Had the joys of taking summer off this year (ie this week !) so stuck
the bike in the back of the car and popped up to the parental
homestead for a couple of days and a change of cycling scenery.
And very nice it was to.
Got in a couple of nice rides :
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1298098 (Ingoldisthorpe to Wells-Next-
The-Sea - using NCR 1 quite a bit on the outbound and the dreaded A149
to return home, and
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1298098 (a pootle out through the
villages and back though Sandringham)
Couple of impressions to note.
1) This part of Norfolk, though it could not be called hilly by any
stretch of the imagination, IS NOT FLAT ! The undulations have
definitely increased in both amplitude and gradient since I last
cycled in the area (20 years or so). You will not put the chain on the
big chainring and forget about it.
2) The A149 is OK during the week and out of season - I would avoid it
otherwise, just on the sheer traffic annoyance. It is also a long way
back along it from Wells to Hunstanton with a NW breeze coming off the
sea !
3) Drivers in this area have to be some of the most polite in the
country - on the road from Ringstead to Burnham Market (which is
single track) I got a polite acknowledgment from EVERY vehicle coming
the opposite way that I stopped to let by and several that insisted on
pulling up the verge / bank to stop for me.
4) NCR 1 could do with more signposts. When you come to a fork
junction in a minor road in the middle of nowhere, it is helpful to be
given some idea of which one is appropriate without staring at the map
until a fellow cyclist appears ! At least the section I used was road
and not some poorly maintained gravel path.
5) Great Massingham has to be one of the prettiest villages outside of
the Cotswolds; two large duckponds, with a fine village green between
them, surrounded by the church, the pub and traditional cottages (the
pub is even called the Dabbling Duck for God's sake !).
http://www.greatmassingham.net/
6) My Carradice Barley arrived the morning before I went up to
Norfolk. It is officially the Poodles Plums for a cycling daybag -
carrying tools, inner tube, lights, first aid kit, waterproof, couple
of beef-and-branston rolls, hard boiled eggs, bananas etc with plenty
of space to spare. Think I might be a bit of a traditionalist. :O)
Despite breeze and geography, managed to average over 15mph on both
days, which I was happy with, and despite almost only getting used on
dry weekends, the new bike (as of May) has now cleared the 1000km
marker with no problems.