Re:
I apologise in advance for a fearful breach in etiquette as the bike I used today is not retro... it is not even made of metal, but it is what I ride in the winter.
So, that done, Christmas would not be Christmas without a few miles on the clock and today was the time allocated in my busy schedule of eating cake, drinking coffee and watching old movies on the telly.
Out of W-s-M and over to Yatton by the fastest route... actually the only route, then over to Claverham and thence to the first climb of the day Brockley Combe, not much to see there, other than trees and the usual roadside collection of empty bottles of vodka, full bottles of piss and Costa Coffee cups. Right at the top of the Combe and past Bristol Airport on the A38 and down Redhill, running out of gears on the way down wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Left off the A38, then right, then left and ahhhh, 20 miles in and we are at the bottom of Burrington Combe. A quick munchie bar and a slurp of drink and off to the top.
From the Combe a short sprint and then a right turn towards Charterhouse. At the old lead mines I had to dismount and walk / slither up the hill as the whole thing was just sheet ice. I am VERY glad I did not encounter a car coming down. :facepalm: From Charterhouse it was a chilly ride across to the top of Cheddar Gorge.
I was very cautious on the way down, did not come across any ice but the road was pretty sketchy all the way down. Near the bottom I stopped for some Christmas cake.... It has to be done.
Cheddar itself was absolutely kickin, just about every shop was open and the place was packed, how good is that for the local economy. Riding out of Cheddar towards Shipham I found to my delight that they have resurfaced what was a horrible stretch of road, it is now smooth as the icing on that yummy Christmas cake I just ate.
From Cheddar to Axbridge, through the town to avoid the bonkers cars on the bypass, a quick hop along a tiny stretch of the Strawberry line, then up the A38 to escape towards Winscombe. I managed (just) not to stop at the excellent cake shop and from there to Sandford (past the Thatchers Cider factory), Puxton, along the A370, off that to Wick St Lawrence and home.
Average temperature for the whole ride was 5 degrees, which apart from chilly toes after the ride down the Gorge actually didn't feel too bad.