I’ve had as much energy as a limp piece of spaghetti for the last couple of days. It’s been all I can do to stay awake, let alone do anything active. So as you can imagine, I was somewhat apprehensive as to how today’s ride might go.
I met Bob Fleming in the Square at 9.00am. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the route was out of my hands. I’ve had worse starts to a ride.
We did a variation on a seaside loop, and checked out a new coffee stop at The New Castle in Kewstoke, due to GB’s reluctance to leave his bike anywhere that he can’t actually see whilst he’s drinking his coffee. Yes – I was actually out with GB who, courtesy of illness and a smiley cat, has been coughing for a week. Which does mean that I always knew where he was. Coughing cyclists make me laugh – there we are trying to convince the world that we’re super fit and healthy…coughing and spluttering all the way *grin*.
The outward session was mostly into the wind – always best that way round – and included games of dodge the grockle in Berrow/Brean and WSM . There were a fair few eejots on the road too, though perhaps fewer than you might expect on a sunny Easter Sunday. GB tends to get quite vexed by such behaviour and gesticulate or shout accordingly. I tend more towards suggestions that such drivers might like to go forth and procreate somewhere else, in anglosaxon…whilst maintaining a precautionary distance 😉
After a very nice cappuccino, and a long discussion about what criteria should be used to measure coffee stops for comparison purposes, the chilly wind was in our favour – taking our average speed up from 14.9 to 15.6 overall – as we were blown home via Puxton.
Cycling time: 2:36:22
Distance: 40.74 miles
Avs: 15.6 mph
ODO: 3733 miles
Although it was dry out, I cleaned the bike when I got back in since it’s going to see Paul for a check-up on Tuesday and it seems rude to take him a dirty bike. Not that I haven’t done it before, but still…
I’m also feeling a bit more positive about next weekend now, with two rides done since my holiday. However I’m not going to get out much this week – darned Easter holidays! So, am I up to 90 miles? I’m thinking that will very much depend on the weather… I’m mainly looking forward to catching up with a couple of L2P folk who are doing it too, and that can as easily be done over 60 miles as 90! *grin*