An old steel frame

I took the gravel track along the river instead, and did not regret the extra hour. Rain was forecast for the afternoon and for once it kept to the schedule.

The cafe at the halfway point was closed, as it has been every time I counted on it. I got home with the lights on, later than I had promised. There was a headwind for the whole second half, so I stopped looking at the speed.

I left before the town woke up, which is the only way to have the road to yourself. Nothing about this route is remarkable, which is exactly why I like it. I carry two tubes, a pump and a small multitool, and so far that has always been enough.

The climb is not steep, but it goes on for longer than the map suggests. My legs were fine; it was my hands that complained by the end. The descent on the far side is narrow, with one blind corner that I always take too carefully.