I am at risk of turning into Ms Lardy, so after seven days of sitting on my bum inside I dragged out the bike for a potter to my usual Richmond Park haunt late this morning.
It was a little chilly and slightly windy, but it's hard to find excuses not to cycle when the sun is shining and the sky is blue.
Of course, by the time I got to the park the clouds had moved in and dark grey ones were scudding along the horizon. There was the threat of imminent rain. Then the grey clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Then it turned dark again and there were black clouds overhead. Then the sun reappeared. Then the clouds returned. You get the picture.
The endlessly changing weather made for some interesting cycling conditions. And because I was scared of being caught in the rain on the wrong side of the park, I kept my options open and did about six miles of little loops in and around the Roehampton Gate area.
I wasn't the only one doing this. I kept seeing the same faces, doing similar kinds of loops, and one older gentleman waved out and said hello as if we'd suddenly become friends!
Total distance: 16.57miles (26.6km) | Ride time: 1hr 34min and 56sec | Average speed: 10.4mph | Top speed: 21.8mph
