Today didn't quite go to plan - I went out with my cycle group but having seen the forecast, wasn't expecting anyone to turn up. I only went because I'd arranged to buy some stuff from another member and knew she'd be there - figured we could go for a coffee and then I'd make my way home. The TV forecast was different to the ones I'd seen online and there were nearly a dozen of us ... which meant there were nearly a dozen minus one who had one hell of a shock when the real life weather did as predicted online and threw hailstones at us less than an hour after we set off.
I think there may have been some howls of "it was supposed to be sunny until this afternoon" but it was hard to make out over the howling wind (also predicted online) which rather unkindly angled the hailstones so they came at us sideways rather than "only" from above.
It didn't help that this all happened as we were crossing the bridge over the M5. As someone said on another thread, it's a bit unnerving, dealing with a sidewind on a bridge over tarmac and moving vehicles...
In such conditions, my attitude is to put your head down and keep going so that at least you stay warm, but everyone else turned round (or stopped before even attempting the bridge) and hid behind the hedge next to the bridge before voting to abandon ship and head for home. Probably a sensible move and there was more than enough compensation for the shorter than expected ride in the form of cake, biscuits and coffee at someone's house - he said afterwards that he understood how coffee shop staff feel when we turn up!
My ride home was rather interesting. I was hoping for a tailwind but life's never that fair - it was a crosswind and a rather nasty one at that, the type that isn't just a strong yet constant wind but gusty so just as you get the bike back under control, you get hit again. I was thoroughly fed up of this and when one gust shoved me all the way over to the white line in the middle of the road, I decided to put some assertive riding into place and rode in primary, one hand out behind me in the "stop" arm signal to prevent anyone from overtaking me. I don't think it was luck so much as a clear message received and understood by all the drivers behind me as I didn't get any problems - they all waited and when I pulled back over as conditions eased, they overtook slowly, giving me lots of room. I repeated this over and over for several miles and the response was exactly the same. Bravo to Somerset's drivers.
. I should get it some time next week
as opposed to utility biking, have been building large patio instead.
Still it's done now.
(if you ignore that little breeze).
