First stop is Marston Moreteyne (or Martson Moretaine as Google has it). Take a look in the photo gallery if you want to see the full sized pictures showing the extent of the mist. I then double back up the hill to Millbrook, before heading East to cross Ampthill and out to Maulden.

On higher ground the mist is clear and it a fabulously sunny morning. Whilst Meppershal is do-able, I’ve got a wedding to get to and a few things to do before. I am on instructions to be back by 9am so I head south to Greenfield to avoid Ampthill and Flitwick again.

Today’s map has been recorded on sportstrackerlive as MapMyRide was proving unreliable. I’ll post an update on how it went later, but have a look at the map link below to see what it records.

36.5 miles – 2 hours 22 minutes – 15.4 mph average – Map

Whilst I would now like to give a motivational speach on how the month of September will see a return to weight below target, I can see a month scattered with wedding and birthday cake, barbecues and parties. It’s going to be tough.

Wow! $900 per day. I am going to be rich. Very rich. Rich beyond my wildest dreams. And thanks to Dorothea all I have to is click on the “Auto Traffic Avalanche” hyperlink to a bitly URL…

Up at 6am (no longer is it light at 5am) I head off up the road in the cool of the morning at 6.30, instantly regretting not wearing my fingerless gloves. I persevere and within 5 miles there’s enough heat to keep me warm. The roads are quiet and my usual route through Flitwick and Ampthill goes without issue. This time of the morning is the best time to see Bedford: too late for the revelers to still be up, but too early for anyone else to be around.

The route to Little Staughton takes me back through Colmworth (where I note that they have taken heed of my post and purchased a new sign). I’m now so far north in Bedfordshire I’m concerned that I may pick up a new accent (or a nose bleed at least).

Little Staughton has no remarkable features, but I note a campsite with swings – handy for the next break or weekend away.

I u-turn and head south through Colmworth again, but this time heading through Great Barford and Blunham. Blunham is hosting an attempt to get a world record for playing the longest game of cricket (see http://www.blunhamcc.20m.com/record/index.html), but as cricket’s not my bag I carry on. The route to Lower Stondon takes me through Beeston, Upper and Lower Caldecote – all places that bring back memories of the earlier (and colder) routes in the year.

Lower Stondon can’t come quick enough. The wind is building from the west and buffeting me constantly from the side. Average speed is dropping, and despite the different approach from the A600, there’s nothing to excite in the village.

Riding through the 50-mile barrier I realise that this is currently my limit and anything after the 50 miles starts to see my legs turn jelly-like. Not helped by the route from Stondon to Barton being westerly and into the head wind. From Barton it’s up hill on the A6 and down into Luton where I stop at the first town sign.

I note two things from the sign: 1) it has a coat of arms stating “Scientle et Labori Detur” (which I think loosely translates into You’d be Better Off Making a Detour); and, 2) that Luton is the “Home of the Mall” – formerly know as “The Arndale Centre”. Oddly there’s a strap line of “Shopping how it should be.” I didn’t realise that they had moved it to Milton Keynes.

I could (and should) have made a bee-line to Dunstable from here, but felt that this would not be in the spirit of visiting the towns and villages of Bedfordshire and free-wheel most of the way down into the Town Centre, enjoying the ability to use the bus lanes right into the centre of town. I even get to cycle through the pedestrianised area as this is a part of the NCR 51. Oddly, I choose to go to Dunstable via Chapel Street and over the hill through Caddington, but it was probably the more traffic-free route of the two choices.

72.6 miles – 4 hours 56 minutes – 14.7 mph – Map

To carry on, or not to carry on? That is the question. I bet the bard didn’t have this problem with his bike. I am about 12 miles into an estimated 30 mile ride. I can’t turn back now. I could call Mrs OLN, but I’ll probably guess the wrong size, or possible don’t have the right tool in the box. The cycle tool didn’t cover this size of nut. I manage to tighten it a little and head off with the idea of finding someone on  Sunday morning working on their car that I can borrow the tool from.

