Gravel Ride?. . . . Longing for Dual Carriageway TT RIde!

Today I took a rare excursion outside on the Merlin Gravel bike. No real plan to the ride other than just explore. I had about an hour to ride until I was due at the pool for a drill set. So with small rucksack on carrying trunks, goggles etc I pedalled off in search of gravel tracks. The Merlin bike is a gravel steed and it actually feels far better off road than on the tarmac. Whilst it is heavier than my other bikes, you don't really feel the weight on the tracks. I found Silverdale Country park, which is about 5k from my house. It was a real find as there were plenty of tracks to explore and it is quite lumpy too. All in all I really enjoyed the experience (and I didn't fall off!). It's a great option to ride off road just to get the miles in. I do, however, yearn for a decent dual carriageway to hit on the TT bike. Maybe in the summer I can return to the TT circuit 8-)