Yesterday the weather got a touch warmer, just enough to make me think a trail ride was viable. It got to 12° and the sun was out, so, after a quick photo-shoot with Caroline Lucas and the local Green Party members in Margate, a quick check of tyre pressures and chain lube, find my clobber, move the cars off the drive, and I was away! Down to Ash to do Radar Lane (the name I’ve given it as it goes past the old radar station there), along the varied (between pleasant, muddy and challenging) Eastry Lane (because that’s where it is) and on through Finglesham to Deal to get on to the Golfers Lane to Sandwich. That lane (a long one) was very pleasant, mostly just a cruise, but it had rained a lot and there were a few puddles, one of which caught me out big time – looked shallow – wasn’t! I got soaked, something I wasn’t expect nor planned for. I’m sure it was nice and dramatic for the golfers nearby, but my boots, gloves and face got soaked. By now the sun was going down (I only started out at about 4pm) and the temperature was dropping fast. I got out of that lane and into Sandwich where I dried off what I could (my goggles and glasses were all wet), cleaned the number plate (gotta stay legal if nothing else) and set off home in the dark. The chill started to bite as I cruised up past the Pfizer site, keeping to the slow roads back where I could. Off the lanes the body temperature can go down a lot as the activity level drops, so getting home quickly but warmly was the balancing act I was on. Got home, bike in garage, wet clothes off and hot tea inside- job done. I thoroughly enjoyed my first trail ride for 11 months. I’m aching a bit of course, but keen to go again when I’ll set off earlier, take some spare dry gloves with me and a new local trail rider with me to enjoy these great green lanes around here!