I’d been off form all week post ear-infection so hadn’t been on the bike at all.  So, after a non-abstemious Saturday night having a Ball, if the weather had been anything less than lovely on Sunday morning, I’d have rolled over and gone back to sleep…  However the curtains went back to reveal bright spring sunshine, with apparently little wind, so I dragged myself out of bed.  Having warned the ACG that it would be a hilly ride, I wasn’t expecting a huge turnout, and I wasn’t wrong.  For a while it looked like it was just going to be DM and I, but we were joined at the last minute by MD, so then there were three.

Well – as it turns out, there were 4, but KG had failed to pay attention to my oh so informative emails and apparently turned up half an hour late and had to go do hills by himself…*grin*.  So 4 of the ACG were doing hills, 3 of them together.  DM, being a renowned mountain goat, had created the route, leaving MD and I to follow apprehensively in his wake.

We set off and headed for the first hill – out of Rodney Stoke.  No, not THAT hill, the other one.  Which is about 15 minutes of climbing.  At least we’d kinda warmed up by then.  In fact so much so we’d had to stop before the climb to remove various layers as the spring sun was proving warmed than expected.  I’d never been up that way before – let’s face it I don’t go out of my way looking for big hills – and it was quite a nice way up.

On the top, when we finally got there, we found some properly cold windy weather as it clouded over quite a while, and I hankered after the layers removed…  DM led us around the top of the Mendips and down to Blagdon, before doing some interesting routes around Butcombe that involved a lot of ups, and included a little stinker that I’d never been up before – which was a stand up and pray your legs are going to last to the top one.  Luckily they held out.  From there it was pretty much downhill to the cafe stop at Bishops Sutton.  I always forget how many hills there are in that Butcombe/Nempnet area.  DM clearly doesn’t…

We sat outside and enjoyed the welcome return of the sunshine, admired another cyclist’s rather nice matt black Specialized, and DM and MD consumed bacon butties in KG’s honour..  I’d have done cake, but I knew the mob were home secretly making carrot cake for Mothers’ Day, so restrained myself.  My cappuccino was very nice though 🙂

As we saddled up once more, DM decided a gel was a good idea.  Now if he thinks he needs a gel to get up the next hills, that’s worrying…*grin*.  We went up the Harptree hill, past a Bentley that probably cost more than my house is worth, slowly slogging our way back up the Mendips.  We were, as ever, passed by a couple of other cyclists but to be fair, they didn’t exactly hare away into the distance, so it was less irritating than usual 😉

Up to the top again, and slap bang into the nasty cold wind.  I got ahead a bit heading for the Gorge, as I knew the guys would overtake me going downhill as they have way more nerve than me!.  And I wasn’t wrong…  It was absolutely freezing going down there and still damp on the roads.  There’s definitely a micro-climate thing going on there.  I then got stuck behind various eejots in cars, and also got a stone or something in my front brake pads/rim, which didn’t help get me down any faster.  Remind me to avoid the Gorge – silly season has begun and the grockles are back.  Once at the bottom I headed for home, going as fast as I could all the way.  The guys had waited in the Square for me – very chivalrously – and we all agreed it had been a darned good ride 🙂

Cycling time: 3:03:40
Distance: 37.95 miles
Avs: 12.3 mph
ODO: 3529 miles

Oddly I kinda enjoyed the hills.  As long as the gradient isn’t too steep, I can get into a rhythm and plod along fairly happily in bottom gear.  The winter lull seems to be over and my legs were feeling pretty good – like I’ve managed to build up the stamina a bit.  Might as well get better at going up the hills since I’m still crap at going down ’em! *grin*