Today was my chance to do my 100km ride for September.
I arranged to meet a mate for a pedal towards Kimbolton, Bedford and back via Santa Pod, but he had to be home by midday, so we changed routes so he could break off home at a suitable point when I carried on.
We rode through Cogenhoe and Whiston to Salcey and Hartwell, then through the villages to Kislingbury where he headed home, and I backtracked a mile or so to head for Bugbrook and Litchborough (the hilly area!)
In one of the villages, there was a chap playing the bagpipes in his front garden.. I tried to catch the cadence as I pedalled past, but it was a bit of a dirge, and I wasn't going that slow
I didn't fancy Newnham Hill today so cut across to the East of Daventry and into some lovely quiet, but steep, lanes in the general direction of Flore and Whilton.
Brockhall is a bit posh!
On a gated road in Brockhall, I came across a couple of chaps attempting to fix one of the bikes. He'd snapped the rear gear cable and was attempting to get a rideable gear to carry on with the day. In the end, he managed to wind the adjuster in so he was in the centre of the block. Not too bad, I suppose, as he could still operate the front derailleur.
We sort of said we might meet up at the cafe in Whilton Locks canal basin, but I didn't see them again. Hopefully, the mechanical issues didn't ruin their day too much!
Still, I had sticky toffee pudding and a cuppa to top up the energy levels for the final 20 miles home.
In Dodford, I re-found the ford that I drove a mates V6 LPG Landrover through a year or so ago... It's about 100 yards long, and quite deep in places. I had the wrong wheels with me today, so didn't bother riding it
Apart from nearly getting wiped out by a truck pulling out of a metal merchants and taking an unnecessarily wide line across my path, the ride home was pleasant in the autumn sunshine.
Back home on 64 miles, in lovely weather. Wrong clothes chosen though, as it was about 4c when I started, and not far of 20c by late morning. Sweating like a
until I took my jacket off. Then I was chilly until the sweat evaporated from my top!
https://www.strava.com/activities/1196076869