A weekend graced by glorious weather draws to a close. The longer, warmer evenings have prompted me to get back on the bike, and I feel so much better for exchanging winter lethargy for summer exercise.
In tonight's evening heat, I felt good spinning the pedals up the long drag out of Chalfont St Giles. My cycle this evening was a short one, but I love the ride back into the village along the Misbourne valley via Bowstridge Lane. The new-born lambs are in full and delightful voice.
It's good to read inspirational tales of rather longer cycling adventures. The Guardian's Two Wheels cycling last week was entitled Adventures of the Night Riders and featured a CTC ride through the night from London to the coast. This is dangerous territory for me. I've always loved the idea of cycling through the summer night, although I admit I've never yet turned the idea into practice. Another marathon night ride is the Exmouth Exodus from Bristol to the Devon coast, run by Dave Atkinson who was the tour leader on our cycle tour of Umbria four years ago. Back in June 1995 I enjoyed my first true cycling holiday from Wiltshire to the coast at Beer in east Devon - and back.
The idea of cycling those wonderful lanes at night is intoxicating, though the thought of having to make my way back to Buckinghamshire afterwards is just as daunting! Maybe one day...
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