on: July 08, 2006, 22:43
I rode this yesterday and today
I managed to adjust the route to start and finish at home, and get home at about 415 km to sleep. That worked well; it ended up being 616 km and I got about 5 hours in my own bed
It's a ferociously hilly ride though - at least on fixed. There are 3 or 4 serious climbs, and the rest just oscillates constantly. Riding from home, I actually rode the last 135 k first - and this is a tough section, so it made the first day very hard and the second a lot easier
Highlights:
Surprising a fox early this morning. sitting in the road with its back to me, looking at the day
A weasel just outside Lambourn this afternoon
Lots of leverets: slewing the bike on a fast descent to avoid one and ripping a hole in the sidewall of the back tyre at about 120 k
Seeing an ostrich in the dusky gloom outside Cirencester, and realising it was the pale back end of a very large deer
Terrifying a gang of drunks in Cerney Wick after midnight as I went through at full speed
Finding a village called Chavington
Dazzling 7 (count 'em) cars off the road on one lane with the Solidlights
Dozing in the baby changing room at Cirencester Tescos (warm, with a soft chair
)
Being followed in the dark for about a km by a car on a little lane outside Down Ampney whilst climbing out of the saddle. I pulled over and the (lady) driver said "It's alright. I'm turning off in a minute. You have a lovely bum by the way"
Finishing. My God I'm glad that's over.
