Easter Sunday I decided to take a trip to Nottingham (my uncle, with whom I was staying, had prior engagements), so I hoped on my bike and set off on the 100 mile journey.
The first stop I made was about a mile outside of Cheltenham. I’d finally had enough of the microphone in my helmet and so ripped it out… I left the headphones in so I could listen to my iPod 
The rest of the journey was pretty un-eventful. There was one section of the M42(?) that was like riding on a rodeo bucking-broncho but luckily I wouldn’t have to ride that section of the motorway on the way back. I was also very supprised at how easily I found Ambers house (thats the Amber that I lived with when I was working in London). I had given up trying to follow the RAC route finder directions somewhere between the A42 and the M1 and was generally heading towards the centre of Nottingham I the hopes I may stumble across Derby road… which I did almost immediately.
It was good seeing Amber again, we had a quick bacon sarnie then headed into Nottingham to find a quite place to have a coffee. Unfortunately most places were closed so we ended up at a place called, oh, I can’t remember right now… it’ll come to me later. Our catch-up session was cut short though as Gary, Ambers other half, phoned up complaining that Ambers little brother was being a nightmare and that he couldn’t cope so Amber had to go back to the house to sort it out. When we got back to the house there was no Gary to be seen. With nothing else to do we went to get a DVD for her brother to watch whilst we had another tea and some pizza in the kitchen.
Time passed and I had to head back to Cheltenham. On the way back I stopped at a service station as I had forgotten to hook up my iPod before leaving Nottingham. As I was heading back out to the motorway another rider was also leaving the services so I followed him. Instead of heading onto the motorway we rode along the [previously] quiet country roads. I followed him for about quater of an hour before heading back to the motorway. It felt so good to be able to ride a bike through twisting country roads following another rider so I could see the lines I needed to take. It was amazing.
Back on the motorway I just didn’t get that same feeling. But you remember the rodeo section of the motorway? How could they manage to get both sides of the motorway in the same appauling condition!?!?!?
I did manage, however, to do the 100 mile return journey in 2 hours, including the 30 minute interlude in the country lanes, which means that I was riding at an average speed of 66.6(ish)mph 
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