Sunday 2 March 2014

Tatsfield Village and Bus Stop – two rides, approximately 32 miles

On Saturday morning I felt good: light, energetic, full of beans. I sailed up Church Way and along the Limpsfield Road, met Andy at Warlingham Green at 7am and then we powered our way to the Tatsfield Village where we sat, like last week, and discussed photography.

This shot was mine. Andy took the same shot but failed to crop the
bin so, on this rare occasion, my photo won through. Less is more.

Weatherwise, the salient feature was fog. Thick fog. It was the same on Sunday when we initially headed out for Tatsfield Churchyard, but with rain falling as we rode along the Limpsfield Road, we cut the ride short (not by much) and headed for the Tatsfield Bus Stop.

Sunday's fog was very thick, but it dissipated pretty quickly as we sat there drinking tea and discussing this and that.

On Sunday I wasn't as energetic as I was on Saturday and I put it down to eating a load of mince and pasta and a rather heavy, oily apple crumble (Sainsbury's own label). Thank God for not gettting a bottle of wine! I awoke with a headache at 4.28am, got up around 6am and considered an abort text. Andy said he would have welcomed it, but ultimately, we both felt good about getting out and taking a ride. We met on the Green at 7.30am.

Two rides at the weekend is good news. We did one early ride on Saturday (meeting at 7am) and then a later start on Sunday, but it was all good.

On Sunday morning there was evidence of rain throughout the night: large puddles everywhere; and this meant that I got the usual wet arse and vowed, as always, to buy myself some mudguards. I probably won't succumb (I never do, something about keeping the bike as it was when I bought it).

Andy had his new racing bike with him; he's breaking it in for a 100-miler in the summer, but prefers riding the old Kona. He'd had a few teething problems with the brakes, which have been sorted out by his local bike shop, but Andy's no Lycra monkey and I think next week he'll be back on the Kona Blast.