It’s been a thin month for cycling so far, at least in the sense that I’d only been out on a bike five times as of this morning. Rain was due from 3pm-ish according to the forecast and I went out at 1:40pm, in the hope of doing 20 or so. I had a feeling that the rain might start later than that, but I took the Boardman anyway to be on the safe side.
Warm,
sunny and humid again. I did a Twycrosser with the quick route home
down the A444 and along Gibbet Lane, 21.43 miles. Blue skies gave way to
dark and foreboding clouds at about 3pm and it did rain for a couple of
minutes not long after, but only lightly. Then the sun came out again.
However 40 minutes after I got back it was chucking it down, so I timed that quite nicely. Nice run out.
Passed
a lad walking an old-fashioned steel frame racing bike along Gibbet
Lane and slowed down to see if he needed any help. He’d had a puncture. I
had a pump and a spare inner tube on me, but he assured me that help
was on its way in the form of his dad.
I’d hoped to do 30 or so after work, but the forecast
threatened rain for the late afternoon. I settled for a lunch break run
out around Belton, a ride I used to do quite often when I was in the
more frequent habit of doing rides of less than 20 miles.
Sunny, warm, a bit humid. I took the X.
Wanted
to see if my left knee had improved, and push myself a bit closer to
the monthly target. The knee definitely feels better, not quite back to
the new normal but the weather forecast suggests it won’t have much to
do until the weekend.
Received a pair of new tyres for the
Cannondale – Schwalbe Luganos. Only the rear needs replacing really but
they have white stripes so I think it’s better to match them. Should
look the biz against the black & white colours of the frame. They
feel quite light, as well.
Nice warm, sunny afternoon. I took the Boardman out, for the first time in a little over 10 weeks. Thought there might be a few puddles after a bit of rain recently, but there weren’t.
Interestingly, my left knee hurt a bit the whole way round, but the right one was fine. The right one has always been the troublesome one since I injured them. Before I set off on Tuesday I taped it up, but I didn’t bother with the left one.
I’ve never been convinced of the efficacy of using tape, but that’s a bit of evidence that it does possibly work. I’ve very rarely used it and I’m still on the same roll my physio gave me, which is black. I don’t mind using it under tights but it looks weird on a bare leg. I think I’ll look for some beige tape on Amazon.
I did a pretty run-of-the-mill Twycrosser. Quite enjoyable apart from an annoying headwind from the east, which blighted the stretch between Ratcliffe and Sibson in particular.
The knee didn’t get any worse over the 30.22 miles and I expect it’ll be fine in a few days. I’ll keep doing the odd 30-miler, anyway. I’m convinced that low intensity / moderate cycling does more good than harm.
In the summer of 2017 I rode to Norfolk and back, a distance of 179
miles. While I was happy with my achievement, in the days afterwards I
started to think to myself: if you’d only done another 21 miles, you
could claim to have done a “double century”. 21 miles isn’t much
further, is it?
It turns out it is a lot further, when you’ve
already done 179. Every mile in those circumstances feels like 5; they
did to me anyway. But more on that later.
So: since 2017 I’ve nurtured an ambition to do a 200 mile bike ride. To give myself a bit of motivation and to help raise money for a breast cancer charity, I started a JustGiving page at:
Thanks to the kind donations of some generous people, I raised £352 – not exactly Sir Colonel Tom standards, but I’m glad to have achieved it.
But
my ambition started to look like a forlorn hope from 2018 when I
injured my knees, and after that it became more important to me because
it had started to look like forbidden fruit.
However I’ve made
good progress on long-distance riding this last few months, and as the
days grew longer this year I’ve started to look at the weather forecast,
for a suitable day.
Tuesday this week looked like it. The
weather promised to be dry, not too warm, with low winds. A nice early
sunrise and late sunset, and in fact the forecast was predominantly
rainy for the following couple of weeks, after which the nights start to
draw in again. I wasn’t on call.
I felt the Hand of Destiny on my shoulder. And in my left ear, the Voice Of Destiny said: this is it, mate. You’re on. I booked Tuesday off work. I updated the JustGiving page, to announce that I was finally about to make good on my long-overdue commitment.
My original plan for a 200 miler was to
ride up to my home town, Hartlepool. But I can’t visit Hartlepool at the
moment, in case I knock my 92 year old mum off her perch with the
plague.
