Woke tired and grumpy today, I think my exertions on the beauty had finally caught up with me and I was lacking my mojo to ride today. I took to the twitterverse to seek inspiration and and received it from the
Rouleur, he told me to get out and ride because I'd feel better when I got back and observe
rule 5. Also I didn't fancy the thought of daytime television, I'd like to think I'm not daft enough to need Dom and I don't possess any grey baggy tracksuits bottoms or a shell suit so that was Jeremy Kyle out and I have no need to escape to the country as I have already achieved that, but if any heir hunters find a loaded long lost Auntie please don't hesitate to contact me.
I walked the hound, had a banana and a cuppa and got changed, what to wear ? The weather guessers had promised a dry day yesterday but as normal that had changed and dark clouds were looming overhead. As I was observing rule 5 it was shorts, thermal long top and cycling jersey and popped on my high vis gilet for a bit of windproofing. I do loathe wearing the gilet sometimes as it seems to act as a magnet for poor drivers, perhaps they think its a high visibility vest of invincibility but sadly it's not. I didn't fancy any big hills or distance today so set off towards Porlock and decided to make the rest of the route up from there. Up and down the Bratton straight with some nice new tarmac at the end, also some nice new tarmac on the straight from Selworthy to Allerford, so new that they hadn't got around to putting the white lines down. I turned down to Bossington and headed back the way I'd just ridden, new tarmac, had to be done.
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| Packhorse Bridge - Allerford |
I turned off the main road and headed through the back lanes to the village of Wootton Courtenay, it was dicing with the puncture fairy a bit as these lanes are a bit agricultural but quiet and a couple of little hills to get up. The little up just before the village always makes me reach for the granny gear and today it looked steeper, think it was because the hedges leading up to it had been chopped down so I could see it long before I reached it. As my mojo had now returned I decided to get my arse out of the saddle and dance up the incline, perhaps more dad dancing than Armstrong but I controlled my breathing and rode up it. Through the village and onto the main road at Timberscombe to Dunster, big gear time but the roads were very wet with standing water. I thought I'd nip through Dunster castle grounds to grab a picture, a friend and
blogger in the north of the county recently made the claim of having a castle out that way, but it's not a proper castle, so I thought I'd take a picture of a real castle.
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| A real castle |
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Where's the beach ?
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I must have circumnavigated the rain as the roads were wet in town, I went for a quick spin along the seafront, stopped and chatted to an old colleague I saw out for a walk and headed down to the harbour to add some miles onto the ride, that and I was enjoying just spinning about. I was so glad I got out and rode, Mr Rouleur was right, I felt so much better for getting out.
| Distance: | 20.37 mi |
| Time: | 1:35:24 |
| Avg Speed: | 12.8 mph |
| Elevation Gain: | 1,339 ft |
Not particularly far or quick but I just wanted to ride but a year ago 20 miles would have been a real challenge, I do love cycling.
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