Ok, so sanity is possibly not one of my strong points. But it’s not like I was going for a ride right? I was just going for coffee, and the bike just happened to be my mode of transport, right? Well, Martyn wanted to go out this Sunday, and I had said I probably would if it was just to Glastonbury for coffee and back, and I was worried that no-one else would turn up, and I hate to let people down and…
…there I was, in the Square, at 9:00am, wondering at the wisdom of my actions. Quite impressively I’d managed to get my winter kit through the wash and out and dry again in time, which is just as well as it wasn’t all that warm. Ok, so the bike wasn’t clean, but hey, give a girl a break, right?
As it turns out, there were four of us on our impromptu ACG coffee fun. Myself, Martyn, his friend Paul, and Dave. Well if I’d known..! 😉 We did indeed do a coffee run. In the chilly sunshine. In slightly wiggly fashion on the way out…
…to coffee which was at the usual place – Heaphy’s café – and my fodder was equally traditional. Well there wasn’t any safe cake for me, and I figured I could probably use the sugar! It was warm enough to sit outside in the sunshine and enjoy the morning, with the added benefit of no-one (ok me) having to be more than two metres away from their bikes.
I did try and get a photo of everyone with something sticking out of their head… Martyn got the berry tree, Paul the market cross, but Dave appears to have escaped such ridicule 😉
I’m going to ban Martyn from bringing new people to the ACG, without some form of entrance exam being passed first. Or more to the point, failed. If you can quote your times from your racing days and count Paul Baker amongst your long term riding mates…*gulp*. If you’re as fast and strong as Trevor and in this instance Paul, your name is not on the list and you’re not coming in…! *grin*. Only joking… I could probably have given Paul a ride for his money on a good day, ok, less probably more possibly… Martyn was as unstoppable as ever, and Dave never has a problem keeping up. But with the Wiggle New Forest in my legs, and more to the point in my knees, it just wasn’t going to happen today.
It was even colder when we set off again – that autumnal air seemed much colder when we were flying through it than it did when we were basking in it. Spoiled by the sunshine we were :). We wiggled our way home across the Levels, a route which to be fair ended up being rather further than I’d intended. My tank was, if not on empty, far from full! Testosterone got the best of the lads on the flat straight bit and once the average speed got past 21 mph I decide to rejoice in my lack of balls, let them get on with it, and catch them up when the competitive urge left them *grin*.
To be fair, they did a pretty good job of waiting for me, and nursing me along, as and when required, for which I’m most appreciative. We had a nice chat here and there, enjoyed the weather and the scenery and the lack of flooding, and even if I shouldn’t have been out and may pay for it in the long run….I’m glad I went :). And next time I’ll keep up better – honest!
Cycling time: 2:25:14 hrs
Distance: 37.67 miles
Avs: 15.6 mph.
ODO: 774.04 miles
That would be around 136 miles this weekend. That would be how you get your monthly stats up! That would be a tad insane! 😉