I've been out test riding again this time on a folding electric bike, it's been a great day for cycling. I have been using my 'normal' route which is about 12 miles long, linear, and mostly by the river, riding from home I join the route at the 4 mile mark, usually I turn left and start with the short leg. Riding through the park and across the river in 4 places the cycle way then moves into the 'countryside' and past fields, one today was full of rape which was fully out, looking spectacular and fragrant too. 
Loads of wildlife about, I saw several Orange Tip butterflies. When I went past the reservoir there was no sign of the geese, but strangely on the way back a short time later there they were, about fifteen of them all honking to let everyone know they were there - so surely they weren't just hiding the first time I went past.
One of the bridges is being replaced, it was very narrow and often had pedestrians standing on it to watch the river, it was difficult to push your bike past them because it just wasn't wide enough. The notices have been up for some time to say work is starting soon, today there had been big changes, but not a workman in sight!
One of the bridges is being replaced, it was very narrow and often had pedestrians standing on it to watch the river, it was difficult to push your bike past them because it just wasn't wide enough. The notices have been up for some time to say work is starting soon, today there had been big changes, but not a workman in sight!
They have created a temporary bridge while the work is underway. I crept down the side and took a look 
underneath the new 'bridge' and they seem to have just laid five enormous corrugated pipes and chucked a lot of crushed stone on the top, I wonder if this is how the finished item will be or will they actually build a bridge.
underneath the new 'bridge' and they seem to have just laid five enormous corrugated pipes and chucked a lot of crushed stone on the top, I wonder if this is how the finished item will be or will they actually build a bridge.I always think of this as Kingfisher bridge as there have been many sightings along this small stretch of river. I have been reading that the very hard winter we have just had will probably have killed as many as 50% of our Kingfishers nationally, I hope that some have survived here.
Moving out on the other 'leg' of my route I cross through the middle of the town and then out again following the river which is much bigger here and the views are completely different with huge Weeping Willows and meadow type grass. One of the bridges near town is made of metalwork with railway sleepers across it - it makes a very satisfying blonk, blonk, sound as you ride across.
An excellent 40 miles completed today - and still the battery wasn't flat!