My first attempt is a fail. An old man at Tingrith who tells me that his son would have tools, but he’s gone out. I think he’s lying – all pre-war OAPs have a full selection of tools at their disposal. Perhaps I should have converted it from 8mm into something he’d understand, like three-eights?

I get somewhat lost over the next few turns. Nothing major, but can’t remember the actual route I should be taking. Eventually I head up a small lane that should spit me out at Lidlington. And so it did, but not before taking me for a mile or so off roading. Now some of you may enjoy such an excursion, but with 25c road tyres (akin to slicks) and last night’s rain, things were getting hard. Ahead are two MTB-ers and visions of sailing past on a road bike soon disappeared with them as they ride off into the woods. Eventually, back on the main road I head in the wrong direction for a mile before realising my mistake and heading back from where I came.

It’s car boot day in Lidlington at the top of the hill and cars queue patiently from both approaches – blocking the road. I meander through the traffic and head down the hill into Lidlington, stopping at the far side for a photo.

Photo done I head back up the hill only to see, hidden by a fence when coming down the hill, the proper sign. I stop again for another photo and an argument with MapMyRide which is now out on Android – and it’s crashed twice already.

There’s only one problem with Lidlington: that steep downhill that was a joy to come down has to be repeated in reverse. I tighten my nut again and head up to the top (once again surprised by the relative ease). They’re still queuing into the car boot as I pass and head off towards Ridgmont and Woburn. I stop at the park entrance in the hope that I can cycle through, but see a big “no cycling” sign and can’t be bothered to read whether it applies to the whole park – but at the same time can’t understand why they would allow cars but not bikes. I skirt around the outside down the worst road surface in Bedfordshire to find that a 300m patch has been resurface with those horrible stone chippings.

Wary of the loose nut coming loose again I take it easy through Woburn, down to the A5, through Heath and Reach and into Leighton Buzzard. The roads are getting busier now and I am miffed by car drivers who overtake cyclists only to have to slam on their brakes for the traffic in front (only to be overtaken by the cyclist). Crazy car drivers.

A quick photo stop and nut tightening session in Lindslade and I u-turn again back through Leighton Buzzard High Street, held up by slow 4×4′s and a driver who held me up at the t-junction by not indicating that he was turning left. It’s time for me to get home and out of this traffic.

Eventually I make it back without the crank coming off. Oddly I don’t have the tool to fix it so I head off to Halfords who won’t sell the one tool – you have to buy a set. No thanks.

Whilst the ride has been a slow one, I am rewarded with the passing of another target: 45000 ft climbed in one year. Another one off the list.

37.5 miles – 2 hours 41 minutes – 14.0 mph average – Map

I head west from home, down the hill to Tottenhoe and out through Eaton Bray and the flats of Aylesbury Vale. Through Slapton and the sun’s already setting behind clouds on the horizon and it’s not long before I am in Ledburn. More of a pub than a village, and the pub looked a bit quiet too. I stop, take the photo, curse at Google as it stopped recording my route on My Tracks about three miles back, then head off towards Leighton Buzzard.

It’s not far to Leighton B. Strange place really. Not far from home, but somewhere I rarely visit. No reason to, but as I ride past through the town I respect any town that has a pub called “The Office”. You can imagine getting home: “Where have you been?” – “Oh, I got stuck in The Office love.”

There’s a notable lack of town signs around and I have already looked on Streetview to see if I could find one without success; hence the use of the bus stop board for the photo:

Leaving the town on the Stanbridge Road there are two posts where a sign once was. Perhaps someone has taken them home for some reason?

I can’t be bothered with looping back around to Eaton Bray via Billington, nor Stanbridge, instead opting for the busier A505 and A5 back into Dunstable. It’s getting dark, but it seems like a faster route back. It’s now getting darker still, lights are on, and there’s a few people clearly heading out to the pub for the evening. Me? I’m heading for a shower.

22.5 miles – 1 hour 24 minutes – 15.9 mph average – Map

PS. My Tracks reckons that I hit 54 mph. Cool – but not true (honest Mum).

Next stop 12 stone…