Polly finishes her three years at Hull University & time is running out for me to take on this cycle. She & Emma will be (weather permitting) doing a skydive on Wed 6/6/12..and with the Jubilee I have Tuesday off. So I decided to go for it. The route mainly on back roads had been in my garmin for over a year.
The planned route takes me through Oakham to Grantham,,,then flatter terrain through Lincoln to Hull.
the first part was spent on the main road to oakham, then keeping to B roads to Grantham which was only 42 miles away. Too early for lunc so I pressed on to Lincoln. There was a nice southerly wind helping me & soon Lincoln cathedral was spotted on the horizon. I decided to fuel up on a big mac meal with milk shake, and somehow managed to get up the hill out of Lincoln after this. The B1398 kept along the top of a ridge with terrific views to the left. Soon I was passing Forest Pines Golf course. I chuckled as I remembered how far north it felt when we drove there on golf tour....I had got there in 5 hours!!!
I carried on along Ermine Street thinking of the Roman Legions who would have marched along this road 2000 years ago.
I kept scanning the horizon..and there it was..Humber Bridge. I knew there was one last stiff hill out of South Ferriby & once over thatI was soon at the bridge. Going over the Severn Bridge in 2009 was very tough with a side-gale. On this bridge I was gently blown over by the southerly wind.
Down into town my route took me through the park with the Football ground in and soon I was at Polly's house. Tired but still with some legs left the large steak & a few pints went down very nicely.
Soon Ali Luke & Finley joined us in the Jazz pub round the corner.
Next day Polly & Emma did the skydive - brave girls! www.justgiving.com/pollyshackleton
116miles 7h5m @ a good 16.5mph 3300ft climb(pretty flat for the distance
