Commuting - Almost didn't make it to work this morning...

It was a gorgeous early spring morning, and I thought I'd try a small alteration to one of my commute routes. I turned right rather than left through Faversham, thinking that I could go down through Ospringe and take a back road into Selling, before joining my usual route.

I sort of got lost... none of the signposts pointed to Selling, and not being familiar with the hamlets and villages in the area (I only moved to Faversham 3 yrs ago, and not having had transport before the bike I haven't explored) I ended up going for a lovely ride, round lanes barely three feet wide.

Fifty minutes later I realized I probably wasn't going to cycle to work, and looked for a sign to Faversham. Thirty minutes of flat-out pedalling later I got to Faversham station, and just got on a train that got be to Canterbury (and work, with a very fast sprint) only five minutes late.

Okay I normally get to work 20-30 minutes early, but this morning I saw banks smothered in wild primrose, hamlets where the fences a mile either side were planted with groups of daffodils. I saw traditional coppicing (and thought I smelt charcoal burning). I climbed through orchards, and dropped through woodland. Passed pretty farms of thatch and Kentish peg, and old manor walls.

I deserve a treat occasionally ;)

Richard

Good on you Richard, but I bet there was a part of you which just wanted to keep on cycling!

I love exploring new areas and getting lost. Congratulations on being so daring before work! Hope you'll be able to do it in a more leisurely fashion next time.

Originally posted by chewa
Good on you Richard, but I bet there was a part of you which just wanted to keep on cycling!

All but a tiny bit of my conscience - don't know why I listened to it either ;)


Originally posted by ljbike
I love exploring new areas and getting lost. Congratulations on being so daring before work! Hope you'll be able to do it in a more leisurely fashion next time.

It's certainly an area I'll be exploring more, but probably not too much before I go to work :) I've since looked at the map and spotted where I should have turned off, so maybe I'll give it another go in a day or two... Still I got a 16 mile ride in before catching the train to work which made a change from my normal 12-14 mile commutes :D

Richard

Nice one. Its what cycling is all about. :beer: I liked the description of your route.

One of these days, you will turn right, and just keep going. You may get back to work eventually, but take the long way round the globe.

Originally posted by Richard D
... none of the signposts pointed to Selling,...

You could say they weren't selling Selling very well. [boom tish]

I'm jealous Richard. The only alternative routes available to me are variations on the themes of bland suburbia and hideous industria (new word). I could go via Gumdale I suppose, which at least has some acerages, but it's a bit in the wrong direction to work. Then again some days it feels like going to work IS riding in the wrong direction. It's days like that that rides like you had are a blessing. Even getting lost adds a bit of excitement to the day to lift it above the dreariness of every other day.

I need a coffee...

If you'd gone any further astray we may have had to change this thread to 'Touring' instead of 'Commuting'.

:thumbup:

In the immortal words of Britney spears " Oops I did it again"...

You know how it is said that all roads lead to Rome, well round that area all roads seem to end up at a junction equidistant from Stalisfield, Stalisfield Green, Throwley and Throwley Forstal. I took a different route this morning and ended up at the same wrong junction, but with five minutes longer to cycle back to Faversham and catch the train...

I will crack this route eventually, it's just there are such a maze of tiny lanes that wiggle round the hills, down the hills and up again, and the signposts tend only to list the nearest hamlet of three or four houses, rather than the village three or four hamlets further on. Okay I know a map and compass would solve my problems but it would take away the fun :D

Lots more primroses, and banks of violets today. I saw my first albino pheasant, and coincidently a number of pure white violets amongst the mauve ones. Managed to hit 30mph downhill on the rush back to the station, and kept up 20-25mph on the flat for a fair distance. Got to work dead on my start time, but had to change in work time, still I've stayed 20 mins late the last few nights so I don't think anyone is going to complain.

Fun this getting lost ;)

Richard

Go on - you really want to break free. You want to get hopelessly lost and keep on riding don't you?

I guess we all do at times.

Maybe you need to leave home an hour earlier just to take in the countryside before work each day.

Richard, I'm extremely envious, this winter just doesn't seem to want to quit!, but good for you. I like the idea of having alternate routes on the commute, but it sounds like you've got the ultimate choices.:D

First day back at work and I get to the outskirts of Canterbury only to discover the road is closed. I end up being diverted three miles down the dual-carriageway past Canterbury, to take a flyover that leads me back into the city... I love the sound of lorries hurrying to catch the ferry at Dover as they ride along the rumble strip just behind me :eek:

Of course when I got to work, I find out from a colleague that there's an unmarked route through an industrial estate that would have saved me the extra few miles... Still I only got to work three minutes late.

Richard