Today me and the Old Boy planned a lovely leisurely ride home from Sevenoaks. This is an alternative route to what the Old Boy had thought of before. He had in mind that we were going to ride home from Tonbridge, up some huge gradient hills, until someone in the know, who loves cycling, said that would be a very, very challenging route! So the Old boy thought about another one, after saying that he could quite easily do the Tonbridge ride!
To get to Sevenoaks we had to ride to Chislehurst Station. This is so that we didn't have to carry the bikes up and over bridges to get on to the platform, we could just ride through and be on the right one.
I didn't start the Garmin from when we left home. I am being quite tough on myself, and said that the ride doesn't start until we get to Sevenoaks. The sky is overcast and it is a little chilly out. It was so much nicer yesterday. Oh well, we are not going to let the weather spoil our lovely ride out today. Our train came in at 12:03 and we got out bikes on and managed not to upset anyone or get in any ones way! Which was one of my worries!
Sitting on the train, the Old boy just looked at his bike, the way he used to look at me. He even had that same smile! all too soon the train ride was over and we got off. Then the Old boy said to me that we have to carry our bikes up the stairs to get out of the station.
I let the Old Boy go up first, in hope that he will come back down and collect mine for me (which he didn't) and I struggled up the flights of stairs. I noticed another cyclists wanting to come down "How nice, he is waiting until I get up first" I thought to my self, but just as got to the top I noticed the lady with a suitcase,that got off the train with us, stepping out of the LIFT which the other cyclists was waiting for! "There's a bloomin lift!" I screeched at the Old boy, "That's the first time I have known that to be working" he says in defence.
Well, that done, can't grumble, we have 16 miles between us and a nice hot cuppa, with a lunch stop en route! So from here is where our journey begins. Here, take a butchers!
Ok, so I'm not looking glamarous, but this is a bike ride you know! We went straight across from the station and headed on towards Bat And Ball (peculiar name, I know) and I was just attempting a slight incline, probably like the incline up the A21, when Nagging Sister called me. Of course, being a woman I can't not answer the phone, I have to know what she wanted. The Old boy didn't notice that I had stopped to take a call. So after a short time I saw the Old Boy appear from the top of the hill as he came back to look for me.
Call done, (Nagging sister suitable impressed by my ride today) we attempted the hill again, (the second time for the Old Boy) and I managed to cycle up the hill, no problem. Onwards through Bat and ball. So far so good. Yes, this is going to be a pleasant ride, unlike the one he originally thought of.
Up now towards Otford. This is a lovely little village, with its own little duckpond in the middle. Here is a picture of it, with me as focal point of course.
Now, for the pain and busy bit. Just after this lovely little village, and the very nice ride to get here so far, there was a hill, and not the little hill that Nagging Sister stopped me from zooming up. Ok not as bad as Old Hill! (although it does look it, to me) but it goes on and on for about 2 miles. 2 miles of steep steep. Of course I didn't make it. I tried, I really did. I even overtook a bus that had parked at the side so I didn't have to stop, but then as I turned the corner (and saw the hill grow even more) some inconsiderate driver just got a little too close to me and I lost my momentum and a little confidence! I did ride up some the hill, just not all of it.
At the crest of the hill I felt elated, because before me was a down hill, it was stretched out, and I couldn't see the end of the gorgeous down hill stretch before me. I just flicked up my gears to the highest and tried to peddle as much as possible. I remember the Old Boy mentioned there was another hill just not as bad as the one we just done. Usually when going down hill I have my hands on the brakes and just giving them a gentle squeeze, but I was enjoying covering this distance and this speed, getting closer to Lunch Land! And by now, I thought I had done enough for a lovely lunch. One more small hill before we reached Eynsford, the place where we are having lunch.
It had just started to rain "Here's a cyclists trick" I said to the Old boy, and I produced at plastic bag from under my seat and covered my seat, "Oh that's a good idea he said and promptly took it me and covered his seat first then stretched what was left over mine!
Lunch was delicious though. We were in 'The Plough' at Eynsford, the Old Boy ordered a couple of diet cokes, but there was a small mistake about the charge for them, the barman had charged for bottle coke instead of draught, but after the Old boy said he could sort it out after as we will be having lunch here, the barman said, "well in that case, pudding is on me" Of course I wasn't planning on having pudding, but after such a super gesture like that how could I refuse!
Now this is the pleasure bit again. After that huge hill, and the small hill, now comes sheer indulgence. The pub is a lovely pub, and we were sat in really comfy seats. The Old boy ordered a salad, and I ordered the linguine. Not too difficult, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that will need the skills of Gordon Ramsey. But we sat there, and sat there, we watched other people eat their lunch, and we sat there. We sat there until 2:30 before our lunch arrived! I didn't mind, but I was rather hungry by then. But when it arrived, mmmm, it was very tasty! Here's a pic of our lunches
We soon finished that, and it was on to the pudding! Unfortunately I was in eating mode by then and forgot to take a picture of the lovely trifle that turned up, (the Old Boy is not a pudding lover)
But because of the time, we had to eat and run. We paid up and went outside to get ready for the rest of the ride home. An hour and half we were there, approximate, but at least the rain had stopped.
Here's a picture of me, locating satellites on my Garmin, (after being reminded to by the Old Boy)
Now, those of you who know Eynsford and can guess the way that the Old Boy had in mind for the route home then you know what is store for me, and those of you who don't take a look at the geeky stats at the end! Just around the corner is where there is a huge hill, not something that you want to be doing just after having a delicious lunch, with pudding. I almost chundered at the sight of it, let alone trying to cycle up it!
You can guess, I didn't quite manage to do that. In fact we were overtaken by another cyclist, who called out rather politely "Lovely day, isn't it" and carried on riding up the hill as it it was nothing. After I stopped the Old boy had his competitive hat on and tried to catch up to the other guy, "I could have got him" he says.
At the peak of this hill is the bridge across the M25. I was exhausted, but I know that we are more that half way home now, so not long now, and the Old Boy did say that was the last big hill before we get home, "well until Poverest" he said with a smile.
We flew down the next couple of hills, it was like a roller coaster at the fair. A hill, then fly down, a smaller hill, then fly down. Then there was Poverest! "You are going to go up this in one go" Says the Old Boy "One go, no stopping" he barked again. "I will try" I said, not very convincingly. And so I did. I got up a very short way before I had to stop "Is that it, is that all you got, I'll give you eat trifle" he said, and he flew up the hill.
I tried again and again. I didn't want to walk up, I wanted to cycle up. so I cycled some and stopped, then cycled again and stopped until I got to the top! "There, I did it, I cylcled!" I said triumphantly to the Old Boy.
From here it was just through PettsWood, quick stop off at the local supermarket and home!
Done it. A very enjoyable afternoon out, with a delicious lunch. Cant wait for the next ride!
Geeky stats. And you will notice that it appears that we jump across peoples gardens again, but that is because I forgot to start the Garmin again after we stopped at the shop!
We got home, and we were both very cold, and the Old Boy said that the old family jewels have hibinated!!!
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