I’m getting mighty bored of hanging out at the overly busy and not overly pleasant gym.  I know I’ve been ill, and I know that rest is (allegedly) good for you, but my mileage this month is pitiful, paltry, pithy, pathetic…  Not riding has started to become a habit, and that’s not a good thing.  “A ride, a ride, my fiefdom for a ride!“.  Ok, I’m paraphrasing…badly…but you get the general idea.  At least I didn’t lay claim to a kingdom right?

The forecast for today was promising (I should so know better).  If you’d like a more accurate quote, how’s this one for when I got up this morning and drew back the curtains?  “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”   It was in the East, and I thought I’d risk it and assume it was the sun and not Juliet…  I’d also like you know that I’ve just quoted two different Shakespeare plays in as many paragraphs – get me.  There’s even a reference to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in there if you know what to look for.

Back to the stage upon which we are merely players (make that three.  I’ll stop now.  Probably ;)).  So there was a hint of a sun.  Last night’s insomnia enhancing wind and rain appeared to have blown through.  Promising stuff indeed.  According to my ‘net research, it was about 5C with a reasonable WSW wind, so I dressed in the usual Rapha layers, and assorted winter kit, but I didn’t think I needed to go as far as the winter jacket.  I didn’t plan a route, I decided to make it up as I went along, to add a little novelty to the very familiar roads around here.  There are some odd little roads that I really like, like Banwell High Street, the back road through Christon, the flats around Burtle…so I joined them up.  Should you be interested, this is what it turned out to be.  It was intended to be a fairly flat fairly easy ride, with no particular goals or aims.  I was the cat that rode by herself, and all places were alike to me :).

It started off really well.  My legs were strong, the weather was bearable, there was indeed occasional sunshine, and it was great to be back on the bike.  However…

Apparently into each life a little rain must fall.  As I cycled through the aroma of Thatcher’s apples, towards the aroma of something else beyond, the heavens made their opening bid…  A little rain would be fine.  Honest.  And this time around it was indeed merely a smattering.  But though it was the first time, it certainly wasn’t the last.  I was going to count the showers, but somewhere around the third or fourth time a little rain fell on me I lost track!  And it wasn’t warm rain either, and frequently there was more than a little of it.  The showers may have been scattered, if you’re talking location, but I’m thinking I got more than my fair share.  I cry foul!  Around Puxton I realised that the fronts of my legs and body were cold, and that although I could still feel my extremities, this was unlikely to remain the case if I carried on the way I was going.  I stopped and put on the emergency gilet that was thankfully in my saddle bag.  This helped a bit as the wind increased and the temperature dropped.  Interestingly it didn’t feel too bad when standing still, but once that air was rushing past you…*brrr*.  Even with the gilet helping, my feet slowly and inexorably parted company with the rest of my body as the ride continued.  Today I should have worn the winter jacket :(.

view from Banwell High Street

So it all got harder.  Colder, wetter, less enjoyable…even when the sun did come out intermittently.  Too late if you’re already wet and cold.  Though better for morale, t’is true.  I went over Brent Knoll because it was there, and besides once it had occurred to me that I could go up it, then not going over it would have been avoiding it and wimping out and we can’t have that can we?  So the ride wasn’t entirely flat – but 650m of climbing doesn’t really qualify as hilly though does it?

view of Crook Peak

Somewhere on the long straights near Burtle an artic lorry decided to ignore my existence, it being clearly very inconvenient, and hurtled past me at a speed that was unnecessary and a proximity that was alarming.  I swore, but I’m fairly sure he didn’t hear me, and that he wouldn’t have cared if he had.  On the upside as a runner and I crossed damp paths near Ashton, she and I both made an effort to smile at each other.  A smile doesn’t cost anything, it makes the recipient feel better, and it actually makes you feel better too :).  It perked me up…just in time for the rain to turn into hail.  Hail FFS!  I think that’s a first.  And it hurt!  I was starting to wonder what cycling on marbles was going to feel like but luckily it didn’t last long enough for me to find out, as it went back to being freezing cold rain instead.  Nice ;).

I made the most of the descent down Weare Hill nonetheless, my morale aided and abetted by the fact that I was nearly home, and I very nearly didn’t brake at all – just a tiny bit at the bottom for the bend by the school.  The wind, having been a hindrance for most of the ride, was finally of some use coming back up the A38, but I still diverted to go through Cross rather than deal with the traffic there.  Better safe than sorry, right?

Cycling time: 2:14:34 hrs
Distance: 34.73 miles.
AVS: 15.4 mph.
ODO: 11783 miles

I’m glad I rode – and let’s face it, how badass am I?  It went ok, but due to my illness enforced soup diet of late, there wasn’t as much in the tank as sometimes and my average speed is disappointing.  My new lemon tea Nuun tasted good though, and their bottles are good too – nice and squeezy with a decent valve – which was a bonus.  It’s hard to remember to drink enough in conditions like these…and I’m thinking hot black coffee might have been a good idea!  Unsurprisingly the skies have now been blue and clear for most of the afternoon, but I shall try and rise above that…

Did you know that some people spot pylons?  I thought of them as I took a quick mobile phone induced breather…  I probably think they’re a little odd.  But then a lot of people think cyclists are a little odd.  A chacun son goût…

it's a pylon.

For anyone who shares my love for Rapha and can get there, Rapha are having a sample sale this weekend.  If like me, you can’t afford to pay full price for their very lovely kit, you know what to do :).  I have a woman on the inside so have my *fingers crossed* that I may be augmenting my wardrobe a little through her.  Not excited at all.  Much.  😉  *grin*.