Hello blogees.
Well, me and the old boy had a rest day yesterday, we are old you know!. But today the old boy felt good, apart from aching knees, but he felt like he could go on a gentle bike ride.
I hadn't done any running today, so was quite happy to join him, he said he will only go on a gentle 5 mile, to Bromley and back.
So after finding batteries for my lights, and a bit of sticky tape (so the Old boy can use Big Sons lights from his old bike) we were all set for a night time ride. I have never been out as yet for a dark night time ride. I was a bit apprehensive, but I knew we would be staying on the main roads, and the well lit back roads.
It wasn't cold out at all. I had my all singing all dancing jacket on, and my cycling gloves (which the Old Boy looked at enviously) and I didn't have my cycling helmet either! I was being a bit of a rebel. We went on through the park and out on to the road that leads to Chislehurst.
The Old boy is loving the ride so far and he is following me behind, (maybe he likes the view!) all the way into Bromley he followed me, and encouraged me to get a move on! It seems I am a slow coach compared to him. All he kept saying to me was "You would like one of these bikes Old Girl" Now why would he say that, why is he 'dissing' my bike, she has been good so far. But looking at his super new bike and all those gears,........ sigh. Still, we kept up a good pace.
"So we going to turn left or what?" I said to the Old Boy, "No, we are going to go to Shortlands, stay off the main roads" he said. My navigation skills are well known to my husband (thank goodness for satnavs, probably saved loads of marriages) so I asked him to take the lead.
I tried to keep up with him, I wasn't that far behind him, and kept up a good steady pace. The hill down was super, but a bit scary, it being wet and dark and very, very steep and all! I did have the brakes applied, I expect half of Shortlands could hear my squeaking brakes, but its best to be safe than sorry, I always say. All too soon though, that hill was over and done with. Now, I know we didn't come up a hill like that, maybe just a small incline, which of course means that somewhere on the ride home from here we are going to have to climb up! Thoughts of Saturdays ride came back to me, well we are in the same sort of area, and that long long hill going to the pub! Mmm, yup, that's round here some where.
But before we got there, we were going down on roads that I recognised, and I knew would take us home, I just couldn't remember what the hills were like. "Turn here" said the Old Boy, "We'll go past the big school" I knew where that was, and I knew that was where the hill would be, but I'm prepared. But then I got more instructions from the old boy, to do more turns, and I was peddling my little fat legs up hills and not having a clue where I was, for one thing I can't remember passing the school. "Where are we?" I said and the Old boy said from behind me (because somehow I had become 'leader' again, and he said "Old Hayes, you know, Ribs" Then just up a little further I spotted the rib restaurant, oh, lovely, "I wonder how much money I have on me" I said to my self. "We're not stopping, keep going Old Girl" he says. Did he just read my thoughts, or did I say that out loud!
Of course, the hill was still to come, even though we were riding up a slight incline for seemed like ages now. And there it was, THE HILL It was the hill that we rode up on Saturday. My legs were hurting, I'm not sure what my heart rate was (I had forgotten to put on the HRM) "Keep going, go on, Don't stop, I'm right at your back wheel" Which is quite a scary thought! If I did suddenly lose power in my legs, then he is going to crash into me, and there is quite a bit of traffic on this road.
A turning left, "Is this the one" I said as I puffed and puffed up the darn hill, "No, not that one, the next one." And so I peddled and peddle, the Old Boy encouraging me to keep on going. Thank goodness the turn left!
"You can go straight on on do this left" Said the Old Boy. Well I chose the left. I knew the straight on road, and it was straight on up, up and up towards Thre Greyhound pub! I don't think I could have made it all the way.
But after just a quarter of the way down this road I began to think that maybe I should have gone straight up. It was dark, there were no street lights at all, and it was a narrow road! Very scary, the Old Boy telling me to get right to the left as cars were coming up behind us. I couldn't see what was on the left, whether it was a big ditch or pavement or puddles or sticky mud! And when cars came from the other side their headlights were quite blinding as they got up close, and I lost sight of the road!
Thank goodness we got through that bit ok! I know where I am now, and I know the road is a pleasant down hill jaunt from here. A lovely smooth ride! In fact both me and the Old Boy decided to go to the end, then turn left and go right down to the round about and up Southborough Lane, to Turpington and then turn down Greenway! My usual jog!
We went home through the park, where the Old Boy still didn't let me cruise through, oh no, he wanted me to peddle like mad to the fence!
Out of the park, down the road and onto our road. The Old boy did say something about the last one home cooks dinner, but I said it has to be the best cyclist that has that honour, and that was him!
Geeky stats
time 1:11:55 (HMS)
distance 10.65 miles so much for it being a gentle 5 miler!!
If you want to see the route then just click on the Garmin thing on facebook!
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