The fat lad doth protest too much, methinks!
After the success and enjoyment of the last trip we arranged another slightly longer run out for our next days off that coincided. The suggestion of heading to Kendal cropped up and we tagged in a visit to Evans Cycles whilst out and about. A quick Google Map of some routes and we had a rough idea of what we wanted to do.
Ride day arrives and as before we meet at Slyne Lodge and head out down the A6 toward Milnthorpe, for those that read the Arnside report this first leg is almost the reverse of the tedious, long slog that sucked every last bit of will and hope from my soul last time. But with the wind behind us this time we soon made short work of it and it felt like a totally different stretch of road. Just before we reach Beetham we take a diversion through Hale and onto some smaller B-roads through Hale, Hincaster & Sedgwick (including a slight blip in the map that almost put us on the dual carriageway!) From Sedgwick we arrive in Kendal and navigate our way through the one-way system to arrive at Evans Cycles for a nosy around at what we can't afford!
After deciding we couldn't afford anything, least of all the Carbon BMC adorning their staircase, we head out for perhaps the most gruelling section ever - I'll let you click the link to reveal the monster route.
Heading away for Stage 3 we weren't actually settled on a route home so we followed our noses out of Kendal and after a bit of shouting and uncertainty we ended up heading for Oxenholme Station. Now it's been a while since I was last here but even my fading grey matter recalls the road to the Station isn't what you might say flat - in fact it is quite the opposite! After having had a re-fuel stop this climb is not what I needed in the first 5k nor what was to follow - I have never actually been further than the Station was was completely clueless as to what I had let myself in for. I assumed that it would be 'a bit hilly' due to he nature of where we were and what I could see but how wrong could I be. After the Station this road just kept climbing and climbing and climbing - any slight let up was only equalled out and more by the next incline not to mention that by now we were cycling into the wind so even downhill was hardwork!
Eventually we reached the summit nearly an hour into the journey home and only 11.5k done. Not too familiar with where we were I had no idea it was still 8k to Kirkby Lonsdale which meant after that just the last 19.5k home! At least from now on it was downhill to Kirkby which gave the knee some much needed respite having had to dismount for one climb already (yes yes Boo Hiss I hear you cry). Finally arriving in Kirkby we stop for a much needed sugar rush before heading home via Melling and Tunstall again into the wind - as if the hills hadn't sucked the life from me this was now being to hurt and to make things worse I now knew exactly how far and what the road was like all the way home but I just had to keep lugging away - even as I passed my Dad in the car (he was going the other way!!). Before long I arrived at a familiar sight of Caton and I was home!
So with plans afoot for the next ride out Doug has already declared this Summer he wants to do a 100miler (yep twice as far as my raggedy body has just done) and also wants to get some training in for the Sportive he has entered - I hope to God he has some days off before me!!