I found it difficult to choose a route today. Having been to the same places numerous times while doing the Imperial Century challenge last year I wanted a change of scene, so after deliberating overnight settled on riding east to Bridgnorth which I haven't cycled to since summer 2014.
This was planned to be my qualifier for the Metric Century challenge so I headed south for starters to add a few miles. This is familiar ground through Condover, Pitchford, Acton Burnell and over the hill to Cardington where I swung round to the north again heading for Hughley and the climb over Wenlock Edge. I'd started out with fingerless gloves on which was fine while the wind was behind me but turning against the wind meant my fingers were quite chilled by the time I reached Church Preen School so I needed a stop to change to full finger ones and said hello to a rider who passed.
After Hughley I was onto the aforementioned climb and could see the other rider ahead of me and not pulling away. I didn't manage to catch him but did find him having a breather at the top of the climb where we had a bit of a chat (he had come from Church Stretton for a bit of a leg stretch as he said the ground conditions were too bad for mountain biking).
Moving on I took the road through Bourton. This is a very pleasant bit of countryside made all the more pleasurable by being slightly downhill for 3 or 4 miles.
If following this route the whole way way to Bridgnorth you do end up paying for this though with a steep climb near Monkhopton and another by Criddon Bridge. To be fair there are a couple of cracking steep downhill bits too (got over 34 mph on one of these
).
On the approach to Bridgnorth I dinged my bell at a walker who ignored me as he thought the sound had come from his phone (not the first time that has happened
).
I arrived in the town and headed up to the railway station hoping to see something of interest. The next train wasn't due in for an hour and there were no interesting engines in the yard but there was a nice classic car in the car park. It had started life as a Standard 9 saloon but the young chap who owns it had converted it into a roadster and is about to fit a period supercharger as he uses it in competitions.
After a bite of lunch I headed into High Town (Bridgnorth is split into High Town on the hill and Low Town by the river) then after a look round headed along NCN route 45 towards Ironbridge. You start off on tarmac with this route then onto the old railway trackbed which is prvately owned and open as a permissive path. This route was quite rough last time I came this way and today was even worse with the left hand side of the track being a mass of craters for the first couple of miles before settling down to being just rough and muddy. Having the wind against me as well didn't help at all and I didn't get much above 11 mph for the next seven miles.
By the time I got to Coalport I'd had enough of being rattled about so crossed the Severn and headed along the road on the northern bank of the river instead. At Ironbridge I had a pause overlooking the bridge itself and a brief chat with another rider (he'd come over from Wheaton Aston to explore some new routes) before heading onwards to Buildwas.
The wind was getting funnelled along the Ironbridge Gorge so was against me even though I was now heading west and that coupled with tired legs meant I wasn't quick by this point. The climb just before Leighton was really hard (despite being far from the steepest of the day) and I was glad of a rest with a view at the top.
To get the mileage I wanted I couldn't take the most direct route home but instead headed through Wroxeter to Upton Magna before doubling back through Atcham and along the lanes I usually commute on to Condover. I don't know what is up with everyone today but I encountered more bad, aggressive and arrogant driving in the last ten miles than I'd usually encounter in a week or more of commuting. It spoiled the mood a bit and made me avoid the last stretch of busy road in favour of a final slow climb over Lyth Hill. This turned out to be a good thing as it avoided having to do a loop of the village to round up the final mileage.
63 tiring miles completed at a less than stellar 11.9 mph average so the March Metric Century is in the bag.
En route to Cardington. It's not really clear in the photo but the Long Mynd has a covering of snow on the top.
Church Preen School.
Did I mention this route was a bit hilly?
Lovely rolling countryside (but surprisingly hard work to ride).
The non-standard Standard 9
The leaning tower of Bridgnorth. (Remains of Bridgnorth Castle)
The market hall in the centre of High Town (and there is a market on)
The Iron Bridge. If you fancy seeing it in person, this year would be a good time to do so. It's currently being surveyed for a major restoration so will be covered in scaffolding during 2017.
Leighton Bends. It's a lot easier to see the course of the river than
last time I was here.
Looking back towards where I've been from Lyth Hill
