Well as all my local readers know, the weather was shhh.............ocking today! Rain, rain and more rain!
It did look like it stopped when we were sat in the house, but I just knew it would start again. I just presumed that we would do what we normally do on a wet Wednesday and that is to go to the pictures. Now I realise that this terminology is quite alien to us now days, but it means to go to the movies or cinema. I must stop showing my age!
Just as I was about to let the OB know what film I fancied he said "Right the route that we will take is....." I just stopped in my tracks, turned my IPhone to him and said "But, but, I thought,.....you know, the rain and everything" He just said, "Nah, that's all stopped now" So I went up stairs to get changed.
As soon as we were ready out the door and ready to roll, the rain started to come down again! Oh well, its only just drizzling, we have been out in worse, I have been out in worse! Lets roll.
The OB mentioned something about going to Farnborough then up to Downe and then from there, Jail lane to the Greyhound in Keston. I could do that, it's not a long journey, I think I can manage to do about 12 miles or so today, at a pace where I can talk instead of sending out expletives!
When we got to the top of the lane, however, the rain had no intention of stopping, and was coming down a little harder. The OB obviously had changed plans and rode off towards Keston. I was still thinking that maybe the Greyhound is still on the cards, or maybe the George and then home! But no! Onwards and upwards, towards Biggin Hill, pass the Airport. "Lets ride down Cudham North Lane" he says to me. I always like riding down hill. But the weather was against us. As we were getting higher we could see the valley below and it didnt look good, huge dark clouds looming ready to empty their contents on to us. "Jail lane it is then Old Girl" I still wasn't quite sure of the whole geography of where we are, I'm totally useless, been a passenger far to long! I was still expecting to pop out on to Cudham North Lane! So when the OB said "There is Downe House on the left" I realised where we were!
We took a little break here. My hands were freezing, my coat soaked, but I seem to be dry inside and I was glad I put in contact lenses this evening, otherwise I would have been handicapped by my rain splatted glasses as well. I remembered to turn off my Garmin, but of course being me I forgot to turn it on again. So on my geeky stats it looks as if I had fell off the edge of a cliff and survived! But it was the ride down from Downe village to the bottom of the road!
Up church hill, I used to really really struggle with this hill, even getting of my bike back in the beginning days. I found it hard, but there was not one time I thought "I can't do this" I am not sure if it's because I know its a short hill. But I did it, with a smile on my face.
Next hill is Starts Hill. Again, this held no fear for me and I almost flew up, well, the OB will say differently, but to me, it felt like I flew up. The top of this little hill and again, all down hill to the end, where we will be turning right. I made the OB laugh when I shoved out my hand, to let everybody know that I am turning right. I can do this quite confidently, it's turning left where I don't like to let go of the left, I must work on that. But he said that I sort of do this in an 'aggressive manner, as if to say "Oi you lot, look, I am turning right, so bugger off and let me do it" He was saying all that sort of stuff, in a John Cleese style, which was making me laugh.
From here we were riding to Pettswood to pick up a bit of dinner and then home!
The OB's geeky stats say that we rode for 14.7 miles, with an average moving speed of 10. something mph. But here is mine, with the missing 'fast bit' from Downe village' and always the stop at the local tasty burger shop, attached to it!
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