OK, as it turns out, I actually did manage to get a ride in on Friday.  One of those rides of two halves really.  The first half was all sun, Levels, and loveliness.

Then I met one of those “I’m behind you, and desperately want to be in front of you, and the road is really narrow, and rather than me fall in a rhyne, why don’t you just go into the gravel?” drivers.  Shortly followed by the realisation that I was now riding on the rear rims.  *ggggrrrrr*.  Ok, that’s not what I said but… well… you can probably think of a suitable expletive for yourselves.

I did a stonking job of changing the rear tube, even given some difficulty getting the tube not to pinch ‘tween rim and tyre.  Got it all back on, (rather faster than 3 MAMILs I could mention), pumped it up, and headed off.   However I just couldn’t get it up to enough pressure.  I was half sure I had done the whole thing wrong and had a slow puncture, and did indeed stop a few times to try and get more air into it on the way back, as the bouncy ride wasn’t immensely comfortable.  It didn’t seem to be doing the trick, so, plans to attack Winscombe Hill on the way home went the way of the dodo…

I headed straight back up the A38 from Rooksbridge instead.  Which wasn’t an incredibly enjoyable experience.  Having said that I particularly enjoyed the quarry lorry that over took me and pulled in whilst doing do…with the gap between the kerb, me, and several tons of grubby heavy lorry narrowing inexorably….  I think I used an expletive again.  In fact I know I did *grin*.  Ah well.  Home in one piece.  And when hubby track pumped the tyre up to pressure it stayed that way, so I guess it was just me…

Cycling time: 1:46:58
Distance: 27.23 miles
Avs: 15.2 mph
ODO: 6487 miles

Even with all that – it was still better to have been out than in 🙂