How fast?

I haven't been this hot since I rode up the Hourquette d'Ancizan. That was last August. It may even have been hotter today, it was certainly more humid, there was more traffic and definitely more potholes. But Dundry Hill doesn't last quite as long thankfully, and I was soon at the top.

I was meant to be taking it easy, what with riding on Saturday and Sunday, I'll probably do another 150 miles this week. So why I decided to ride all the way to Bishop Sutton, up to Hinton Blewett and then do a Harptree of the Eastern variety, I'll never know. Perhaps it was the sunshine, although not Cowardesque midday, there is certainly something about fine weather that draws the English out of their armchairs. By the time I came down the Gorge, it was almost as if the Tour of Britain was going on.

But Dundry, no I had a purpose there. Over the back of that hill there are two descents. Both fairly steep, but one is twisty and narrow and full of gravel. It's the one that means a short ride home. But you can't descend at anything like a reasonable speed, and in the wet it's treacherous.

The other way is the main road from Bristol out to the Chew Valley. Straight, wide, smooth, fast. Warm air, less dense, slight (6 mph cross-tailwind) breeze, unencumbered by too many layers, jug-ears contained in a pirate style buff.

I wasn't even pedalling.

I knew I was fast, but I never thought I could actually go that fast, the previous top speed on a bike had been 47.4 mph, which oddly I had done twice, once in 2009 and once last year. Isn't it sad I have all this data, it's a family thing, the collection of useless statistics that goes back years. I had begun to think that 47.4 was some sort of terminal velocity for a Mendip Rouleur on a 54 cm frame with a compact chainset.

So to go over 3 mph faster, yes miles, you are not looking at kilometers here, is very surprising to me.

Apart from that it was just a normal day at the office!