What a fantastic day
.
After my little trip around the block to wake the folks up
I had a spot of early lunch in preparation.
Just after 1pm I got myself properly kitted out - silk socks, carrier bag socks, cotton socks, Norwegian Army longjohns, tights, base layer, Norwegian Army base layer, winter jersey, jacket - it took a while
. Set out for Selsdon woods for a bit of fun having dropped the pressure in the tyres to about 20psi.
Stunning scenery as you all know but in the woods it was beautiful. Rode along the bottom section which was compacted due to all the sledgers having made their way along there to the fields. I could go along here at a good speed as being firm it was like single track, just a bit more slippery in places. Carried on through all the fields to the car park at the far end and then decided to go up the hill across the field to the tracks through the woods at the top.
No one had been walking here so it was about a foot deep and really hard work ploughing my way through it with the snow way up the wheels, forks, and over the chainset. With the odd slip I had to put a foot down from time to time and restart. This proved a bit tricky as snow was getting compacted and turning to ice in the pedals, but sorted this with the odd stab about with a tyre level to clear them.
Once at the top and back on the tracks. Just the odd dog walker had been through these though so it was again heavy going bumping about and ploughing through the snow which was still about bottom bracket deep at least all along these. It was hard work but just had to keep pedaling and powering on, any let up and I'd stop in seconds in the deep stuff, but fantastic fun.
Once all along the top, via the odd wiggle up and down a few other tracks, I cleaned the brakes of the worst of the snow to try and get some movement from the brakes and then dropped down the wiggly descent back to the gate. Back along the bottom path for a bit of speed and then cut back through Selsdon Vale to pick up Yew Tree Way and over to the folks again for a coffee stop.
I was going to go straight home but couldn't resist a trip down to Addington Village via Addington Park. Went up the path at the side on Gravel Hill to go in at the top gate and then had some more ploughing through deep snow before a fun deep powder snow descent to the gate. A ride around the church and the old forge, where I bumped in to a couple of CX skiers and then back home.
All in all a great day, even if solo riding, and over 3 hours of good cycling. Who says the snow has to put a downer on things
.