Archive for the ‘Houghton Conquest’ tag
She’s Back
I wake early to knock out another two villages before the rest of the house wakes. Breakfast done, bottles ready, I jump on the bike only to get that strange sensation that some thing’s wrong. I look down at my back wheel in dismay: the PF’s been during the night. A vein attempt to re-inflate on the principle that it would stay inflated was unsuccessful and it’s back into the garage to replace the tube.
On inspection it would seem that this is less to do with thorns, glass, or road debris, and more that Continental’s quality process has failed as the air escapes at the foot of the valve. A quick check of the rim tape and all seems well with the wheel.
Twenty minutes later and now the pressure’s on. I need to be back by 08:30. It’s now 06:20 – it’s going to be tough. The route’s easy enough – Houghton Regis, Toddington, Flitwick, Ampthill then right into Houghton Conquest. A quick photo watched on by a small collection of locals waiting for the village store to open then back the same way.
It’s a strange village. Not one that I have passed through before, nor can I see any reason to other than if you lived there or were visiting. Looking at the sign I wonder if this will be the longest village sign in Bedfordshire?
Straight back in the saddle I have an hour to get back – but there’s more up hills than down on the return, and I can feel the wind is against me. My first hill is the climb back into Ampthill. The reward of cycling back down into the town never seems to compensate for the climb that has gone before. I rush on feeling the pain of the climb into Toddington and enjoy the 1 in 10 descent down to Bidwell before stopping at my next H – Houghton Regis.
The reputation of the area is not matched by the collection of flowers at the foot of the sign. Almost village like, yet the town merges into one with Dunstable and Luton. No time to admire the place I head for home tired and sweaty arriving back at 08:30. At least it keeps my average mile per hour stats up.
32.2 miles – 2 hours 6 minutes – 15.3 mph average – Map.
