Ending The Week With The Near Naked Man

It was not a promising start to the week when the Met Office, still providing the BBC with their weather, reported that "the weather out there today is wet and shitty with continued wet and shitty in the afternoon. Tomorrow a chance of continued crappy with a pissy weather front coming down from the north. Basically, it's [going to be] wetter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut." .. don't you just love Robin Williams!

I, therefore, thought I'd be locked up inside for the duration working on an ark, for the day of judgement seemed soon to be upon us. A break in the weather surprisingly appeared on Tuesday morning in time for me, filled with guilt and jitters for having only ridden once since the 100 miler 2 weeks ago, to venture out on an early morning spin. The window was, however, a short one as having only pedalled 5 of my intended 20 miles, god's sprinklers got turned up to max and I had to make a slight detour to the Colour Wheel coffee shop to steam off a little dampness and take on warm coffee and a very welcomed toasted tea cake. The staff were very surprised to see me tap my way, dripping, into their shop and questioned my ability to read the weather forecast! I completed my 20 mile soaking back at the Broom Wagon where I was offered a towel to sit on, such was by then the state of my attire!

Soggy view from the Broom Wagon

Wednesday saw a dove arrive with an olive branch .. or at least a promise of clear sky for the afternoon. I had been hoping to catch up with an old colleague from Yorkshire holidaying in the area and agreeing that this forecast looked the most promising for a while, we agreed a late afternoon rendezvous in Lyme Regis. I took the Tarmac on a circular route, as you know, I do not like having to retrace my steps if at all possible. The roads were dry and clear in all but the shaded sections where I received a slightly pleasurable dampening, the afternoon August heat now building. 

Thursday was another mixed day with a promise of clear and rain free evening for the regular AVP ride. I had earlier fitted a set of new hefty Schwalbe Marathon tyres to an old set of Mavic wheels which I had thought to set aside for the winter / wet weather. This is akin to the F1 teams having sets of slick 'super soft tyres' which I normally run on and a set of wet weather tyres. The Marathon's will be the wet weather tyres I can shoe my steeds with when venturing out during the winter. I had, however, not assumed to have to consider them so soon, although for this Thursday evening ride, they were a godsend and perfect for the not so well maintained Devon roads frequented only by farm vehicles and those lost following their satnavs. Well this night's road ride(s) were a bit different. Around 11 riders met up at the Kings Arms. Grinch led the 6 club riders out to Lyme while Quiff took the sprint ride towards Crewkerne. Somehow, I managed to get swept along with the sprint group until Raymonds Hill when Curtis and I peeled off to take in Tatworth, Chardstock and Membury. http://ridewithgps.com/trips/6261940. This was when my Schwalbe Marathons came into their own as we traversed some very slimy and gritty sections over which my normal slicks would have been severely punished. After a good 35 miles covered, I was feeling decidedly pooped (Clive's term) and it was even too late for any recovery beer & chips! Still .. it was great to have got out for another spin.

I had planned to leave my cycling for the week there. That was until I received a text from The Near Naken Man on Sunday morning. The message was that he was going out for a ride in 30 minutes and did I want to join him. Before my legs had a chance to counter the decision, I was lycra'd up and spinning the Tarmac down to the Broom Wagon. The Near Naked Man does not do wet weather cycling, so assumed I'd not need a rain cape, nor the Roubaix still shod with Thursday night's wet weather tyres. Big mistake! By the time we reached Sidford, I was again wet to the skin! I couldn't grumble though, it was a great ride and the biblical weather reminded me so much of last year's Ride London and that feeling that you can only get so wet after which it some how becomes comical. I do wish however that drivers would heed the weather conditions and show more consideration to their fellow road users, who do not have the luxury of a windscreen, roof and cozy air-conditioning .. I have too few digits to count the number who sprayed us with dirty puddle juice as they passed dangerously close in both directions .. may be the parliamentary petition to add cycle awareness and safety to the current Driving theory test will do some good for new drivers, for the old .. well, answers on a post card ;)

Cycling with the Near Naked Man