An impromptu ACG ride yesterday. By which I mean GB and I had agreed to go out, and then opened it to all comers. In this case that meant just KG. However we picked up a tourist too who found us in the Square- we’re a friendly bunch us cyclists – and he joined us for the first part of the ride.
GB had mooted the idea of doing hills the night before. Since I’ve been totally wiped out since I came back from France I wasn’t sure about this. Well I went to the gym for a couple of hours on Saturday and was so tired when I came back I ended up asleep on the sofa for two hours! However I was feeling marginally better on Sunday morning and since forewarned is forearmed (or something) the idea of hills wasn’t quite as horrific a one as it might have been. Plus I was kind of curious to see how much damage my two weeks (make that practically three) of excess had done.
So when, after some discussion, we decided to go up the Gorge, I wasn’t too cross. In fact I wasn’t cross at all. And, to be fair, it wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be. It was, in fact, much the same as ever. GB played mountain goat at the front, our hill-hating tourist proved to be anything but, and KG and I took turns in bringing up the rear. Reassuringly the same as ever.
Once up the top it was proper cold and windy, and pretty hard to believe it was the middle of August. Or maybe not considering the British weather’s tendency to not do what it’s supposed to do. We pushed our way to the Rocky Road café which, as it turns out, in is in its last throes. And they didn’t have carrot cake either. The apple cake was ok, but not quite in the same league. I do hope the replacement café turns out nice as it’s a good place to head to, to motivate you up those hills. Bet they won’t do coffee and cake for £3 tho 🙁
We came back down into Wells and across the Levels to home. There was a scary bit on the Burcott Mill road bit when I wasn’t paying attention, was just following the other two, and they slowed to a stop for an approaching horse and cart. My back wheel locked, met gravel and…luckily I yelped, stopped braking, and it all worked out. Bit of an adrenalin kick there… Especially with the happy ending and all.
My left knee went in a big way not long after that and I was reduced to one leg pedalling for a while. After some wiggling around of my left foot it did improve a bit which shows that I really do need to look at my set up again. GB went off down the final straight like a bullet out of a gun leaving no chance for racing. Outclassed again *grin*. When, in Cheddar, he suggested heading off and doing more hills I might otherwise have been tempted, but I decided it would be unwise. Besides which he’s so fast at the moment I’d have been lagging behind big stylee. He is in training though, I’m not. That’s my excuse.
Cycling time: 2:12:46
Distance: 35.8 miles
Avs: 16.1mph
ODO: 5436
I’m surprised to see how fast we were going. Maybe that’s because GB was going so much faster that I just felt slow! And the wind did make it feel like a slog at times… Quite encouraging really. Especially as I didn’t end up sleeping the afternoon away either so was able to go to the Crown at Churchill for a pint of Mendip Magic in the sun, and an impromptu fly past by the Red Arrows. Sounds like a pretty good Sunday to me 🙂