I was thinking the same as
@gavgav, but I resisted the siren call of a beer and headed out anyway for a ride to somewhere cool. The slight flaw in my plan was that it required gaining some altitude (1404 feet between the lowest and higest points on the ride)
.
The route was Condover, Longnor, Leebotwood, Woolstaston, High Park and Pole Bank followed by Boiling Well and The Burway, Church Stretton, Longnor and Condover again on the way back.
This was my first ever evening ride to the Long Mynd and I have the feeling I should have done this years ago as it was absolutely fab up there in the warmth today. I expected there to be plenty of other people up there making the most of it but the sum total was; a boy racer and (judging by the look on her face) long-suffering-girlfriend, 3 walkers and a mountain biker from Wales who I chatted with for about half an hour.
The trip back was quite stunning. After descending into Church Stretton (where there was a noticable temperature increase) the light wind was at my back and the bike just seemed to want to fly along without any effort for the 15 miles home, while the sun set into a fiery orange glow to my left.
I've done 29.6 miles this evening at an average of 12.9mph (my fastest ever Long Mynd ride
)
Approaching Ryton on the way out. The air is so clear today I just want to reach out and touch the hills.
A bit of a pause just after Woolstaston. The serious climbing starts from here!
Up at High Park and looking north, out over the Shropshire Plain.
En route to Pole Bank now - this is looking down Carding Mill Valley towards Church Stretton.
Starting the journey home down The Burway. Caer Caradoc and the Lawley have a nice golden glow.
Another update of my favourite shot of the Raleigh.
Descending The Burway and looking into Carding Mill Valley. Isn't it a long way down?
And back to where I took the first shot of the trip, in the afterglow of the sunset and with the moon making an appearance.
