Ok, that’s the third time in three rides that I’ve been put firmly back in my place.  In case you were wondering, you can all stop it now!  First off the ACG leaves me bringing up the rear, then Gary has me wheel sucking for all I’m worth, and today I went out with the newly wed Mr and Mrs Mim.  Or Mim and Steve to be more personal about it.  Keeping up with Mim is frequently bad enough, but keeping up with the pair of ’em?  Come on, give me a break!

Ok, so the lycra in view has been different each time, and today I tried to take consolation from the lovely views and the pretty good, if a little nippy, weather.  However I wasn’t in the best of moods to start with, and feeling like the tortoise slogging along after the hare(s) didn’t do a lot for my joie de vivre.  I’d maybe have stood half a chance of putting up a good show if we were on the flat, but t’was not to be.  Up past the Webbington.  Up that Bleadon Hill…

…and down Canada Combe which was wet, gritty, and nasty, and thus took all the fun out of my well-earnt descent.  Then up Burrington Combe, which I did no worse than usual, it just felt worse because I couldn’t keep up!  At least it meant I got to take yet another different photo from there, right?  Still, it’s not an Alp.  Or a Dolomite.  And there’s some of my favourite flat cycling to be had on the top once you get up there.  There’s also a stone circle, or two, which I’ve been meaning to check out since the first time I flew past them.  I’m none the wiser as to anything about them, but at least I have photographic proof this time!

We happened across a poor and unfortunate fellow cyclist with a new seat post clamp that was failing to clamp.  My shiny gold multi-tool got an outing, though I left it to the men to actually play with it, wouldn’t want to break a fingernail or anything ;).

Best was made of a bad job, we all got to feel very good Samaritanish, and he got to make plans to go back to his LBS and get the right size bit fitted!  Then we were back up on the bikes and heading across the fun straight top bit and then down Cheddar Gorge.  Again.  That’s 3 rides out of 4.  And my new bike is still making it easier 🙂  I can’t give you photos of the Gorge, for all the usual reasons, so here’s a couple from in the Caves on Monday instead.

Right.  Here’s what we did.  Which got me home again well in time for work again, and feeling considerably better, albeit only mentally.  Clearly I still have a long way to go physically…did I mention you can all stop pointing that out now?! ;).

Cycling time: 1:58:26 hrs
Distance: 31.68 miles
Avs: 16.0 mph.
ODO: 131.70 miles