Some things strike me as absolutely barking with the benefit of hindsight. Like cycling down Cheddar gorge at sunset on a day like today. Although the temperature had risen, it was 5C at the top of Burrington Coombe according to a friendly man sat in his car, it was a good deal lower than that in the gorge. The verges were still lined with ice, I suppose the sun didn't really get the opportunity to warm the cockles of the tarmac.
I had also mistimed my ride, and was fortunate to have a couple of small lights on my helmet, and of course, my new bib. Not that there was much traffic, most people must have been at home by then. So my brakes got an outing on a descent that I normally take full-on, and I was able to pick a good line, and came through unscathed. But very, very slowly. A lesson learnt.
It was the only thing I got wrong though. For once, the weather people got it spot on, and a very convoluted and complex forecast at the start of the weekend, offered the chance to ride in a temporary thaw this afternoon. And that is how it was, as I took to some main roads, a few south-facing back roads, and combined a good half-century (old money) with some good climbing. Including a new one, the delightful Wraxhall Hill near the Tyntesfield NT estate. Steep, wooded, but with a beautiful surface of freshly laid tarmac. And I do love that.
Not many people about today, which was good, because I have had a busy peopley week, it's nice to get out away from the madding crowd sometimes. I was in London for two days, and stayed over in a hotel in Southwark, which gave me the opportunity to re-visit an old work stomping ground, meet up for dinner with Bunny, (which was great fun) and walk across a new bridge.
If you haven't been paying attention to my ramblings you may have missed that I adore a good bridge. The Millennium footbridge from Bankside to the City is as good as it gets if you want your view spectacular, with the whole panoply of London laid out against the sunrise-red-tinged azure sky. As I walked into work, can't get better than that I'd say. Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner, (song anyone?) and maybe because I have a 20 year affinity with St Paul's Cathedral, but I'm looking forward to doing it again.
I will, however take a different bag with me. I had one of those overnight bags on wheels, with a retractable handle. Boy, they are everywhere in London. I think more and more people are staying down in London, probably working on "projects", and they all pull these bags around after them. And it can make for an interesting obstacle course.
First, you have the ubiquitous problem these days of people not looking where they are going. It used to be a minor irritant, but with the advent of the iPhone and its android cousins, I'd say about 50% of people now convey themselves along the pavement with no real forward gaze of their eyeballs.
Despite my earlier comments, I do like people. Generally, I'm bending over backwards to relate. My bag, and the lattice of the steel of the bridge, combined to produce a noise like a jet engine taking off at Stanstead, one of those short take-off and landing ones. Very high-pitched and very loud. Bunny gave me some sound practical advice, that if you get one wheel right in the side of the bridge, it's only like the plane's undercarriage retracting.
So as I was strolling in to work, admiring the view, I'm right up against the edge of the bridge, keeping the noise down. Halfway across, coming towards me is a woman of a certain age, and I know, I just know this is going to be.....interesting. Five yards from her, I stop. She looks at me, and says, "Who do you think you are, expecting me to move out of your way".
"At least I'm happy" was all I could think to say as I moved out of her way, was that rude? Probably, it didn't occur to me until later that maybe she was someone famous, or maybe she was on some kind of charity bridgeathon, and there were some rules in play. I think most of all, I felt a twinge of sadness that all those people in London are so busy charging around they never have time to just, be.
On the other hand, some things strike me as absolutely barking while I'm doing them, like washing my bike in the dark, with a headtorch, trying not to slip over on last night's ice. But at least I'm happy.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/147419719
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/504015
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4tEX8tm6qw
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