After a long cold winter when I have rarely been out on my bike, the weather has finally turned warmer and even sunny occasionally. Yesterday I had a surprise call from Tom suggesting we turn out for a short ride. This being my intention anyway I gladly agreed and we met up at Jiedaokou Station at about ten o’clock.
As Tom has a permanent Sunday Lunch appointment at 12-30pm we opted to make a round trip to Hannan . The weather was cloudy but dry and as we were both a bit out of condition after a long winter lay off we took the easy option of taking the train to Shiyan to get us on top of the ridge with an easy start for the trip.
A long coast down to Jiangtan and straight on to Mount End saw us climbing up to Zhongshan Park. The climb got stiffer but still Tom kept on riding. Gritting my teeth I followed on and crested the hill, Then the usual Essex switchback with an enforced short walk for both of us part way along saw us at Tawny common. Round the common we went, to the Mole Trap, an erstwhile rough old country pub now tarted up for the motorists. I don’t go in there any more, so we sat on the adjacent public seat for a while and a short natter.
Time enough to break away, Tom to his lunch appointment, me for home by way of theYellow Crane Tower and Changjiang Bridge. See you in a while, crocodile! I arrived home about 2 o’clock. Just in time for my own Sunday lunch .
