My first metric half century of 2016 and I picked a hilly one to give myself a challenge, by scaling The Wrekin from the harder direction for the first time. Having not done a big hilly ride since October it was hard going, especially into the strong breeze that seemed to be in my face for virtually the whole ride
Set off along the cycle paths and past the Sports Village, where the 2nd day of racing in the National Cyclocross Championships was just starting, and then out onto the roads to Upton Magna. There was an awful lot of water and mud on the roads, which was to get worse as the ride went on.
I then went through Upton Forge and stopped on the bridge over the Tern for a snack and a photo.
Water everywhere!
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Whilst on the bridge an Audi came storming up to the bridge, having become another victim of the Satnav error here! They looked all shocked that their way was blocked by a narrow bridge and big stone, and the female driver obviously didn't fancy the 3 point turn now required, with me looking, so swapped with the chap and he did the turn and sped off back the way they'd come from
I continued up to Wroxeter Roman Village and then took the NCN route around through the modern Wroxeter, and came across 2 floods. The 1st was fine, but the 2nd far from it, being much longer and deeper than I thought it would be and with water up to the axle I had to dip both feet in the icy cold water and filled my shoes up
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I stopped after climbing the hill the other side, bailed my shoes out and wrung some water out of my socks, but that meant feet like blocks of ice for the remaining 20 miles of the ride.
I crossed the busy Ironbridge road and climbed up to the crossroads, before turning left and the very steep but short climb up Charlton Hill, pausing at the top for a breather and a photo.
Nice sunny shot of The Wrekin
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There was then a nice downhill section to Wrekin Course, which is a steady climb from this direction. I then began the serious climb of the ride, one which appears in Simon Warren's book of 100 best climbs in the UK, from the bottom of The Wrekin up to Little Wenlock. It was not very enjoyable to start with, due to a multitude of stupid drivers making a pigs ear of trying park amongst the hundreds of cars abandoned by walkers heading up The Wrekin. I negotiated them and then the initial climb through the trees isn't too bad, other than a knob head in a sick green Fiat Uno who passed me closely on a sharp bend and cut across the front of me. I try not to react these days, but he had a gesture, idiot.
The climb then seriously ramps up once you leave the trees and boy it was hard work. 784 ft climb in 1 mile, my biggest single climb yet on a bike.
I was glad to reach the top and then enjoy the long descent to Little Wenlock and down Spout Lane. I then turned left and continued downhill on a section of new road for me, through Eaton Constantine. I paused for lunch at the crossroads before pressing on down to Cressage, crossing the A458 and the climb up Shore Lane to Harnage and Cound. There is another lumpy section to Eaton Mascott and Berrington, and I then encountered my second stupid old knob head, in a roller skate Mercedes, who squeezed past me on a very narrow section, when if he'd waited 10 seconds there was a pull in. He had a gesture and a verbal volley because it was downright bloody stupidity. Why are some drivers such complete prats with a brain the size of a pea?
I was flagging by now and it was a slow crawl to Betton and home.
35.5 miles, 1605 ft of climbing
, for a while at least.
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