Personally I enjoy the fun and the prettiness for a good twenty minutes before getting a little frustrated with it, but it does give a good opportunity to get out and try something out of the ordinary on a bike.
Kitted up in layers and waterproof socks even the rides you know well take on a different feel. You can’t see what’s below the surface, the bike will undoubtedly try and go in every direction apart from the one you are hoping for and you’ll test your handling ability to the maximum. Even a ride you know well will turn into a bigger day out, and so, clearly I felt the snow was a perfect opportunity to try out a loop I had never done before.
The outcome was mixed. I managed half of the route before being beaten by the constant effort just to keep the bike straight and sometimes moving. In this time I was sure it’s a ride I want to come back and do again, and will when weather conditions mean I can actually see the ground, and thoroughly enjoyed parts of the snow riding.
On the other hand I ploughed back along the roads and ended up tired, cold and wet, and sprayed regularly with slush from rude 4x4 drivers who seem not to worry about slowing down to go past. Still, it was a great chance to see a new route in an area I know a bit (more on that later in the week) and you can’t argue with the beauty of being alone in the middle of snowy woodland where the silence is so amplified you find yourself talking to yourself and repeating the directions out loud so as not to feel so alone (even if you are never more than a few minutes from another gastro-pub in that bit of the Chilterns).
And to prove I didn’t just make this all up and stay inside in the warn, here’s some pictures.
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