Back on the Road - Bliss!
It wasn't this sunny!
After what felt like an eternity of snow, rain and gales, Monday was the first passably good day when I could actually spare the time to jump on my bike.
So I took the chance and ignored the mud and puddles on my usual route. There were surprisingly few potholes out in the countryside from the recent icy weather - far fewer than there seem to be in town, in fact.
So after preserving my knees on the first little climb south of the town I was soon enjoying the reasonable temperatures, lightish wind and brightening sky on my way out to Hartest and Stanstead.
There was plenty of water on the road in the first mile or so and I could hear the snowmelt and recent rain pouring through the ditches and gulleys alongside.
Further out, there were still patches of snow in the shadier spots and remains of some deeper drifts but the roads were all damp, wet, muddy or puddled - reminding me I still don't have any mudguards on my bike!
But riding a gear lower than at my best I felt comfortable on all the hills and was pleased to make the top of Hartest hill in reasonable shape. It's the steepest hill in Suffolk, even if it's not very long. Just past the top is my ten-mile mark, and I was there inside 45 minutes, which is roughly five minutes slower than my best time.
I decided to carry on to Stanstead, to 'my' bench overlooking the lovely little valley there, which is my usual fuel stop.
Having taken it quite easy, I felt in a better mood than I have for ages and I was quite pleased with my condition. Under 55 minutes for around 12 miles on a heavy old mountain bike and fat tyres, and with hardly a minute on the bike in the last two months, was quite acceptable.
I was out on the bike anyway, which was about all that mattered. I savoured the air, the view and the Kendall mint cake for about 15 minutes.
The ride home was taken at about the same pace. Starting with a niggling little climb from Stanstead, then a more significant one after the fun of going down Hartest hill, I realised something was missing - knee pain. I felt no knee pain at all, even when I tested it. So the enforced rest might have been a good thing after all.
A few more undulations and one more biggish climb, taken in the usual gear, if a bit slower than normal, and I was racing along the gentle descent towards Bury at somewhere close to full speed.
Haring back through the floods and mud, spattered from head to toe and probably grinning like a lunatic, I got back to the house two hours after I set out, with my mood about 100 shades lighter.
So I took the chance and ignored the mud and puddles on my usual route. There were surprisingly few potholes out in the countryside from the recent icy weather - far fewer than there seem to be in town, in fact.
So after preserving my knees on the first little climb south of the town I was soon enjoying the reasonable temperatures, lightish wind and brightening sky on my way out to Hartest and Stanstead.
There was plenty of water on the road in the first mile or so and I could hear the snowmelt and recent rain pouring through the ditches and gulleys alongside.
Further out, there were still patches of snow in the shadier spots and remains of some deeper drifts but the roads were all damp, wet, muddy or puddled - reminding me I still don't have any mudguards on my bike!
But riding a gear lower than at my best I felt comfortable on all the hills and was pleased to make the top of Hartest hill in reasonable shape. It's the steepest hill in Suffolk, even if it's not very long. Just past the top is my ten-mile mark, and I was there inside 45 minutes, which is roughly five minutes slower than my best time.
I decided to carry on to Stanstead, to 'my' bench overlooking the lovely little valley there, which is my usual fuel stop.
Having taken it quite easy, I felt in a better mood than I have for ages and I was quite pleased with my condition. Under 55 minutes for around 12 miles on a heavy old mountain bike and fat tyres, and with hardly a minute on the bike in the last two months, was quite acceptable.
I was out on the bike anyway, which was about all that mattered. I savoured the air, the view and the Kendall mint cake for about 15 minutes.
The ride home was taken at about the same pace. Starting with a niggling little climb from Stanstead, then a more significant one after the fun of going down Hartest hill, I realised something was missing - knee pain. I felt no knee pain at all, even when I tested it. So the enforced rest might have been a good thing after all.
A few more undulations and one more biggish climb, taken in the usual gear, if a bit slower than normal, and I was racing along the gentle descent towards Bury at somewhere close to full speed.
Haring back through the floods and mud, spattered from head to toe and probably grinning like a lunatic, I got back to the house two hours after I set out, with my mood about 100 shades lighter.
In fact, I felt fantastic!
How lucky are we to be able to do these things?
Roy
Labels: cycling, cycling and life, cycling up hills
posted by Roy Everitt at
22:34
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