the welcome and not so welcome ride

the welcome and not so welcome ride, a photo by rOcKeTdOgUk on Flickr.

Within minutes of getting home from work I was back out on the bike determined to get some riding in before it got really dark, but I did fit lights as the day had been really overcast and murky so what light there was wouldn’t last long. I thought I’d doo a canal loop, riding to the bottom so I’d have a long uphill to try and get some speed up on and burn some calories.
There was a lot of traffic and for the first time for months I felt the need to put on the lights for safety’s sake, once off road though they were off and I began the ascent of the tardebigge Flight.
This was a ride of contrasts , even though it was overcast it was warm with hardly a breeze, the trail was dry and fast rolling, the Pub looked very welcoming in the gloom (I did resist!) I did though pass an ambulance and two police cars at Black Prince Boatyard and about a mile further on came across the occupants of those vehicles. There was a guy lying in the overflow sluice for the canal, He must have spotted me passing and was shouting “help me, help me!!” Given that he was being attended to by two paramedica and 5 police officers I didn’t think he needed any help I could give him and I carried on trying not to be a rubber necker. He was clearly drunk or not of sound mind and he seemed to be being handled very gently.
Further on I caught and passed another cyclist who then tried to stay on my wheel, perfect opportunity for a bit of interval training! So I put the bike in a higher gear and put the hammer down, after about ¼ of a mile I risked a look over my shoulder and he was now where to be seen so I backed off to my previous speed. As I left the canal onto the steep part of London lane another cyclist came around the corner and latched on to my back wheel, well I couldn’t have that! So I kicked again and managed to drop him by half way up the climb and when I reached the top he had blown and couldn’t be seen
These accelerations are good for the ego and training but there will always be someone faster and one day it’ll be my turn to get my arse handed to me on a plate, such is the way with sports
ride 122
13 miles
total 2577
Sept 263
commute 1030