First ride setting off before sunrise since last spring today. Aim was to follow the route I was meaning to take last Sunday, hoping that the wind stayed as forecast on Saturday, as it had been varying a bit. Temperatures definitely cooling down, so full autumn garb again.
I was meaning to set off a bit earlier than usual, but with my tendency to faff about, I set off at the customary 6:30. Up Hatfield bank, and then Stonehall Common, there was a bit of head wind, but nothing much, so I made it quickly to the turn, this time undistracted, to head for Defford.
Down Rebecca road saw the first cyclist of the day. Then came Besford, Defford, and over the road to Eckington. I got lucky that a van overtook me and triggered the bridge lights just as I was getting there, otherwise I would have to sit waiting for a car to come and trigger them. I was making reasonably quick progress, Eckington came and went, and the Westmancote turn took me along the flank of Bredon Hill, up the shallow ramp to Overbury.
In Overbury I took the lane on the right to Teddington, and then at the A46 roundabout the B road to Toddington. This is again a fairly shallow climb, but I was getting now more of a headwind/sidewind from the left, which on a couple of occasions caught my front wheel and pushed me towards the centre, though I managed to keep my line just about. I stopped for a breather at the entrance of the industrial park past the Winchcombe turn, and took the only photo of the day, as the views were rather grey and uninspiring today.
On the way now to the turn for Broadway, and now properly into the wind, last time I rode this section I managed a bit over 20mph average, today I was struggling to keep to 14. Anyhow, got to Broadway still in good time, and turning left towards Hinton on the Green put the wind to my side again, still quite blustery, but not as annoying.
Another stop just after crossing the A46, to have a nut bar while admiring the work of a tractor driver plowing a field.
The next stretch was a steady climb to Elmley Castle, followed by a quickish descent on to Pershore. By now my legs were starting to feel the distance, so another break by the old bridge to catch my breath and prepare for the last push up Holloway and then home via Wadborough, Littleworth and past the Norton church.
I have been riding significantly more than I used to, over 200 miles every month since May, with three hundred and some last month, and on track to do more than 300 again this month, but I think my legs may need a bit of a rest, so maybe next month there'll be fewer miles.
The map