Rides This Week.

Week ending Easter Sunday 27th March 2016.

With a mixed bag of weather this week I chose to ride in the drier spells. As most of you know I have arranged to ride the M2M, (Manche to Med),in June, covering some 700 miles in 15 days. In preparation for this have been trying to improve my stamina by keeping my weekly mileages higher than in previous years. I have had some success having covered over 100 miles in the week for 7 of  the 11 weeks. I have also ridden over 50 miles on a ride on ten occasions the longest ride so far being 68 miles. 

A host of golden daffodils, Swanmore.

I have been experimenting with including more of a report in my maps and details pictures. Feed back on this would be welcome. (Don't forget you can view these full screen by clicking on them)

Tuesday 22nd March 2016.

Thursday 24th March 2016.

Easter Sunday 27th March 2016.

Decided to ride today rather than join the Winchester CTC ride on Saturday as the weather forecast seemed better. Not sure this was borne out by events. I set out in bright sunshine intent on riding to Petersfield, but as I got near to Ropley it started to rain. I had expected that this might happen and I diverted into the village centre where I knew there would be some shelter. I got to the village hall just before it started to rain really hard. l joined a young lady who was already sheltering there with her young Labrador. She phoned home for a lift and while we waited we had a nice chat. The rain soon turned to hail and it absolutely hammered down. I was mighty glad I was under shelter. When it stopped I carried on towards Four Marks planning to have coffee at the GC. As I climbed the hill the hail on the road crackled under my tyres just like a fire. 

An accumulation of hail
on the road near Lyeway

As I was passing a farm the hail and heavy rain came back again. This time I sheltered in an empty farm building. A very brave cyclist passed by in the middle of it all in the opposite direction. She did not hear me shout to her that there was shelter here and continued into the teeth of the storm head down. 

More rain on the way!

When I got to the GC I found it was closed for Easter. Decided to carry on to Medstead to see what the weather was like then. The sun came out, so I carried on to Lasham where I stopped for a coffee at the Gliding Club. I chatted to some bikers. One was riding a Triumph Bonneville very like the Triumph Tiger 100 I owned in 1958.

Set out for home only to find the sun had disappeared behind another bank of clouds and with the wind blowing in my face. It was soon raining again. When I got to Chilton Candover it turned to hail and started to hurt so I dived for shelter again. This time under a very substantial Yew tree on the private drive leading to the big house. 

My third shelter.
 It was amazing how little rain/hail came through the canopy.

I waited here until it eased and set off for home once more. It showered a bit more and of course as I entered Alresford the sun came out. I should have had lunch at the Gliding Club and avoided the worst of the return home weather! Never mind apart from my legs and shoes which had been sprayed by the surface water chucked up both by me and cars, I was reasonably dry. 

Another fun (?) ride! I enjoyed the challenge and added another ton up too! I think I will retain the TUK medal for another week.

Gridironman.