Cycling 2024

[The Picnic Wasp]

And another dry and sunny day. Even warm enough to dress as though it were summer, in fact it was just right today, I never felt cold and I never felt hot. It seems that 13-14C is the ideal temperature for me.

There are still too many roadworks out and about for me, but luckily the road which was supposed to be closed from 4th October was open. Which was good for me as it's my way out to the flatter lands. Although I did encounter an unexpected set of roadworks on the way back.

The Southerly breeze today was a bit stronger than forecast, it meant that I did the ideal thing of riding out into it and coming back with it, but apart from one short stretch it never seemed to get behind me. Must be the lie of the land funnelling it round. It did however bring the smell of Goats across the road in Pilsley. Whether there are Goats in Pilsley I don't know, maybe someone had unwrapped a big Goat's cheese. It all got me another 45 miles in the bag.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12572062509

I couldn't help myself from Googling "goats in Pilsley". There does seem to be a fair bit of goat activity in the place. Maybe it's mostly famous for goats and I've just been whooshed.

[Nickslikk2112]

I couldn't help myself from Googling "goats in Pilsley". There does seem to be a fair bit of goat activity in the place. Maybe it's mostly famous for goats and I've just been whooshed.

I googled it and got nothing. Googling it again I get "Chatsworth Farm Shop" coming up. I forget there are two Pilsleys in Derbyshire. I wasn't cycling through the posh one...

With Saturday being my vinyl day, it would have been nice to get 33 1/3 miles in, but I ended up just over. I also ended up just under 16mph average (15.97) Didn't like that, I should be easily averaging it. I put in an extra run down to Sainsbury's roundabout and back only for a Tractor coming the other way to get on the roundabout before me. Curses. Foiled again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12582766283/

[Slim]

A dry, very mild day with a moderate wind from the south. I set off on the southbound route shortly after 1000. Once again I intended to do a fondo minimally, but most likely a bit more.

In recent weeks when I've gone down that way, I've taken a left to the gliding club. Today I went down through Welford. I bought some food and a small bottle of orange juice at the petrol station there. Annoyingly I left the orange juice there somehow, after opening it for a quick gulp outside. But a few miles further to the south I took a left to Naseby and bought Lucozade at the village shop there. I'd done about 40 miles at this point, so I turned back.

The plan for the way back was to come back up the "old" way to the east, but to cut across to the "new" way, ie the way I'd come, after Foston, to avoid busy roads through Blaby, Enderby and Desford. This would involve navigating roads I'd never done before.

Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn just after Countesthorpe, but I found my way back to the "old" route anyway, on a different set of roads than I'd intended. I suppose I should have rehearsed the turns on Street View, or used a GPX app or the eTrex. To be fair I quite enjoyed the route I did take. Very quiet and scenic. But I probably wouldn't do it again. Too hilly, and my planned route would have got me across quicker.



Came back up through Barlestone and Nailstone. I reckoned the A447 would be quiet enough on a Saturday, and it was.

Back on 83.68 miles, very happy to have done 170 miles in October already.

I listened to footy coverage on 5 Live, LBC, Be Bop Deluxe's Live in the Air Age and more of Chickenhawk.

https://www.strava.com/activities/12584176934