Lovely ride today, with a good friend.
After an 01:00 finish from w*rk, I was happy with an 09:30 meet up time to start our ride.
No particular route planned, but the bikes of choice were our CX's.
As the route panned out, we should have taken the MTB's
We headed, via tarmac and gravel, around the Washlands and the fisheries there, to Little and then Great Houghton. Normally, the hill up there is a bit of a tester, but possibly due to quite a few road miles recently, it seemed a bit easier.
On towards Salcey Forest, I bagged a TP that I'd passed numerous times, but never investigated.
As we were nearby, a circuit of Salcey Forest seemed in order, but as we were a bit early, we didn't stop at the cafe this time.
Once over the M1 into Hartwell, we were in
@Drago territory but didn't see anyone resembling him so carried on towards the canal banks via Bozenham Mill and Grafton Regis for several miles along rough canal banks to Stoke Bruerne.
With a stop for coffee and an Italian chicken Punani there, we rode slightly better off road sections back towards Northampton.
A visit from the p*ncture fairy, as expected on the canal banks, happened, but after a re-inflation or two over several miles, I decided to change the tube once we were in a suitably shady spot.
Within 7 or 8 miles of home, the Woodbridge cafe beckoned, and tea was ordered, plus a Strawberry Split lolly
Most welcome in the hot and humid weather.
With a few deviations, we were back near home on 42 miles, and I was ready for a a pint of........... Ice cold Lemon Barley!! (Dang, run out of beer!)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1070407559
