Funny old ride

I guess it's getting used to the things that have changed, but this ride did feel a little odd. Still not toppled sideways, in fact, ready to tighten one of the shoes up. Wheels run smoother, chain no longer drops off at inconvenient random moments, and shoes feel comfortable. All good really.

Went out Golden Cross way and there must have been problems on the A27 as there were cars where there are usually none. In fact, coming around my Deanland loop, I found a traffic jam heading back down the road towards Deanland, that never happens.

While I am thinking of Deanland, what happened to the elephant sign and when did it go, as it isn't there any more. Maybe the elephant was real and has moved house. Just one of the many things I don't know the answer to and never will.

Helicopter. May have been related to the A27, but don't think so as this event I am about to relate was before 'loadsa cars'. Just looping around Ripe (I wonder how the Save the Lamb campaign is going, well I hope), when I heard a chopper take off. It then started flying towards me coming up behind me, but not in the old Army sense of the word. From the noise a chopper makes, you can get an idea on how high it is and this one was low.

In fact, the shadow when it went right over me blocked the whole road and sides. It then flew over and I honestly braced myself for a down draught as it was 'soddin'' (hope that's the right number of inverted commas and apostrophes for that use of the colloqial) low. Watching it chug on westwards, it was not higher than the two lines of electricity pylons that it seemed to want to fly between, that is low. Big yellow thing, looked like it should have been in Postman Pat or the like, don't think it was Air Ambulance or anything and there we have another thing that I will never know the answer to.

Back to the ride, average over 16mph and a few PBs here and there and I wasn't really looking for those as I am still bedding in my new stuff, maybe wind or cleats or the hand of the bluebell. Don't worry, I have no idea what that means either.

No music in the head today, too much concentrating on clipping and more importantly unclipping at the right times.

Off with Mr Bennett tomorrow whilst Sussex Bike Club get lost in Mid Sussex again. As I have said before, the two Mr B's will be undertaking the first whole day and most of the second day, so as it is only 50 days (arghhh, it was 100 not long ago), let's have a picture of our Penzance hotel where we will get rip roaring prepared for that first day of non-stop climbing in Cornwall.

Ciao babes.