Yesterday's ride: Start of a new year and time to get a qualifier in to kick off my Imperial Century challenge attempt for 2019.
I've already missed one pretty much ideal day for the ride so grabbed the chance when it came to get out and rack up some miles. I'm afraid the route was rather unimaginative (clockwise round the north of the region) but it fitted in with the wind direction and isn't too hilly.
It was forecast to be bright but cold so I put on extra layers (3 layers on legs 5 layers on top) which I hoped would keep me comfortable through the day and hopefully help avoid a repeat of the cramp that occurred on the last challenge ride. I got out on the road at 7am and headed out of the village to the sounds of vehicles idling to warm up on driveways and ice being scraped off windscreens. It was busier than I'd expected on the way to Condover but not too bad after crossing the A49 for Exford's Green. It was bin day in Plealey and I got held up briefly by the two bin lorries working there. At Pontesbury and Minsterley most of the traffic was headed the opposite way to me.
On the way to Westbury it was getting into the rush hour so there was a bit of traffic here but all behaved pretty well. Something unexpected was having a rat drop out of a tree onto the road directly in front of me and then scarper pretty quickly off the the right and into a field.
Westbury, through Melverley to Maesbrook was all pretty uneventful. Just before Maesbrook I took the lane marked Llwyn Y Groes and headed for Morton and Ball via the lanes for a change of scene (it also cuts out a little bit of main road riding). In Oswestry I'd missed the peak travelling time so the approach wasn't too bad and the town centre was very quiet. Beside the hill fort there was a chap locking up his car while his dog was on completely the opposite side of the road on an extending lead.
A ding of the bell got me a thankyou for warning him.
After Gobowen I was onto lanes again. The NCN route signs have been vandalised to point the wrong way
again at Iron Mills. I varied the route slightly to pass Dudleston Hall for another change of scene. My elevenses stop was taken by The Mere in Ellesmere which I had almost to myself apart from a couple of walkers and a cyclist who said he hated me when he found out I was riding about four times as far as he was planning to go today.
I mentioned CycleChat while we were talking so
if you see this.
The roads had been pretty clean so far and an exception was passing Stocks Farm on the way to Welshampton. A little bit of mud picked up on the bike here but overall it's the cleanest it's been at the finish of a ride for ages which I'm quite happy with.
After Northwood I was onto the fairly flat section through Whixall to Prees. I'd not been pushing hard but the legs were starting to complain a bit by now which was a slight worry as I'd only just got over halfway. I got held up by a train at Prees station then found a large number of vehicles parked up the bank to the church and along the lane out of the village which forced me onto the rough side of the road.
Through Ightfield and Calverhall was uneventful. I had my lunch stop at Longslow and here started to really feel the cold despite all the layers. It took a little while to warm up again when I got moving. I took a different way into Market Drayton than usual and got hooted at for daring to be on the road during the 100 yards I used of the A53. Since I don't usually come in from this direction I took a turn too early and rode close to the Palethorpes factory which smelled enticingly of pork pies cooking. With that little detour sorted I headed out onto road I haven't cycled before to Old Springs, Chipnall and Cheswardine. This turned out to be more hilly than I'd expected (not what I really wanted with tired legs) but the scenery was pleasant.
After Cheswardine the hill climbing became worth it as there are some long gentle descents on my way to Child's Ercall (very nearly took the wrong road here) and Eaton Upon Tern where I rejoined the roads that I know well. En route I spotted a buzzard sat in the field to my right. This was the third of the trip I'd seen close to the road and I decided to try and get a photo but got spotted pointing the camera and it took off to the safety of a telegraph pole a bit further along the road.
Moving on again I was flagging a bit - a bite to eat helped but I was getting quite slow. The main road section after High Ercall is downhill which helped but the one driver of a van who overtook in a silly place and almost took out the car coming the other way really made me glad to get back onto some quiter lanes again.
Having passed through Withington and Upton Magna, the sun was starting to set. I got a nice photo from Atcham bridge then had some great colours to look at as I rode through Cross Houses on my way to Condover. I knew the roads would be getting busy with the evening rush so opted to drag myself over Lyth Hill which was a good move as the A49 was very busy this evening.
I was really glad to get out of the cold and into a warm shower at the end. It apparently stayed above freezing through the day but that northerly wind felt absolutely bitter.
104 miles at 12.3 mph moving average. 10 hours 10 minutes including all the stops.
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Pre dawn somewhere near Hunger Hill.
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The Breiddens have a glow about them as the sun comes up.
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Oswestry. I don't recall seeing the artwork above the gallery last time I was here.
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Jumping on a bit - between Market Drayton and Chipnall there are some big plantations of elephant grass which make quite a spectacle. I'm led to understand that the farmer who owns this lot planted it as a biofuel for a power station some time back. After 3 years he lost the contract to supply them and now can't get rid of the stuff as it just keeps growing back.
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Cheswardine.
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Crossing the Shropshire Union Canal.
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The camera-shy buzzard.
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Child's Ercall. Good job I stopped to take this pic as I thought I'd have a quick look at the map while stopped and found I was on the wrong road, which would have taken me about 5 miles out of my way.
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Sunset from Atcham Bridge.
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The afterglow across the Stretton Hills as seen from near Betton Abbots.
130 miler out of the window then.
Big thumbs up to the driver.
) and realised if I could up the speed to about 15mph average I could just about make the 14:19 train. Only problem was I was turning into the headwind and climbing a bit.
bloody knackered, ticket office was shut, so straight onto the platform. and the train was late (but only five minutes) scoffed two kit kat chunkies whilst waiting and that was pretty much that
(weird catering working patterns here), so today I went on the Freewheel North longer Friday ride.
because the leaders upped the pace a good bit on the return.
