every good ride needs one

every good ride needs one, a photo by rOcKeTdOgUk on Flickr.

Boz worked out that you could get from home to Warwick via the canal so i thought i'd try it, as Boz couldn't make it i decided to tack a ride onto the end and make a day of it. because of the dry weather i left the slick tyres on the Swift hoping the towpath wouldn't be too rough. i joined the north Stratford canal just after wythal and continued down to kingswood junction then turning on to the Grand union canal for the final half down to Warwick, there were a few rough sections but the tyres coped well, the only difficulty being a section that must be very boggy in wet weather and it had been filled deeply with pea sized gravel, my tyres just dug in and i lost all traction, other than that it was fine albeit a bit slow as i was taking it easy just to be on the safe side. i met Andy at Hatton lock cafe for a bacon bap (and i fixed its puncture) in glorious sunshine, how pleasant! i then continued to Stratford upon Avon which was horrendously busy and got propositioned by a girl wearing black stockings and suspender (and very drunk) "do you wanna touch my muff" she shouted, i was too startled to respond or even get the camera out! pedaling on down the Greenway, a dissued railway, i hit a very strong headwind which would be a feature of the ride from this point on, leaving the greenway i made for Pebworth and it's stiff climb up to the church then on to Bidford following the road through very flat agricultural plains which didn't help the wind conditions at all, i could also see a weather front approaching and within 20 minutes my route had turned me into it's path, the wind picked up more and the rain became torrential. i carried on via Alcester and Astwwod bank homeward having to shelter from yet another huge downpour just 1 mile from home. a great ride even with the mixed conditions.

no thanks to: headwinds and rain

thanks to: scanitly clad girls
canal side bakery (and next time, 4 pubs in 7 miles!)
ride 84
70 miles
total 1377
commute 738
total+commute 2115