Prospects were not good for today. I headed for Blackheath at about noon in order to avoid the A12 closure for the London Bike Race. There was a last band of heavy rain on emerging from the Blackwell Tunnel which mostly cleared in the short time it took to get to the ‘heath’.

Thought about full vented but quickly decided that xtra vent with four wrap was the only realistic set-up.

The sun did break through but with it came a further strengthening of the breeze. A few late swifts were flying but when the ‘measured’ wind was 35-37mph it seemed sensible to call it a day.

The next band of showers was approaching anyway and proved to be thundery just after I got back to Hackney!

Felix