I Need More Hills!

Apologies, regular readers, for the delay in writing this blog, but I have been busy you see, busy cycling, busy raising money, and busy planning our trip!

To get up to date since my last post, on Bank Holiday Monday (the 3rd May), Capt and I went for a 45 miler without Purser, who had a horrible cold. Bless him.

Capt fancied a trip to a hill he never managed to get up as a kid, near the Dumpost Inn (if that's how you spell it). So we met up at 7:45 at the bottom of Caen Hill, went out via Bromham, Sandy Lane and then to the hill. It was steeper than a 1 in 4, but we both made it up in record time (Capt even overtook me at one point, but I soon caught him up again :D). Then we went on the cycle track between Chippenham and Calne which is a super ride, very flat and well maintained. I took Capt on a trip up memory lane in Calne, as we cycled round a few old haunts of his from when he was a child (he seemed to spend a lot of time in back alleys)!

We then went round Stockley, up Sandy Lane again, and down Bowden Hill. Wow, what a ride! About a mile, brilliant downhill, and straight away we were saying that we needed to go up it, but perhaps next week. To celebrate, we had a Cream Soda from the Post Office in Lacock, then went back home via Gastard, Whitley, Semington and the canal. When we got back to Seend we decided to do Bollands Hill (well if we can do that after 40 miles then we are in good shape), so we did! Straight up, no messing. Hurrah!

After that I decided to go out every day, so Tuesday I did a 14 miler in the morning, Weds I did a trip to Seend to the pub (where we discussed strategy and drew up a list for the trip), Thursday I did another 14 miler in the morning, and Friday I cycled to work. And back. Brill.

Saturday I spent with the kids, so the next ride was Sunday, where we decided t do every hill we could think of, including Bowden! Purser drew up a super route which took us from Bulkington through Trowbridge, up the hill at Farleigh Hungerford, down to Iford where we took a look at the river. Then we set off and round the corner came the steepest hill I have ever come across! Capt was wheel spinning, Purser couldn't get it in the right gear, and I pushed on to the top in granny gear, standing up! An incredible hill!

We then went down to Freshford and got lost looking for the road to Limpley Stoke. When we finally got there we had a banana break and then set off up towards Bradford on Avon. Now then, that is a looooong hill, I would say, from bottom to top, at least 1.5 miles. It was a long, hard slog! Then over to Neston via Atworth, and over to Lacock, where we had another Cream Soda (well, Capt and I did) and a finger of fudge.

Then we set off up Bowden. What a hill. It is steep and long. It gets steeper about 3/4 of the way up. It was a real trial, but again we made it, puffing a touch at the top. Our reward was downhill all the way to Bromham, then we finished off with Spout Lane (so called, we reckon, because there is a spring there which means that the road is always wet). We bid our farewells and then back home. Brill.

So, almost up to date, except to say that I didn't cycle yesterday but I did give my bike a service. Tightened the brakes, cleaned and oiled the chain, all lovely and shiny. This morning I did 14 miles.

In total I am now 15 stone 5, and have cycled 730 miles since the start of March.

What I need now is more hills. More bigguns. I'm getting to quite like them, which I tought would never, ever happen!