So, Bernadette in her finest form. I'd converted her to my SPD-SL setup for the day, so 284g lighter (difference between combined weight of pedals and shoes). Wheels spinning beautifully and stupid seat post rattle a thing of the past, and with a tweak yesterday the gearing was spot on. Set off at a cruising pace - didn't want to waste energy getting to the hills and really wanted to experiment on techniques for climbing. Having had to switch lately to spinning a low gear to avoid using the core (protecting the cracked rib), but now with the rib healed, I wanted to test my old technique as well as a mixture of techniques. I generally found that whenever I felt I needed to change down a gear Bernadette wasn't finished with the previous gear and persuaded me to keep to it. She was right, of course. Had a nice chat on the way from Hampton Court to Esher with a woman (faster than me on the flat) who looked the part. She complimented me on my socks (purple / patterned). I told her I was a mismatch of clothing today and she said it was all good - mismatching clothing is the thing apparently. I had to slow down occasionally on the hill to wait for her so we could continue the conversation. Everyone has their forte. Anyway, we'd finished the climb up to Esher and gone our separate ways before I'd realised I was climbing. All good, indeed. Bernadette was on fastastic form - absolute bliss to ride. Everything was on song with her - pure joy. Unfortunately her rider wasn't quite enough to match her. But it was a good session nonetheless. There was an Evans Rideit sportive going on and I kept crossing paths with it, occasionally chatting to the riders. I helped a couple out as I came up from Forest Green. they went past me going the other way, asking if that was the way to Leith Hill. I said, no, the opposite. I waited at the junction for them, and explained that their route was probably the steepest way up, and that it was on my way (I was also going up Leith Hill but wanted to spin up Broomehall Road rather than grind up Leith Hill Lane). So I showed them the way and wished them luck. Had a moment of wheel wobble going fast down the treacherous Coldharbour Lane. Hit an unseen pothole, which sent the bike into wheel wobble for a few seconds, but it didn't take long to bring her under control thankfully. Had a nice cup of coffee and piece of flapjack at the mobile cafe at the top of the Denbies estate. TT'd the last hour going home (apart from climbing up Ranmore Road), but what wind there was was against so the time wasn't anything special. Lovely day for it.