The day finally arrived but I couldn’t leave until after noon as I couldn’t check in to my AirBnB in Dursley until 5pm. I had to keep myself distracted after I got up, to ward off some anxiety, so I fitted some mudguards as rain is forecast tomorrow, something I would regret. And I vacuumed the house LOL.
I left just after 1pm and began the trudge through familiar lanes. I wasn’t really feeling it early on, then 45 mins in a quick glance down to my bag and rack and I noticed my rack appeared to move. Not sure if I was seeing things I jumped off to check and found my rack adapter was loose. I knew why. Fitting guards shortened the amount of thread I could use when I tightened the bolt and now I was worried I’d stripped it. I tightened it ok so the thread was good but I wasn’t happy with the number of turns so I decided to remove my rear guard. With the bike on its side on the verge and the rear wheel out so I can take the guard off it looked like a catastrophe and in good spirit, no less than 3 cyclists checked I was ok. One, Alan, I knew and hadn’t seen in years. We had a chat while I reassembled my bike and hid my guard in the hedge so I could retrieve it next week. I noted a 30mph sign and the approx distance back from it so shouldn’t be a problem. Alan and I said our farewells and I got going again.
For some reason I felt a sense of urgency now. No idea why, I had plenty of time so I told myself to not it back a bit.
Only when I got around the back of Worcester I began to relax and enjoy the lanes. I’d ridden them before but some time ago. I’d raced on some too (Sally :-)).
At Upton-on-Severn I turned off the high street for a quick peek of the river and then I was out of town and heading south to Gloucester. However the B road was wide and real slog on it’s freshly chipped surface. It’s width just made your sense of going slow worse. I didn’t really enjoy this section.
The lanes to Hartpury were familiar and fast and the short, sharp climb out of the village gave me sight of Gloucester in the distance and the hills beyond I was aiming for.
In Maisemore, I picked up the riverside trail which took me into the quays and docks area. As I joined the canal I got behind another cyclist with panniers who wasn’t hanging around. Not sure if he was touring or commuting, I suspect the latter, but he gave me someone to drag me along for a bit before we left the canal at the same bridge but he turned left and I turned right.
Back in the lanes I was alone until I saw two guys on a tandem approaching with a motorcycle next to them. At first I thought they were chatting and then as I passed I realised they were filming and the guys on the bikes were the GCN YouTube lot. Oli Bridgwood was definitely on the back. I didn’t catch the front rider apart from he looked really tall so maybe Conor Dunne or Si Richardson.
I was about 85km in now and beginning to feel the distance. At Saul junction the bridge was temporarily shut while workers did some work on the road the other side. The sign said 15 mins so I contemplated going back and around but one of them waved me through which was a cool thing to do.
At Whitminster I stopped at the stores I stopped at last year when I was being baked by 35 deg heat. Just a civil can of coke, a mars bar and bottle refill this time before heading off for the last 20km.
From here the road to Frocester was busy again with bellends speeding through villages and I couldn’t wait to get off it. The lane I turned into was bliss. Quiet again and then I faced the last climb of the day through Coaley and beyond to drop into Uley. The only drama here was a lady trying to catch a Jack Russell walking up the middle of the road when I rounded a bend. The hill was nothing too severe, just nice and quiet. The last few km into Dursley are almost all downhill and then out of nowhere and sooner than I expected I was done.
I arrived just after 6pm as predicted and quickly showered and went out for some food. Boringly I went to the same pizza place I did last year. Great food, great value and then I washed that down around the corner at a real ale pub, The Old Spout Inn. As I walked in the front door I noticed how steep the road was that carried on up past it. Then while drinking my pint I checked tomorrows route and true to form that exactly where I’m going tomorrow.
I walked back in the dark and picked up some water. Bed early tonight. Long day tomorrow and rain is forecast. Lets hope my newly re-waterproofed cape works
Adios for now
Good start 👌 Also good to see you acknowledging the nerves and anxiety. Too many socials, blogs and channels ignore this so the normal people that do experience it before a big event, trip or adventure feel that they are somehow odd. Good man 👍 Hope the rest of your trip goes well 🤞