I blame it on my youth

Well done Martyn. Just at the time I needed to start venturing away from the flat lands and into the hills, he came up with a dog of a route for today's ride. Trevor, Ray, James, Jon, Martyn, Peter and me from Brent Knoll to the Mendips and back.

A nice mix of stuff, a few short sharp punchy climbs, a long slog up Shipham and Long Bottom (despite getting dropped it was a PR, goes to show you never can tell), the road not my sorry arse, and some nice flat bits to recover and chat. Some days the best versions of things get discovered by accident, like Maria McKee originals on YouTube.

I even enjoyed the normally gloomy café at the bottom (that word again) of Burrington Combe. Of course it was all about my bike, an old-fashioned steel thing from Argos Racing Cycles in Bristol. Like a kid at Christmas I took out the last present I'll ever get from my Mum and Dad. Designed for Audax primarily, but good enough for bimbles like today. Or anyday in fact.

 

 

It reminded me of being a kid again, mucking about with your mates on bikes on a Saturday morning. Lots of abuse and real fun from genuine good-hearted people. Hard to find.

 

Even if their political ideas and opinions are shit.