As the weeks have gone by my capacity for cycling has improved and with every ride I suprise myself. Tonight, after work, I rode into Newport to make use of the late opening library. On the way in I took the longer cycle path route because there’s a post office on the way but when I left the library at 8.00pm it was starting to get dark with storm clouds brewing so I decided to take the quicker route home. The road out of Blackwater is the biggest hill on my local route which I usually get off and walk most of the way up. Half way up tonight and I’m still on the bike steadly pumping in 1st gear. Hmm. 3/4 up and I’m still riding away. To my amazement I cross the peak and start freewheeling down the other side into Rookley. There’s another three hills to go and I assume that after this effort I’ll have to walk up at least two of them, but no. I made it all the way home in one go, no walking, no stopping for water and to get my breath. Even the really really steep bit just before the farm. Wow.
The weather truly turned today taking me back to May with huge winds beating down the hill from the west and a chill in the air. Good for doing the hard work of chopping down all the thistles in the middle field (barely done a quarter of it so far) but quite a shock after the stillness of the last couple of weeks.