Well, that must be one of the shortest tours ever. I rode down to Marlborough (1 mile?) and stopped in a coffee shop to consider my options for travel home, over a bacon sandwich. Bedwyn was a few miles south, but entailed heading back through the Savernake Forest, which I'd done yesterday. It was quite muddy yesterday, so I decided to go to Hungerford, only 9 miles east along the A4. The A4 was pretty quiet and wide enough for traffic to pass with plenty of room. And no ice. I had my fourth coffee of the day in Hungerford, and then hopped onto a train back home, feeling a bit sorry about abandoning the trip but knowing it was the right decision.
Thank you for all the comments on the blogs, both encouraging and also confirming my decision to stop!
Trip stats and maps:
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| Day 1: Andover to Savernake: 53 miles, 1192m ascent, average temp, 0.0 degrees C*. |
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| Day 2: Savernake to Hungerford: 13 miles, 157m ascent, average temp 1.7 degrees C. |
* according to Garmin Connect
Sorry it didn't work out Simon, we all think you are mad to have gone ahead, and wonderfully enthusiastic to have thought it was a good idea in January!
ReplyDeleteAnd glad you didn't meet any bears...
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the right decision! Spring, Summer, longer days and warmer weather will all arrive in good time.
ReplyDelete