With all these events to do, and the start of the season rapidly approaching, I have to start going up hills.  I’ve not had a lot of choice but to stick to the flat of late, what with the “big freeze”, or whatever the popular press are calling it this time.  Today I was planning on bucking the trend.  However the weather forecast was not in my favour, and I wasn’t sure whether or not to go out to be honest, as it was only -3C out there.  I hit the usual social media channels and thanks to the feedback from some lovely people out there, I decided it was probably going to be ok, as long as I was careful.  I planned two routes – an hour-ish one and a two hour-ish one, both starting with Cheddar Gorge – on the basis that I could decide which to do by the time I got to the top.

I’ll be the first to admit I kinda wimped out.  Well the Gorge was ok, but just ok.  It’s hard enough on a good day when you haven’t warmed up, and warming up today was clearly going to take a lot longer than usual.  I plodded my way up in fairly joyless fashion, keeping an eye out for ice and sheep.  To be fair I don’t think it actually went any worse than usual, I just wasn’t feeling the love.  But it was properly cold, even when climbing, and up on the top of the Mendips it was even colder.  Well there’s always wind up there, and this time it was a cold Northerly wind to boot.  Nice :(.

bleak midwinter?

the road to Charterhouse

So at the route split, given the choice between another very chilly half an hour or so or another very chilly hour and half or so, it was a bit a of a no-brainer.  Left turn it was, to loop around to Charterhouse.  The road from there to the top of Shipham Hill was…interesting.  It was hard to tell whether the roads were white because of ice, slush, or salt, and there was plenty of mud around too.  Let’s call it riding with due care and attention.  But Shipham Hill itself was clear, dry, and nearly as much fun as usual :).  But man descending was cold!  By the time I got home I couldn’t feel my feet or my hands, and my lips were going numb.  In this case wimping out was definitely the right call!  I can make it up at the gym later, or go for a walk, or whatever…but if I’d stayed out any longer I think hypothermia was a distinct possibility. 😉

Cycling time: 1:14:04 hrs
Distance: 17.23 miles.
AVS: 13.9 mph.
ODO: 11920 miles

Slow wasn’t it?  *sigh*.  I really need to get better at this lark…guess I’d best go cycle up some more hills again soon then :).