Gravel and Mr Michael

 Yesterday saw a bit of an epic. After a wet weekend, I decided that it was time to get Lance (Specialized) the gravel bike out. Partly because he has mudguards, also it meant I could cross the Severn Valley and not have to come back via Ironbridge (Jiggers) and the increasing number of traffic lights and roadworks. Or risk the by-pass which I didn't fancy after an earlier encounter with a fire engine. 

Going south of Bridgnorth means hills and they're particularly horrid. Navigation is also an issues, with intermittent phone signals and hidden or missing road signs. At one point I nearly missed a turning as the sign was buried in a hedge. Not wanting to descend and then re-climb a hill I got off and found the sign in a hedge - only readable from the uphill direction.

Perhaps that's the attraction of south Shropshire. It is like being in the middle of no-where. Once back on the road I headed for Bridgnorth. The road down Oldbury has been a favourite since my school days. It now has one of those smiley face signs to regulate traffic speed. I felt a sense of achievement when it turned red. Not bad for an aging diabetic on a gravel bike.

I then followed the Severn Way and Silkin Way home. Might not have been step, but the unsurfaced path was a pain in the butt - literally.

Today saw me back out of Herman-the-German-flying-machine with Michael. An old friend and yoga teacher. Michael has just started to emerge from lockdown. This is in part due to his wife needing serious surgery and follow-up treatment. In normal circumstances she would have needed to isolate to avoid colds and flu, but the Covid situation has made matters worse.

Michael can still hold his own on a bike, despite his advancing years. However, not having ridden any hills for over two years we managed to find a gentle route (if such a thing exists) around the Wrekin. Only issue with living on top of a hill, it is always hard work getting home.

The new wheels for Herman still haven't arrived and I hope to get something sorted soon. Bad news from the London-Edinburgh-London organisers is that Yad Moss is off due to road works. So they have found a steeper and longer detour. Great!

Half-term boot camp.

When I left work on Friday, a colleague said, "I know what you're doing next week. Lots of cycling."
She was correct. Saturday was on the river with a SUP customer, but then it started. A damp Monday saw me taking out the mountain bike, that way I had the option of heading into the woods to escape the rain. I headed down to Ironbridge and along the Severn towards Bridgnorth. This included passing my old school.

Not Hogwarts, more Stalag 13 meets the Shining. I've included a @FATMAP for this ride as it may be something visitors to Telford might enjoy. The MTB was a mistake as there was a fair bit of tarmac to get back to Broseley.
The end of the week saw Pam and I staying with friends in South Shropshire. I rode down on Thursday afternoon and back on Friday. Progress was slow. The gravel bike although welcome on the worn out country lanes is far from a speed machine. The average speed is far too slow for the L-E-L, so this week I'm going to start riding Herman-the-German-Flying-Machine.

This was my Ride London Surrey 100 bike back in 2015/16. This bike is light and fast, just need to see how it handles the longer endurance type rides.
I'm not into the monarchy and the Jubilee passed. We did go to watch the fireworks on Caradoc while in the south of the county. An underwhelming experience, but at least someone was trying.

So this week is back to work and the start of preparations for our fundraising afternoon tea in July. If you would like to come along, please message me for details. Obliviously you tea and scone will require a donation, but there will also the chance to be insulted by Dawley's answer to Mrs Brown, who unlike the weather is always guaranteed - to offend.
The glucose levels are also coming down. The weekly average is below 10mmol/L - even after food. However, my blood pressure nearly hit a new high today, when a woman with obesity issues bragged about her husband getting a continuous blood glucose monitor. They both take no exercise and she had the nerve to tell me that us type 2s do not deserve expensive equipment because it is our own fault. My mother and two aunties on my father's side had diabetes. Hence probably a genetic link, but I'm not going to fight it with insulin, chips and daytime telly. If I had seen this coming I would have taken preventative measures.
In 1998 I realised my weight was becoming an issue, with regular cycling I managed to get it down from 19 stone to 16 stone in 3 months. I have cycled the London Surrey twice and managed in 2017 to pass the swim test for the PADI Divemaster assessment (similar to a lifeguard test). I am now 15 stone 3 lbs, I've not been this light in years. Then the fat lump before me had the nerve to suggest it was my lifestyle. When I was tested for diabetes I had already begun training for the L-E-L. This chase for remission won't end here, type 2 diabetes is a state of mind and not a permanent condition.

If you would like to donate to my nominated charity, please used the following link:

Shelter

New ride!

Saturday's planned AUDAX permanent cancelled due to weather (bit cold to go up the Clee) and road closures out towards Ludlow. So, a new route around Cound Moor. See FATMAP.  Bit of a training ride for the summer event as it contains every sort of terrain that I'll encounter in miniature. Announcements next month on where I'll be riding.