The course goes well with some good interaction with the people attending the course, which always helps! I leave Basildon at 12:30pm and get home just before 1:3pm. I had hoped to be home a little earlier and be on the road by 2pm, but I didn't organise everything last night - so I still have lunch to eat (beans on toast), route to plan and maps to print, before I can get going!
Clare and the kids have left for the weekend - they should be at Granny's already by now! They are staying over tonight before heading off to Worthing on Saturday morning to see Kate and her new house, and Emily and her new baby! I am intending on meeting them on Saturday morning at Kate's.
I set off about 2:20pm with back pockets full to the brim with spares, pump, food, keys, phone, clothes. More stuff than I'm used to carrying and quite heavy! I head off towards Much Hadham past my old golf club (I just don't get the time any more!), and then along the back roads to Ware.
It's very warm, but I'm dressed up for winter - having seen the weather forecast for the weekend - I wanted to make sure I had the right clothes, and the easiest way to carry them was to wear them! I can really seen the value of having a support team to carry all our stuff! I unzip my two shirts which helps and make my way from Ware to Hertford.
From Hertford I take the A414 dual carriageway to Hatfield, a busy road, but good for the average speed! Though the wind appears to be coming from the west into my face rather than from the north as I expected.
At Hatfield (I'm now at the start of my map for the journey after 25 miles!), I carefully avoid going onto the motorway and take the road that parallels it. I know I have to turn right somewhere to head towards St Albans.
I take a wrong turning and realise pretty quickly, go right round a roundabout and back to the route. However on the roundabout I hit a huge pot hole! No puncture, but my front light flies into the air, land in the middle of the road and falls apart into a number of pieces. Passing cars thankfully miss the debris and when the traffic calms down I run out into the road to pick up the bits. With the exception of one dented battery, all the bits look intact. Luckily I am carrying spare batteries! Put the light back together and it all seems to work ok, put it back on the bike and off again!
On to St Albans, through the rush hour traffic - it's great fun passing a load of stationary cars! Down the hill out of St. Albans and onto the A4147 (the old A414) to Hemel Hempstead.
At Hemel, I take the second exit off the magic roundabout (six mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle - mad road layout!), and up to the A41. I was expecting there to be a road going straight on, but there wasn't so I joined the A41. Very fast dual carriageway and it feels like I'm going the wrong way! I get off at the first junction, and realised where my mistake was (should have taken the third exit at the magic roundabout!). Anyway I find a road that takes me back to my route without too much of additional mileage.
Up the hill to Bovingdon - long slow climb, but a good challenge, and down a very steep hill into Chesham. 45 miles done, time for tea! Find a petrol station who kindly let me leave my bike inside while I use the facilities, re-laod with water/Zym, grab a sandwich - and after texting progress to Clare and Iain, I'm off on my way again.
The remainder of the route is pretty much due south, through Amersham, Beaconsfield (huge straight hill leaving the town, rising into the sky!), Farnham Green, Farnham Royal, Slough,
Windosr - the great park in Windsor is very exposed and the wind has picked up! Then the last stretch from Windsor, past Ascot racecourse to Bagshot and then on to Guildford.It's now dark and Friday night busy at about 8:30pm. I get to Iain's after doing 86 miles. Iain kindly runs me a bath and pops out to get tea. Just after 9pm I'm sat on Iain's sofa, in a borrowed t-shirt eating Fish and Chips! Yum!
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