With my first proper kettlebell session yesterday having left me a tad knackered and somewhat sore of muscle, today’s 50-60 mile ride just didn’t materialise. Instead, I did a little work in the morning then contented myself exercise-wise with a long dog walk followed by a second recce ride looking for possible routes for the Scott Contessa Academy ladies.

With the sun doing its best to poke through the clouds, Buddy and I headed back over to Boden Boo community woodland down by the Erskine Bridge. Although the temperature couldn’t have been much above 4C we had a lovely time swimming, chasing sticks and leaping from log to log. Or at least Buddy did – I busied myself with the camera and general selecting of throwable sticks.

The recce ride was also enjoyable. I think I wrung the last of the “sunshine” out of the day as I discovered yet another back road that I was hitherto unaware of despite having lived in this area all my life. Today’s route took in the West Glen Road which is one of three single track routes that link the Barochan Road between Port Glasgow and Houston with Kilmacolm. OF the three, this one was probably in the best condition. or to be more exact this one was the least bad ;-). It was also less steep than the Finlaystone Road that I did last Sunday, although with a section in the middle that stayed in the 6-9% for a few miles, it certainly wasn’t a pushover. The rests of the route is relatively flat – seldom varying from between 0 and 2% – is on broader but quieter roads and is therefore a good route for taking a peloton of fairly inexperienced group riders along.

It does make me realise just how many decent routes I have right on my doorstep. And the beauty of them is that I can do a sort of “pick and mix” with them. By adding extra sections to two or three base routes, I can get rides of between 12 miles and 120 all within a 30 mile or so radius of my house. And when I consider that this takes in the very scenic Clyde area with its mix of flat fast coastal roads and varying degrees of hilly routes, I realise just how lucky I am.

Even if the weather is not brilliant.