On Friday night solo to Hayling Island from London, leaving at 1800. Solo night riding is increasingly my preference as it is always a big adventure and the adrenaline keeps one alert. The recumbent with solidlights and headlight is a superb setup for cruising through the night.
To Guildford was relatively straightforward and I reached Guildford town centre just as the darkness fell. Of course thei meant that the zombies were emerging and my progress through the town was marked by their inarticulate grunting and shouting.
Thence on towards Haslemere over the wooded backroads of Surrey. An owl swooped down into the lights under the trees, bats flicked through the air and bright eyes peered back from the gloom. Grunting up the laney hills with trees meeting overhead, felt like cycling into Narnia.
A quick stop at Haslemere for liquids and then up through Hammer, over Lynchmere and down onto the tiny traffic free lanes with only foxes and badgers for company. Stopped for a chat with Brock who watched me from the other side of the hedge. The valley below Lynchmere is a cycling paradise.
A lungbusting grind up out of the valley led to an exilherating 70kph drop down into Rogate before the run to South Harting where the wealthy locals were seated outside a pub admiring their Range Rovers. Major uphill over the South Downs at Harting followed by a proplus driven frenzy of sweat and speed all the way down through Rowlands Castle to Havant and thence over the bridge with a whiff of seaweed on the seabreeze to Hayling.
On round Hayling to Sandy point just in time to catch a pint of ice cold beer at Sparkes Marina bar before retiring to the caravan for a good nights sleep.
On saturday - rigged the wayfarer and launched at the Sailing Club in Chichester harbour. A quick readiness sail in the harbour then set the course South for Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. Past the fort in the middle of the Solent, past the larger yachts and boats, and 3 hours later beach at Bembridge for sandwiches in the sun. Then a lazy reach all the way back to Hayling Island - only takes an hour to cover the same distance with the boat surfing nicely.
Back on the bike, sunburned and happy, gentle ride to Havant station and the train back to London.
It really does not get better than this.
