Sorry for a lack of updates these last few weeks. As they say, life has been getting in the way and with a touch of irony following my previous update, today I just want to look back at one of the rides from earlier this week.
I've been exclusively riding the 1098s lately and it was a fairly bright dry, sunny, but chilly start to the day. I left home a fraction later than usual, at around 07:45 and left the house in a good mood. With the schools back, traffic levels were fairly busy, but I was able to make reasonable progress. I turned off before the dual carriageway as usual and took to the back roads, which are more suited to two wheels.
Despite no apparent rain, the road surface became wet. I'm putting this down to early morning moisture in the air and not enough people using the route to clear it. With a damp and greasy road, the ride itself was an exercise in restraint and concentration, rather than one of enjoyment.
Approaching the last village before I got to work, I got stuck behind a school coach, belching out diesel fumes and taking up 3/4 of the road.
Towards the end of the village, I was looking for a way past, when, as my concentration was looking up the road, the coach just stopped. With their higher driving position they saw a lorry coming the other way so had to stop and I nearly ran into the back of them. I didn't react well.
I took full advantage of my size and speed advantage and popped past the coach once the lorry had moved on and with the sun behind me, I had a driver almost pull out into my path. They were doing that thing when people put their hands up to block part of the sun, but still move forward without apparently giving themselves enough time to be sure. I didn't react well.
Now annoyed I got to work feeling that the only way that ride could have been any worse was if I'd been nicked, or had crashed.
The whole ride felt horrible and painful and I will freely admit, it affected me into the morning. I kept dwelling on it and it highlights, well for me at least, the importance of starting the day right.
Reading this back, this is just coming off as a bit of a rant, which I guess it is but it has highlighted the importance I place on the ability to move freely and my own pace. Who would have thought that I used to ride daily in London?
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