A long weekend in the the Peak District meant I could get some climbing in on the bike, this time with Emily.
Given it was Paris-Roubaix weekend, it was nice to see some pavé. Pity it was only the driveway of the house we were staying in:
The problem with staying outside the Peak District park, and then going for a ride in it, is that there's a lot of climbing first up. The first 10-15km included a lot of short, punchy climbs of between 10-18%, and we were beginning to wonder if we could manage the planned 65km.
Fortunately the steep gradients eased off, and we picked up the pace en route to a welcome cafe stop in Whaley Bridge. Immediately afterwards the two main climbs loomed into view. Both were long, but at gradients of 3.5% and 5%, were actually quite enjoyable. The second climb from the Goyt Valley reservoir was one of the best cycling roads I've ever been on - a nice gradient, one-way, no traffic and a great surface. Even hitting a patch of ice and crashing couldn't spoil my enjoyment. Road-rash is a badge of honour, right? Here's Emily staying upright and enjoying the road:
Towards the top there were a few snowdrifts which required walking through, then it was rolling home and a pub lunch.
Back to London today, and 38km on the turbo-trainer at a very decent pace.
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