So I decided on Norfolk and back, again. On Monday
afternoon I strolled out to the garage to inspect the Cannondale, which I
have been using sparingly in reserve for just this occasion. On close
examination, the rear tyre was a bit cracked and past its best. I
deflated it to get a better idea of the state it was in, and yep – it
definitely needed replacing.
But I didn’t have a spare and I wasn’t going to mess about taking a tyre off one of the other bikes, so I settled on the S Works. I don’t think the riding position is quite as comfortable as my Planet X but it’s lighter, the effort:distance ratio is lower and it feels a bit smoother on rougher road surfaces. I gave it a careful look over; the tyres were nice and hard and in eminently robust nick. Everything else checked out OK.
I went to bed early, at about 10pm. I didn’t actually sleep for more than half an hour at most and possibly not at all, and I got up at 3:00 AM. It was 4:05 AM by the time I’d set off.
I didn’t much enjoy the first 40 miles. I’d kept the layers of clothes to a reasonable minimum to minimise weight and I was cold for the first few hours. Furthermore for reasons unknown, but possibly associated with lack of sleep, my neck was stiff and aching and I had a slight headache. I contemplated turning back after about 35 miles but decided that I’d probably feel better once the temperature climbed a bit. And I did.
I chose a partly different route to Norfolk than last time in 2017; one designed to get to the flat scenery in Lincolnshire in 50 miles rather than 60. It’s a very familiar ride for the first 20-odd miles, part of the usual eastbound route. I did start enjoying myself once I got to the unfamiliar part of Lincolnshire and I definitely chose a nicer route than last time; much quieter and more scenic while still decently surfaced.
I stopped at a shop at Sutton St James for fuel after 80 miles. I’d consumed most of what I’d brought with me already. Bought some Snickers drink, water, a sandwich and a cheese pasty. I had an impromptu lunch on a bench there then continued on my way, over Sutton Bridge and into Norfolk.
This part of the ride was familiar from last time, nice to be there again after three years. After the bridge I went up a busy A road for a couple of miles in search of a Welcome to Norfolk sign, then along Sutton Road to a village called Walpole Cross Keys. My original plan called for me to keep along Sutton Road toward Kings Lynn, but it had recently been resurfaced with sharp gravel and I didn’t fancy it much. I decided to turn homeward, and make the distance up to 200 miles by doing a bit of exploring along flat roads in Lincolnshire.
This was pretty successful – I pursued some long detours using the map display on my Garmin eTrex until I’d added the requisite distance, and I explored some pleasant cycling territory.
I
stopped at a bike shop, converted from an old petrol station, somewhere
near Spalding after 115 miles. I tried to buy some AAs but they didn’t
have any. I’d brought a front light that takes a single AA, but I’d left
it empty to save weight. So I bought a new LED torch type front light
instead. I was definitely going to need it; by this time I’d realised
that I wasn’t going to be back until at least two hours after sunset. I
carefully socially distanced myself from the guy behind the counter,
mainly because he stank of alcohol. I left the shop wondering if
airborne virus particles travel as well as beer fumes.
After 150
miles I had improvised the necessary distance to make it home on 200
without the risk of encountering an unwanted steep hill, something which
is not possible east of Manthorpe, where the flat lands of the Fens
meet England’s more usual terrain – and where I rejoined my intended
route, having merely flirted with it over the previous 50 or so.
I was starting to feel a bit weary of operating a bicycle by this time and my knees had started to hurt, most noticeably just after rest stops. But the sun was still up and I was still in good spirits. I was really starting to feel tired a couple of hours later though, after sunset. While it was still light I kept consulting my bike computer for the distance to go and typically, I’d managed to grind out about half a mile since the previous time I checked it. I forced myself to stop looking at it on the watched pot principle.
The temperature dropped
fairly quickly after dark and the last 40 miles were a real slog. It’s
not a lot of fun pushing yourself forward in the cold late at night when
you’re tired and low on energy. I was in a dark place, figuratively and
literally. Returning to more familiar territory west of Melton helped
lift my state of mind slightly, but every mile was hard won.
On top of this I was starting to feel sick from the quantity of flapjacks, gels, Snickers drink and chocolate that I’d ingested to keep me going.
