Triple pilgrimage

The after effects of the Lake District ride/walk were gone by the weekend so I decided to do a Sunday pedal over a route I had been planning and researching for some time.

I rode out to Eaton Socon via Great Barford, Roxton and Wyboston.  My 'Mecca' was the home of Cecil Paget, the designer of the cyclists' rain cape. 

I took a photograph of the blue plaque on the very well kept cottage and cheekily placed my bicycle in the home owners pathway and snatched another quick snap.

On the return leg, I had plotted a route from Eaton Socon to Potton but one of the roads turned out to be a farm track and I went a little off route and ended up in Tempsford and turned left to Everton. On the way to Tempsford I punctured but was able to replace the inner tube pretty quickly and used a CO2 canister to get the pressure up to 110PSI. I couldn't find anything in the tyre which may have caused the puncture so I rolled up the old inner tube and put it in my pocket to examine later. 

Note to self - put a new inner tube in the (tired looking) seat bag.

Before Everton I got held up at the train crossing for what seemed like an age.

My next destination of cycling significance was Biggleswade, famous for being the home of Dan Albone and his Ivel Cycle Works (and later motorcycles and tractors).

The town has great cycle street furniture to lock your bike up.

From Biggleswade I took the road out to Langford and (with a strong will) passed the garden centre cafe to get to my next cycle related shrine. I went to Stotfold to see the gold post box for a famous local cycling olympian...

...Victoria Pendleton!

I managed to get home before the rain (Cecil Paget must have been looking out for me).  Total distance about 65miles, easily achieved in under 4 hours including the stops for puncture repairs, the level crossing and to take photographs.

An enlightening pedal :-)