Friday, October 31, 2014

October cycling

The numbers for the month are 10604.7/745.6, plus 95.14 miles on cycling holiday or +171.8/+146.0 or 412.9 miles, so 3628 miles year-to-date, passing last year's total on the morning of the 19th, in continuing mild and dry weather, and with 4200 now looking like a good stretch goal for the year.

The numbers were slightly helped by the incentive of the Cambridge Cycle Challenge, in which I came second for the district as an intermediate rider, and was also in second place in the work team. Never before had I been paid for making that extra ride to the pub! But it was also helped by continuing balmy weather -- T-shirt and shorts even in the middle of the month.


That included the first day of an autumn cycling holiday, which was another Constable Country pub-crawl, ambling to the Tattingstone White Horse (under new management, so a bit less looking like a bikers' pub) for lunch, the Bakers' Arms at Harkstead for a quick one, then the Sun Inn at Dedham to sample some of their wares (not so impressed by the Lushingtons) before settling down for the night.

Monday the weather was not so nice, but I decided to take a different tack this time, stopping at the Red Rose in Lindsey Tye (which has a cycle stand!), then across to the Maglia Rosso (which I'd not tried back in July) for some cake and hot chocolate, en route to which, the front dérailleur jammed in middle gear; before making the usual detour to the Cherry Tree in Glemsford (sampling the rather potent Redemption Brewery Urban Dusk), then a different route to Lavenham (avoiding Shimpling in favour of Long Melford, via a B road that emerges just before the 30 limit).

Evening sun

Evening sunshine, Sunday

Offton, village sign

Village Sign

Bizarre house sign

How Bizarre!

Between mechanical problems, and the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo, bringing strong winds and heavy showers, I then wimped out, and got taken back to base rather than spend a few hours being driven before the wind.

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