Bruton - Princes Risborough

Miles 105.2 today
In 6hrs 39ns burning 3196 Kcal climbing 4840ft

Miles total 328
In 22hrs 12mins burning 11560 Kcal climbing 21180ft
Most miles in a day : 105.2

I really wish the weather was such that I didn’t feel I need to say anything. But I think I have a rain cloud that has taken to me, and is following me about. We arrived in Bruton in sun, but as I pulled away up High Street, it started to rain. 3 minutes later I was in my raincoat.

Those of you who know Bruton, know that is is not a place to leave without going up hill. I climbed up through North Brewham and on into Warminster by which time it had stopped raining. I tracked round the top of Salisbury Plain, with rain coming and going. The weather really did try, I was riding in the sun with rain at times.

The young man in Market Lavington got a surprise as I took my bike into the Co-op. Good things those automatic doors. He should be happy I didn’t ride in J A few people gave me sideways smiles as I sat on the seat in the middle of the village and ate both of the cakes I had just bought.

The Bee takes advice on wet weather

The weather then really did deteriorate. I could see it coming, a big black cloud to the left, with the rain, like curtains, hanging down from the cloud to the ground. I put the rain jacket on, and switched on my rear light. No point in waiting for it. Then it came, water was running across the road, then the road was covered in sheets of it, cars passing covered me in it. It eased, but was just taking breath, and this time it came so hard I had to stop under a group of trees as I couldn’t see where I was going. Now I’m cold, I can’t stay long. A few minutes later it eased enough to push on. The road, the A road, had a appalling surface, it was just a patchwork of tarmac joining up a series of holes and cracks. Most were full of water, and often hidden. I avoided most of them, and kept thinking ‘don’t puncture’ either by flints penetrating the tyre, or a ‘snake bite’ from the percussion of hitting a hole. I really didn’t want to change a tube in the wet and cold.

Finally, after and hour it stopped. It was odd, it was raining then not, the atmosphere feeling like a warm damp greenhouse. I stopped, ate and ironically put everything I had on. I cycled through Newbury with people in shirtsleeves with dry roads with me wearing a raincoat and gloves. I rang my Dad who was at Streatly and asked him to wait, as I was worried if it rained again I would get too cold, and wanted some more clothes (Being optimistic I had not put knee warmers or shoe covers on that morning) We meet next to the Thames with 80 miles done, and 25 to go up onto the Chilterns

Up onto the Chilterns. Red Kites are supposed to be rare. Not hear. I saw 3 in an hour. They are as common as buzzards in Somerset

The damp may be effecting the seating arrangements: I have done many miles and am used to hours in the saddle, but not in the damp. You can pay a lot for special creams, I now have some ‘healing cream’, which amongst other things deals with nappy rash. I can’t say I need it, but prevention is better than cure.

I feel fine, bit hungry, but today was further and faster than the last two days, and I feel better than I did when I finished yesterday. Tomorrow is shorter, and I hope to meet an old school friend over lunch, almost like being on holiday.