbs that almost necessitated walking and having to start off in the queue of traffic at the roadworks in 9th mid range!
To finish things it rained for the last few hundred metres of the ride and whilst I was putting the bike in the shed
21.1 miles at over 12 mph avg until the last 3 miles of limping along!
The offending cable
The weather was much better than forecast, with lovely sunshine and a light breeze from the West, so nipped out for a shortish ride this morning.
Heavy overnight rain meant that I knew the lanes would be full of water and so I remembered to don the waterproof overshoes for a change.
Took the cycle lanes up to Harlescott and then out to Uffington, passing the pub that I enjoyed a couple of pints at with @Rickshaw Phil last night, before the climb up to Upton Magna and East Haughmond, where the LBS group from Stan Jones' cruised past me on the climb, with friendly hello's though
I then had the nice downhill mile to Somerwood and Rodington Heath, before taking the very flooded minor road back up to the bottom end of Upton Magna. Managed to free wheel through the floods and avoid wet feet this time
Just after leaving Upton Magna I was caught and passed by a chap who, on the bridge over the A5, was looking at the view instead of the road and weaved into the middle of the road just as an Audi tried to pass him. Very close to being collected on the bonnet of the Audi
From Berwick Wharf I took the rat run to Atcham and then crossed the bridge over the flooded River Severn, before climbing up and over the lumpy section to the A458 and then began the climb up the other side.
About half way up the climb I shifted down into 1st gear and there was a clang and then the realisation I was now back in 9th gear in mid range?
Tried shifting the gears and it all felt wrong and nothing was shifting, so I stopped and looked down to find the gear cable had snapped at the junction with the shifter I was about 3 miles from home and walked up the remainder of the hill, before trying to call @Rickshaw Phil 's brother to come and rescue me with his bike rack. Phil was out on a ride himself. Tried a few times and there was no answer and so I had 2 choices, walk the 3 miles or limp along in the single gear I was stuck in. Took the latter decision and it was ok other than a couple of climbs that almost necessitated walking and having to start off in the queue of traffic at the roadworks in 9th mid range!
To finish things it rained for the last few hundred metres of the ride and whilst I was putting the bike in the shed
21.1 miles at over 12 mph avg until the last 3 miles of limping along!
The offending cable
). With the pleasantries out of the way I carried on up the Bolderwood climb to the open moors, where my intended tailwind turned out to be a horrid crosswind for the next 3 or miles until the tree lined roads at Nomansland.
. I stopped to look and there was a second one circling a short distance away. My attempt to get a photo didn't really work as the phone decided to play up 
so by the time I did get a pic you couldn't tell what bird it was.
