Headed out, after work, for my first venture into the dark, this Winter. It felt properly Wintery, temperature wise, as well, but at least it was a very rare dry and Sunny day, which meant decent conditions after sunset.
I set out through the local estate, close pass within 1 minute of setting off, from a prat in a Honda Civic, then along the old railway path, through Reabrook and along the cycle paths to Heathgates.
Turned down through Castlefields and along the side of the River, towards the weir. We had yet another night of incessant heavy rain, last night, which meant the River was very swollen and brown, indeed over the towpath at the gate and so it was closed, as I pretty much expected, necessitating a change of intended route.
I crossed the Castlewalk Bridge and then went up through Monkmoor, towards the Shirehall and the Column Roundabout. I’d just turned left, onto London Rd, when I witnessed one of the most ridiculous pieces of driving I’ve ever seen. A nobber, in a Ford Ranger, pulls out of the lay-by, next to the shops and does a U turn by crossing over the central refuge, through the pedestrian path, down the kerb on the other side, almost wiping out a poor lady who was trying to walk through it!!! We both just shook our heads and couldn’t quite believe we’d seen what we just had. I only wish there had been a Police car nearby.
I continued on through Wenlock Estate, around the Business Park, for a nose at the major road and building works going on for the new A5 services and Jaguar garage, before finishing off the ride through Sutton Farm and back home.
Just 9.7 miles at 11.5mph avg, but you have to take what you can get with the current weather and floods.
me not so much
