Unintentionally, I might add.
I went out today to do 40km.
I started the ride on some random side streets I have never ridden, had no idea existed, and ultimately turned out not to go anywhere particularly exciting.
After that, I found myself on the road to Longridge. I wasn’t in the mood for going up Jeffrey Hill the same way as I went last time, so decided to go down to Ribchester, then do a climb of Gallows Lane.
But when I got into Ribchester I turned off early and decided to head up the long and fairly full on climb up to Jeffrey Hill on the climb I consider the second hardest way up (the other one I did last time being the fourth hardest).
I was glad I did, because whilst difficult, I enjoyed it and paced it well.
The one learning I got was that I have to get my gear cables sorted. The shifting is now… really bad. It’s all over. Phantom shifting, struggling to get back in the big ring, a good chunk of my gears are unusable, and I suspect I’m probably doing a bit of damage along the way.
So I’ll book some time with the bike mechanic.
But the climb was good. A new PR on that one, apparently. Nothing to write home about, and I know I could push harder. The one downer today was the wind – which has been a real bugger throughout the last two weeks. You would never know it was summer. I was out in long sleeves for jersey and base layer, and a gilet. Roll on Winter, eh?
It has taken it out of me though. I was really tired when I got back. I should sleep well tonight.
