Dull, grey, drizzly. Oh yes, let's go for a cycle!
Oh, and while you're at it, do it during morning rush hour — and head for Waterloo, so that you have to negotiate all the traffic along Kensington High Street, Parliament Square and Blackfriars Road.
But there was method to my madness. Or a reward in mind, at least.
I wanted to be in line for tickets to see Hamlet at the Young Vic when doors opened. That's because tickets to this production are all sold out, but each day the theatre releases up to 20 "gallery only" tickets for £10 a pop. The only catch is you have to buy the tickets on the day you want to attend, and the seats, which have a spectacular view, are just stools, no backs.
By 9.45am I had my two tickets, so then it was time for a treat — coffee and a muffin in the Young Vic bar (very good food, service and atmosphere at that time of the morning) — before getting back on the bike and heading to the West End.
I parked up on Lower Regent Street, met my Other Half for "elevenses", then wandered up to Waterstone's on Picadilly for a browse (which turned into a book buying feast) and tried to ignore all the stares I got from fellow shoppers and tourists. So what if I was wearing my cycling kit and had helmet hair, anyone would think they'd never seen a woman in a night-vision jacket before.
Afterwards, I bought some take-out sushi from the Japan Centre and then got back on the bike for the 4.5 mile journey home.
It was a brilliant little "errand run", although I could have done without the drizzling rain. And the crazy lunch-hour drivers down Ken High doing illegal U-turns and double-parking in dangerous locations. But it would have taken twice as long if I'd done it by tube — and half a day if I'd caught the bus!
Total distance: 12.65miles (20.35km) | Ride time: 1hr, 16min and 14sec | Average speed: 9.9mph | Top speed: 19.9mph
