22nd July 2016
This morning I drove Joel, Shannon (and Koko) to Cambridge, so they could get a train home. The early part of the journey was fine, but getting in and out of the station was hell, due to the massive roadworks and renovations going on in the whole area around the station. Eventually, when I got back to the boat it was well after noon and I had a splitting headache. I decided to have a couple of Paracetamol and a glass of water and try to get going.
The river is quite wide in places and very level and calm. I went through 3 locks and the going was easier than I had expected it would be, just taking my time in the locks, mostly on my own, i.e. with no other boats locking up with me, and making steady progress. Eventually, I stopped at Great Barford, just downstream of the beautiful bridge, and on the public moorings outside the pub. A quick wander around showed up plenty of parking very close to the river, so I went back and got the van from St Neots.
Usually when I take the moped I ask Google for cycling directions, pop an earphone in one ear inside my helmet, and follow the voice guidance, a policy which has taken me along some very interesting byways and paths, and although I have occasionally had to turn around and find an alternative route, it has been very rewarding to travel these routes. However, today I rather incautiously asked for road directions, and 20 minutes later found myself guided up to a roundabout and onto the A1. On a 50cc moped with a 30mph top speed. Not clever, not safe. Not the A1M, I might add, but still 2 lanes wide with lorries travelling past at 60mph. I stopped on the grassy verge and looked at my phone for a minute, searching the maps for any alternative route that would be a little safer, but really there was nothing that didn't involve a 40 minute detour.
I realised at this point that I didn't have a lot of choice over my route, but what I did have was a choice over where to ride. The A1 has a layby road alongside parts of it here, and a pavement, although I only saw 2 people on my 4 mile journey all along this horrible stretch of road. Yes, I admit it, I rode along the pavement. It was do or die. I pottered along at 15mph or so, as unobtrusively as possible, and when I saw my 2 pedestrians, I pulled over and switched off, waiting for them to walk past me before continuing on my way. The pavement was cracked and broken up in places, and very rough. There were a lot of kerbs to cross, and there was lots of debris along the way, general rubbish, planks, rubble etc, that the little moped coped with surprisingly well. Finally the hell was over, I approached and negotiated a large roundabout, subsequently and the roads were smaller and at a 40mph limit, so I felt much safer getting back into the middle of my lane and riding on towards St Neots. It's not surprising how well the moped seems to cope in town, but how much less at home it seems on the open roads. Still, back to the van safe and sound, a much quicker journey to Great Barford in the van, and a great parking spot alongside the church yard.
By now I really had a bad headache, so I popped a couple more Paracetamols and had another glass of water, and a hot shower, and crashed for the night.
This morning I drove Joel, Shannon (and Koko) to Cambridge, so they could get a train home. The early part of the journey was fine, but getting in and out of the station was hell, due to the massive roadworks and renovations going on in the whole area around the station. Eventually, when I got back to the boat it was well after noon and I had a splitting headache. I decided to have a couple of Paracetamol and a glass of water and try to get going.
The river is quite wide in places and very level and calm. I went through 3 locks and the going was easier than I had expected it would be, just taking my time in the locks, mostly on my own, i.e. with no other boats locking up with me, and making steady progress. Eventually, I stopped at Great Barford, just downstream of the beautiful bridge, and on the public moorings outside the pub. A quick wander around showed up plenty of parking very close to the river, so I went back and got the van from St Neots.
Usually when I take the moped I ask Google for cycling directions, pop an earphone in one ear inside my helmet, and follow the voice guidance, a policy which has taken me along some very interesting byways and paths, and although I have occasionally had to turn around and find an alternative route, it has been very rewarding to travel these routes. However, today I rather incautiously asked for road directions, and 20 minutes later found myself guided up to a roundabout and onto the A1. On a 50cc moped with a 30mph top speed. Not clever, not safe. Not the A1M, I might add, but still 2 lanes wide with lorries travelling past at 60mph. I stopped on the grassy verge and looked at my phone for a minute, searching the maps for any alternative route that would be a little safer, but really there was nothing that didn't involve a 40 minute detour.
I realised at this point that I didn't have a lot of choice over my route, but what I did have was a choice over where to ride. The A1 has a layby road alongside parts of it here, and a pavement, although I only saw 2 people on my 4 mile journey all along this horrible stretch of road. Yes, I admit it, I rode along the pavement. It was do or die. I pottered along at 15mph or so, as unobtrusively as possible, and when I saw my 2 pedestrians, I pulled over and switched off, waiting for them to walk past me before continuing on my way. The pavement was cracked and broken up in places, and very rough. There were a lot of kerbs to cross, and there was lots of debris along the way, general rubbish, planks, rubble etc, that the little moped coped with surprisingly well. Finally the hell was over, I approached and negotiated a large roundabout, subsequently and the roads were smaller and at a 40mph limit, so I felt much safer getting back into the middle of my lane and riding on towards St Neots. It's not surprising how well the moped seems to cope in town, but how much less at home it seems on the open roads. Still, back to the van safe and sound, a much quicker journey to Great Barford in the van, and a great parking spot alongside the church yard.
By now I really had a bad headache, so I popped a couple more Paracetamols and had another glass of water, and a hot shower, and crashed for the night.
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