# Aw, do I 'ave to?



## Arch (1 Aug 2010)

I didn't get out for a longer ride last weekend, so I thought I really should this week. I managed to commute 57 miles, but hadn't been on the trike since the Big G a couple of weeks back.

I got all my chores done yesterday - grocery shopping, laundry, buying the bits for my costume for Hilldodger's period bike ride next weekend. I'm borrowing a 60's shopper, and wearing a skinny top and miniskirt. The only thing I couldn't find in the local charity shops was a nice wide, white, plasiticy looking belt with a big buckle.

Anyway. I didn't have any specific ride planned for today, but I knew I ought to ride. Woke up at about ten past seven. You now how sometimes you wake up, and you're awake, and sometimes you just want to go back to sleep?

I wanted to go back to sleep. So I did, and then it was nine o'clock.

And I really fancied a slow start and a cooked breakfast. Which I had.

Just didn't feel like it today. But another week without a trike ride is a bad habit developing. Living alone is great because you can go out riding when you like and there's no one to nag about it. But if you should go out, and you don't, there's no one to nag you to...

So I forced myself and got on the Giant to go down to the lockup where Midge lives. Halfway there I realised that I'd brought a waterbottle and a cereal bar, but not my toolbag, containing various tools, my multitool and tyre levers. I had a pump, and tubes, and patches, but no levers. I'm gradually building up a set of duplicate stuff to keep at the lockup in Midge's bags, but hadn't got round to tools, stupidly even tyre levers (of which I do have spare set, I realise). That was nearly enough to turn me round and give up, but I kept on. I decided I'd just do a little loop, never too far from home in case. Just down the Selby bike path, five miles out, five back.

Five miles saw me barely past Naburn. Maybe I'll just head for the Escrick exit. Or a bit more, just to the end of the smooth tarmac, 8 miles or so.

Once I reached that point, I definitely didn't want to go further on the cyclepath, because it's gravelly, and a bit bumpy on three wheels. But I wasn't quite done yet, so I headed up to the road and took a spin in the direction of Stillingfleet. From there, I could turn back to Naburn.

Or not. Just a little extra loop towards Cawood, and turn off at Kelfield, and back to the bike path where I left it. Once back on it, I switched the cockpit view to average speed, and concentrated on keeping it up, or raising it. It was 11.8, and as I got the edge of York, I was rewarded with a magic 12....

23.57 miles, 1hr 57mins. Pretty small in LEL terms, but better than 0, which is what I felt like doing to start with. Brings me to 80ish for the week.

Coming back through town on the FCR, I suddenly remembered I'd pass the one charity shop I hadn't tried yesterday, because it's a bit out of the way. 

And there, in the window, around the waist of a mannequin, was my belt.


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