I heard church bells ringing softly in the distance as I rolled back through the pretty little village of Cotes in the still dead of night, but I wasn’t sure what time it was. I couldn’t see my watch and I’d stopped operating the display on the eTrex to save its batteries (it was recording the track). I was 15 miles from home and I knew I must already have beaten my previous distance record by a few miles, but I was struggling now. My neck and my arms were aching and I was running on empty. I had to force myself to get on with it. I stopped at Whitwick to rest against somebody’s garden fence under the cold glow of a lamppost for a few minutes, and I was actually having to concentrate to stay on my feet. But I summoned enough strength and courage to grind out the last four miles and I arrived back at my garage door at 01:40, on 200.7 miles.
Just unfastening the velcro on my cycling shoes was an effort.
I have thought about the logistics of a 200 mile ride many times, this last three years. I’d sometimes imagined that I’d wait for absolute ideal circumstances, involving warm weather and a meticulous plan, with perhaps a rest stop at my brother’s place in Stamford on the way out and the way back, so I could pick up warmer clothes and supplies for the last few hours without having to propel them along with me for the whole ride.
In the end the circumstances I imagined were compromised
somewhat. I hadn’t had enough sleep and I wasn’t feeling 100% even when I
set off. I wasn’t on my first choice of bike and temperatures were
lower than I wanted in the early morning and late at night, forcing me
to wear heavier clothing. Furthermore I couldn’t stop at a cafe or a
pub, as I normally would on a long-distance ride. I had to make do with
cold snacks on a bench.
But I had my DAB personal and an ultra-lightweight MP3 player, and I listened to 6 Music, a Deniece Williams album, more of my Beatles bio audiobook and the news on 5 Live.
And I got away with it. I’ve achieved something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
But
more than that – I have exorcised a ghost. Every time I’ve increased my
distance since my knee injury, I’ve worried that I might damage them
and give myself a setback. This ride was 85 miles longer than my
previous post-injury distance. But they are fine. A year ago I would
have suffered slightly climbing the stairs the day after a 40 mile ride
but on Wednesday, although I could certainly feel that they’d cranked
out some serious miles, I could get up and down the stairs without any
bother at all.
I don’t feel a need to do more than 200 miles
again in this lifetime, so that feels like closure. Redemption, even.
They are not a limiting factor and I won’t worry about them again.
I’ve subscribed to Strava now, because I couldn’t find a cycling route
planner that works for me as well as the Strava one. Even so, I don’t
find the new, paid up version of the route planner nearly as usable as
the previous free, beta version so I’m unsure if I’ll continue as a
subscriber past the free trial.
However, one useful perk for subscribers is the ability to see a personal ‘heat map’, and this is (most of) mine:
Unsurprisingly the stretches down to Twycross, and over toward Packington and Ashby burn brightly red. But even roads I’ve only done once, like the remote end of the Norfolk trip I did in 2017 (not pictured above), are highlighted in a faint blue.
I’m led to believe by the weather forecast that today is the last day of
the modest heatwave we’ve had, so I thought I’d do a few hours after
work. Still feels like a novelty to be able to ride without tights on.
Wanted to run in the new rear tyre on the X, and I headed off on the eastbound route at about 4:10pm, to make the most of the warm afternoon sunshine. I did think of doing the June Fondo, but decided not to go quite that far. I was on call from 6pm, and didn’t want to push my luck.
Turned
back not long after Six Hills. Decided to come back through Coalville,
to increase my chances of seeing lady joggers in tight gym pants
pounding the pavement. My initiative was not rewarded.
I went out on my Specialized after work. I was going to take the X, to give the new rear tyre a test run. But when I got to the garage, the S Works just seemed to want it more.
Another really warm, sunny day. Where are they all coming from?? Since the wind was coming from the east, I headed out that way. I was going to do about 20 then turn for home, but I became nervous after about 15, as I’d forgotten to bring my phone. Yep – I was on call, and I hadn’t brought my phone. However I was more worried about having a mechanical and having to somehow attempt to borrow a phone from a stranger while social distancing to call ‘er indoors, than the prospect of not being available if needed at work.
So I did a U
turn just short of Cotes, and came back. I took a longer route back
though, through Long Whatton and Diseworth, and down Top Brand. The bike
was rolling along so nicely, and my knees were coping so manfully,
that I decided to put my boot down a bit and see if I could get a
personal best along Top Brand. I assumed there must be a segment there.
There was, and I did! Top Brand just flew past. This was almost
certainly the only time I’ve ever ridden down Top Brand while caring
about how long it might take but for what it’s worth I did it in 5:49,
the previous best having been 6:32 in August 2016.
