As the weather was quite warm compared to recent weeks the thermals got left behind and I braved the world in my dhb base layer, short sleeved jersey and long sleeved jersey over the top. Perfect.
I set off along my usual route through Daisy Nook and across Oldham Rd in Ashton before getting onto Kings Rd where the road kicked up and over Queens Rd towards Knott Hill, along Gorsey Lane to bring me out Mossley Rd where I'd usually turn right to head back into Ashton. Not today though. Instead I turned left and carried on up into Mossley Cross with Hartshead Pike on my left shrouded in mist.
Through a busy and annoying junction and I was happily heading to Uppermill for a while before dropping off down Chew Valley Rd to the start of the Isle of Skye climb - which I totally ignored for today! A right turn brought me back to Mossley (eventually) and on into Heyrod where I decided to give myself a kick up the butt as I took a road with a sting in the tail - the lovely Luzley Rd and it's skyward (for a little while) heading. This brought me back out directly opposite where I left Gorsey Lane earlier on.
It was a case of left turn and sprint away to my hearts content now as I flew through Ashton and onto a lovely section of road for really testing the legs, the section of the A635 between the A627 roundabout and the other slightly deadly triangulated roundabout thingy before turning off for Guide Bridge, up and over the motorway, saying a very close hello to the bus that lurched out into the road in front of me.
Almost home now, hurrah! Back onto the A635 at the Snipe before maneuvering round another lovely, deadly nightshade kind of one-way system and the best sprint bit of all - no traffic lights for a whole mile! And then another mile without lights. Hurrah!!
Now it was just a case of hoicking the Everest onto my shoulder and dragging myself upstairs to my flat, where a welcome pint of milk was waiting for me, teasing me with it's condensation running down it's side.
Boring bit -
Temperature: 12 degrees
Max speed: 31mph
Average speed: 12.6mph
Miles: 21.79
Climbed: 863ft
Sounds a good ride. It has warmed up alot, yesterday I was dying in my chosen layers!
ReplyDeleteIt was a good ride. I needed that sort of ride to blow away the cobwebs that were forming in my head.
ReplyDeleteTotally knackered me though!