Well, today was the day of the St Edmunds Wheel bike rides, runs and walks. And what a great morning for it it was. Lovely sunshine and not much wind. The missus pinned my magic number onto my T-shirt and off I went to join in. Here is registration in the Abbey Gardens...
What a lot of bikes! The 50 and 75 milers set off first, after a slight delay as the council had decided to close Kings Road a day early, so an alternative route through town had to be devised and marshalled. The it was the turn of the 25 milers (including me). We had to push to the Abbey Gate first...
... before getting on. It felt great being part of a Tour de France style peloton pedalling gently through the streets...
... and then out along Westley Road into the open countryside. Through Little Saxham, Chevington, Whepstead to Hawstead was great cycling as there wasn't much wind and the downhills seemed steeper and longer than the uphills. I started to get worried I may have gone the wrong way when I overtook some people with red numberplates, and then green, but it all became clear at Hawstead Green, where there was a drink stop for all of the different routes...
From there, once across the busy A134 - the only significant traffic on the whole route, it was on towards more familiar cycling terrain for me. I didn't bother stopping at the second drink stop at Blackthorpe Barn, as it felt like the home stretch by then - up to Thurston and back along Route 51, where the poppies are looking exteremely cheerful, past my cheering fans (well the missus and little S and W) at the end of my road and back down Mount Rd to the Abbey Gardens.
And here's me with my T-shirt and medal to show I finished...
Well the legs are a bit stiff now, but it feels great. Maybe I'll try the 50 miles next year.
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