after bailing on the Dean on saturday due to the low temperatures -2C at the start, not going above 5, I rode a DIY on sunday. I had though about doing the dean perm, but decided riding from home is better financially and environmentally.
Use my 300 trip to the new forest, based on the 4 down.
temperatures between 7 and 10 all day meant I didn't have to carry layers, set off at 06:30 ( the drawback of perms over calendar events is not having a deadline to get out of bed, and had a very pleasant day on mostly quiet roads. The test valley in particular was great with more than twice as many cyclists as drivers as I passed through, then on to the new forest and on the moorland sections the southwesterley wind came into play, couldn't wait to turn for hom, and for once the wind was noticable as a tailwind, cruising along nicely at 30kmh with little effort from lymmington to beauliea and on to southhampton, where the bridge over the Test footpath was closed to pedestrians and cyclists leading to a diversion onto the north side of the main road. Not very well signed.
On to new Alresford where the rain started fo fall, no cafes open so I found somewhere to shelter while eating my tesco provisions, riding solo it was notable how quiet the roads after new Alresford really are and finally back onto more familiar roads, happy when I reached Aborfield and I knew the remaining route was all pretty much flat and I could make good progress with the wind still behind me. rain didn't really stop for the last 4 hours but it was mostly light drizzle so no big issue other than the dazzle from lights on the rain on my glasses.
stopped time 1hr 12 minutes allowed me to get round in less than 15 hours despite less than impressive average speed
