My annual Consultant clinic at Addenbrooks yesterday, which has become an excuse for generally my last long ride of the year, as long as the weather allows. Last year it was new years eve and was probably the nicest so far.
Yesterday, nice enough temperature, but I'd not realised how strong the headwind would be until I hit the river path, and thanked myself that I'd built in my usual half hour buffer for a coffee on arrival. I was barely making 24 kmh, slow for me and was thinking it was going to be a tough ride. A small section of COR, and past the veg-packing plant, hmm, that doesn't feel right. Rear wheel puncture, great.
Wheel off, tyre off, tube out, no problem. Can't find anything in there, so new tube in, can inspect the old one at my leisure. CO2 inflator, oops, tyre not seated right, that bulge looks iffy, have another go. Second time, the inflator unscrews the valve core as I take it off. Luckily I carry a back up pump on these rides as well, but it had taken me the best part of ten minutes by now. Rest of the ride was straight forward enough, I even managed to find the start of the nice new cycleway at Anglesey Abbey, but I had speed/distance/time metrics going through my mind until I got there with about ten mins to spare.
Appointment was good, saw the big boss man this time.
Ride home was interesting. Decided to ride halfway, to Waterbeach and train from there, only I arrived half an hour before the next train. Instead of retiring to ye pubbe just up the road, I decided to ride back to Cambridge North where there are more trains. In my defence I'd never ridden this route before, but looked at it on a map and there seemed to be a path from Fen Ditton, along the river to the meadows, cross the river then back the other side.
No.
COR to the max, I was "riding" on 28mm road tyres, with mudguards on a grassy riverbank after several days heavy rain. Once the front wheel stopped moving, I got off and walked, winter MTB boots worked a treat. Picture the cross worlds.
Then when I got to the hard packed path, it was bloody shut! Not quite retracing my steps, but back through Fen Ditton to the Newmarket Road and Cambridge snarl ups. I always take the back route to the hospital as I find Cambridge quite an intimidating and nerve-wracking place to cycle. Ended up at Cambridge main state after the most roundabout route possible, and on a later train than if I'd waited at Waterbeach, 80km total, hosed half a fen off the bike when I got home.
Should have gone to the pub.