Another nice day with no rain forecast. I withdrew the Cannondale from the garage once again, and pointed it eastward. I thought it might be rather nice to have a coffee and a sandwich at Costa Coffee in Melton Mowbray, a location I've cycled to or through a few times in the past.
Lightweight clothing on again and what unalloyed bliss to be gliding along Ashby Road on a decently surfaced road in the sun, on my most agile bike. Over the Soar into Nottinghamshire, through Rempstone and Wymeswold, along the hilly bit near Asfordby then into Melton where I hung a right into the pedestrianised area of the town centre (I didn't bother to get off the bike) and cabled the bike to a lamppost just outside Costa. I ordered an Americano, a salad sandwich and a bakewell tart and consumed them at a table outside, in warm sunshine. What an absolute joy.
My Garmin Foretrex gave a low battery warning on the approach to Melton so when I got to Costa I switched it off, clogged over to Boots and bought 4 AAAs. I replaced the two dead ones while drinking my coffee. So convenient, and that's why I bought it. It just picks up where you left it when you switch it on, recording the same track.
I had actually brought my Shimano cleat covers with me, but I just clogged around in bare cleats. I must stop doing one or the other.
So after a delightful half hour relaxing in the sun outside Costa, I set off again. My legs and knees were holding up pretty well - I can still feel them, but they didn't give me any trouble - so rather than heading straight back I thought I'd continue on for a couple of miles before heading back. I vaguely remembered taking the B676 east out of Melton on a previous ride - probably the Norfolk trip - so I did that. After about three miles I saw a left turn to a place called Freeby - and I thought - why not? Who can resist a Freeby, after all. But after about a mile, after turning into the village proper, the road seemed to degenerate into the sort of narrow, bumpy, gravel-spattered path that you don't really want to take a road bike along. So I didn't. I turned round and headed for home the same way. Nice little village though, very quiet.
Annoyingly, after Asfordby on the way back at the 40 mile mark, conditions darkened, the temperature dropped and shortly after that, it started to rain lightly. I was plagued by occasional light rain for the next ten miles but once back over into Leicestershire, the rain dried up, the sky brightened up nicely and I was back in warm, fine weather. I stopped at a bench near Belton. I sat carefully, because it had nettles growing up through it.
The last 15 miles coming back from Rempstone usually seem a bit of a chore - I particularly dislike the first five of them, for some reason. But today it didn't seem a grind at all, I was still in high spirits and enjoying myself, even with a headwind to contend with. I even briefly considered staying out for another 35 to make it 100, perhaps by adding on a Twycrosser. I seemed to have plenty of energy and mojo left, probably as a result of having a relaxing refuelling stop at Melton.
No interesting wildlife, just a few dead badgers by the side of the road. I saw a pheasant legging it across the road in the path of an oncoming Land Rover near Wymeswold, but it took flight just before being thwacked and escaped death by about an inch.
Once again I could feel my knee joints a bit but they never threatened to give me any trouble. Encouraged to have done 65 without any bother. My quads started to complain slightly over the last 20 miles or so but I'm not bothered about that. Just means I'm toughening them up.
64.98 and that's an acceptable 385 this month. A bit more during the week, I hope.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1525026984
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