Barakta's going to come out for a bike ride, for the first time in a couple of months. 
Hurrah!
Warning. It's bloody humid and sweaty out there. There'll be a fight for getting the first shower.
Fortunately(!) the first shower happened as we reached the summit of Primrose Hill. It then continued to levels that made a complete mockery of my "the forecast's dry with cloud, and there's nothing of any consequence on the rainfall radar" just before we left. I should really know better, I'm reaching Ian McCaskill like levels of reliability.
Having got thoroughly drenched, barakta decided to invoke Rule 9, and we continued the planned ride. It stopped raining after a while, and we started to dry off. Then we discovered "Road Closed" signs, warning that the top-dressing fairy had got to a substantial part of our route. We ignored them, and plodded through the swathes of fresh gravel for a couple of km. Barakta had wheelspin issues as the road turned upwards, but managed okay. I succeeded in not falling off, no thanks to the bit of gravel that got caught in my sandal.
After stopping for a rest/food break, it started to spit again. Fortunately it never got stronger than moderate drizzle. Barakta needed the loo, but we were plodding slowly upwards through endless Wythall with no inspectable hedges to be found.
After negotiating Gay Hill (with adverse sunlight on wet glasses in barakta's case), I discovered things were a bit squirrely on a tight corner. It was a front wheel visitation. Fortunately it had stopped raining, so I took my time and did the job properly. One hole, two pieces of glass, and a sidewall that's looking a bit worse for wear. It may be new tyre time. Still, the fettling stop gave barakta's legs a break, and we made good progress up Lifford Lane and down the Pershore Road to home.
36km now logged for August.
ETA: I posted this to the wrong thread, really, didn't I?
