B is for Bloody Early Start
With better preparation this weekend I am up at 0500 and out the door 40 minutes later. It’s cold, it’s foggy, and boy is it dark!
I changed my route out of Dunstable it was that early. Pretty much straight up the A5 with little traffic around. Even the traffic lights were kind to me. It’s a straight run to Hockliffe before doing a right towards Woburn. As I leave the neon glow of the A5 darkness surrounds me. It has a strange effect that I can’t really see how far it is to the top of the hill and that odd feeling that you’re being watched.
Turning right towards Eversholt there’s someone in a Corsa, I assume asleep in the driver’s seat – he had a high viz over him. Irritated by my front flashing Cateye I switch it to constant.
At Eversholt I get lost for the first time today. taking what I assume to be the right left turn the bike gives a wiggle as I realise that off the beaten track the roads are icy. Shaken a little I carry on uphill where another person trying to catch my worm is out walking his dog. fortunately he knows the way to Ridgmont and I’m soon back on track.
At Lidlington I am impressed with the 10% (downhill) gradient. Through the village and out the other side I return to darkness and a railway crossing with automatic barriers. I cross, double-checking that there’s no stray trains coming, before the silence is shattered with a klaxon and red flashing lights – and the barriers start to descend. I never did hear a train go through as I cycled away – perhaps the guys at the other end of the CCTV camera have a sense of humour or vendetta against lone cyclists.
Through Marston and more people are around (mainly oldies off to get their paper) and onto Wooton, Kempston, and up the new A428 before turning right and into Biddenham. A nice village given its proximity to Bedford, with drivers intrigued as to why I am out at 0720 taking a photo of their sign with a bike leaning against it. I don’t stop for long before heading for my next stop: Biggleswade.
Once again I end up slightly lost coming out of Bedford, eventually going through Cardington, Cople, Northill, Ickwell and back past the farmer’s shop in Upper Coldecote. The roads are quiet and trouble-free other than the odd motorist who thinks that they don’t need lights in fog.
Entering Biggleswade is see that it’s one of those places that is “twinned” with somewhere in Germany. I hope they’re not identical twins as Biggleswade has never been the prettiest of towns.
A quick drink and a few fig rolls and I can start heading home down the A6001 to Henlow, soon picking up the route that I rode back from Arlesey on my first trip out. Thoughts go through my head of ways to miss out Barton, but it seems like the most direct route to home.
Safely back in foggy Dunstable the longest ride so far is complete. A shower and four slices of cheese and ham on toast put me back on the road to recovery.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Biddenham-and-Biggleswade
64.6 miles, 4 hours 40 minutes, 13.8 mph average.
