I'm The Leader!

Hello blog lovers

It's been a while since I posted a cycling blog, but I did go out last week, I just didn't get around to writing about it, and today I am still writing about my ride yesterday!  I am just a slow rider! Getting back late and then eating dinner! Well that's my excuse anyway!

So yesterdays route was slightly different to where we usually go, up to Halstead then through to Knockholt Village and then down Cudham Lane, across the round about and then down to Opington up the awful Knolls Rise and head on home! Simples.

The weather was kind to us, there was a few very short moments of drips of rain coming down at us, but that stopped before I had even realised it. We didn't go the usual way to Halstead either.  I don't really like going up the ally way, so we decided to go on through Pettswood, and I took a detour through the Palace estates.  It's where I sometimes go running with my running club, nice quite roads and streets.  Then we turned left to go up towards Orpington but turned right on to Newstead Avenue.  This is the way I go when I drop off a little squashy character to nursery school.  Again these are nice quite roads.  I chose these roads as we were cycling along, and I really did feel like I was the leader of a ride, even though there was only me and the Old Boy!

All the  latest  accidents resulting in  the deaths of cyclists have been really hitting the news lately, now I am not saying that I am a little more worried that usual,  but it does make you think.  I know people in the morning are all trying to get to work on time, and they're in a hurry, which you would hope, make the homeward journey a bit more relaxed.  But then drivers could be tired or stressed about a particular horrid day, and even thinking about their next days work, but yesterday I noticed there were quite a lot of drivers giving us plenty of room as they passed, and also when they were approaching us, instead of trying to squeeze by on the narrower lanes, they waited until we had passed them.  I was very pleased with that, and I said "Thank you" to the driver, not that he could hear me, but I just wanted to say it.  The Old Boy said "He must be a cyclists!"

We reached Cudham North Lane and the Old Boy gave me a choice, we could stick the the route that was suggested or turn left and go through to Biggin Hill.  Now I know that just down Cudham Lane here there is a very nice public house, with the outside smoking area being one of the most cosiest I know!  Wood burner, lights, books, not that I have a smoke here, or even a read, but it is a nice place to sit and you can keep an eye on your bikes without having to chain them up! So we turned right and headed for the Blacksmiths arms!

We slightly over stayed out usual 1 pint and off, as it was just so cosy there, cooking dinner went on the back burner (pun intended, I think) as we headed off towards Opington and that hill, but of course we had a new stopping destination added, and that was our local kebab shop for a tasty burger to go with our already prepared salad!

Just slightly under 20 miles, I shall grab the Old Boys geeky stats later this evening and upload them here. A very nice pleasant ride indeed, albeit blooming freezing, especially after coming out of the cosy room!