What do we get up when the sun
starts setting at 4pm? Our clan of die-hard cyclists charge our high-power
lights, put on our woolies and head for the woods of the South East.
Bewl Water is a lovely sailing spot. There's a beautiful
track that goes right around the edge, a distance of about 13 miles. It's
a good 90 minutes of hard cycling, just enough time to run down those
lights!
We normally parked the car in a parking lot close by, but recently some
idiots broke into the now-sold estate, so we opted for the public house instead.
It's normally freezing just before we head off, but 5 minutes into the
trip, our hearts are pumping. It's a nerve wrecking experience at first,
chasing each other through the woods and just seeing the guy in front's
back wheel, but your eyes soon become accustomed to the dark, and the
adrenaline takes over.
About halfway around we stop, take in the noises of the
wild, enjoy the darkness, and blow lungs full of mist to the sickle moon.
Soon the frost sets in between the toes though, and we're back on track
for the next half, dodging rabbits, jumping logs and speeding along green
patches.
It's a lovely alternative - better than
sitting in front of the telly and watching the week's football (but then
some might disagree...)
