Got up this morning and looked out the window to be met with a dirty grey black cloud, went to the bathroom (other side of the house) to be met with sunshine. Decided to have a cup of tea and then recheck the weather. 20 minutes later it is grey and overcast to I finish getting ready and of on my Sunday morning ride past Throop Mill. I think not having the mid week ride saved some energy in my legs as I seemed to be flying (I was riding the Whyte). Had some fun with a Squirrel woods at Hurn, he decided to let me chase him down the forest track accept it was down hill and I nearly ran him over, fortunately he turned right and went up a tree and I carried on down the slope.
My next run in with nature was nearly head on with a horse and rider, I was concentrating on getting through some sand before turning off down a track through some bushes and the horse and rider came bounding out of said track. Fortunately I stopped but the horse came to an abrupt halt nearly throwing his rider, he was not expecting to see a cyclist, could job I did not have to apply the brakes hard as the screech from my brakes would of really scared the s**t out of the horse. Pleasantry exchanged I carried on heading for home. When I got in I checked the time and it was 10:02am, I started to put my bike helmet, gloves and Camelbak on at 7:00am, so by the time I got out of the house it would of been a couple of minutes past 7, so I make that 3 hours for a 27 mile ride, certainly my fastest time I have ridden the Throop Loop in.
Now its is time for a whinge (two in fact), there is a new phenomenon creeping into British driving, it is the act of approaching a road junction, be it a normal tee junction, roundabout, traffic light and then stopping anything up-to 2 meters from the junction white line, why? I was told by my driving instructor to make sure I judge the junction right and park with your front wheel just touching the white line. Some these people that park back from the while line are leaving enough space for a Smart car to pull in front of them, I can see absolutely no benefit for doing this what so ever, I just cannot understand it.
My second whinge is about road junctions again, but this time involves car indicator and the position of your car at the junction. If you come up to a Tee junction and you indicate right, is it to much to expect that you move to the right hand side of road and and then when clear to do so actually turn right, of course it is not possible to do that, that is why when you indicate to turn right, you position yourself in the middle of your side of the junction thus blocking access to those that want to turn left or go straight on (in the case of a cross road) and then when you move off you turn left!! Have I missed something, has a new Highway code come out that say I will do what I want to do at road junction and sod everybody else?? The driving awareness of some driver is absolutely abysmal.
