Notes
Ambleside (morning) and (early evening) return. More direct route, just straight up A6, detour through Levens to avoid the dual carriageway (that detour up Church Lane is very steep on the way back) onto A5074. Only difference on way back was safer, hillier detour via Heversham. Pleased to get this done.
Way up was a good ride, all good and fairly full of beans, only finding the section from Levens to Windermere tough - there just seems to be an endless succession of steep little hills that wear you down. Didn't really notice them so much on the way back - easier going south.
Felt really pretty tired for most of the last 15 miles on the way back, noticing the headwind. S+W's Rocky Roads helped, but ... Felt 30 secs per mile slower than on the way there, 3:45 instead of 3:15 ... Phew. It was very hard work.
Wet roads esp in the morning, but at least as many puddles and one or two floods and sections of washed out gravel on the road in the afternoon, following heavy rain yesterday and showers this morning. Got drizzled on.
So here's the thing. Without the rucksac, without having to stop to look at the map, but adding the Heversham detour (I did this on the way back - it is hillier, slower, safer): under 2 hours?