I did the same along Moor Lane – a segment on which I have tried to get a personal best a few times, just for fun – and I got my best time on that one as well, the previous one, interestingly, having happened on the same ride in 2016. I did a time of 7:04, shaving 7 seconds off my August 2016 record. A zippy bike makes all the difference. I suppose being a kg or 5 lighter myself helps, as well.
Very nice run out, and a decent
start to the June campaign. I’ve decided to aim for 5775 miles in 2020,
to equal my previous yearly best. On that basis, this month’s target is
580 miles.
I wasn’t going to cycle at all today. I’d planned to have a hedonistic
lazy day indoors, but since I only did 14.51 yesterday, and in honour of
all those cold, wet days when I’ve pulled on tights, several layers, a
balaclava and overshoes, I mounted the Cannondale and ventured out into
the warm sunshine at about 4:40pm when the heat of the day had abated a
bit, although the wind hadn’t.
I did a long version Twycrosser. I’d intended to come back up through Kirkby Mallory, which is an unusual feature of a Twycrosser – but took the wrong turn for that when I got to the A477. I turned right just opposite Cadeby, thinking I could get to Kirkby that way – but that road, though quite pleasant, only led to a quarry. I backtracked, then came back home through Bagworth and Ellistown.
Lovely
run out, really. On Atterton Lane a fox sauntered across the road about
100 metres in front of me, which I think is a first on a bike ride.
Anyway
40.48, which takes me to 677 this month and 2527 this year, which is
1189 more than I’d done in 2019 a year ago. I might see if I can get
that monthly total up to 600 tomorrow, but even if I don’t that’s the
highest monthly figure since Aug 2016.
I took delivery of a new Casio G-Shock GPS watch yesterday, and used it to track a ten mile outing in the warm sunshine with ‘er indoors.
Unfortunately although my test track of roughly 3 metres distance made it to Strava, the actual bike ride – over to the Alpaca Farm and back, in lovely warm sunshine, didn’t.
Technology eh! However I think this was only because I set up the connection to Strava after I recorded the track.
Anyway – 10.2 miles.
The Casio Moves app is actually really impressive, very slick appearance and lots of features.
I went out again this afternoon to do a Twycrosser of 35 miles or so, but noticed a familiar, slight regular ‘bump’ from the rear. The X’s rear tyre had developed the same bulge that it suffered on a run out to Stoke and back a few weeks ago. So I cut it short and came back through Snarestone, Swepstone and Heather.
I
changed the inner tube out last time but clearly, it’s the tyre that’s
at fault. I do have a spare so I suppose I’ll be swapping that out
tomorrow, then.
In happier news the Casio watch is set up nicely now, I have the data fields set up the way I like them (distance done most prominent with time of day and average speed also displayed) and it transferred the track to Strava without fuss this time.
It’s arguably a bit too warm and sunny for cycling today, anyway. Which I still can’t get used to. Also, I’m annoyed with myself for cooking my arms in the sun on Monday, because I had to wear a long sleeved top.
Northampton and back is one of my classic long rides, but I hadn’t
attempted it since returning to long-distance form following my knee
overuse injury in 2018. When I’ve done rides in excess of 80 miles or so
this last few months, I’ve planned them on relatively flat routes. The
Northampton trip is definitely not one of those, with something of an
uphill slog over the first few miles coming back.
On Monday
morning though I had a warm sunny day off work on my hands, so I thought
I’d give it a go. I set off at about 09:45. I took the newer route to
Welford that goes through Dunton Bassett, Gilmorton and North Kilworth.
From Welford, just over the Northants border, it’s a very simple run
down the A5199.
I took my super-lightweight MP3 / FM player in
addition to my DAB, as I was short of disposable batteries. I listened
to a fascinating retrospective on 9/11, broadcast on 5 Live in 2011.
Contributors were Menzies Campbell, Alastair Campbell and Christopher
Meyer, Labour’s US ambassador at the time. I didn’t really disagree with
much that any of them had to say except for Ali C of course, but
doesn’t that list of names tell you everything you need to know about
the BBC’s own political outlook?
After that I listened to a bit
of Paul Stanley’s rather self-absorbed autobiography audiobook, read by
the man himself. Then I reverted to the DAB for 6 Music and later, the
witch trials at Downing Street.
Nice run down there in the bright sunshine, though the wind was annoying me somewhat. More of an oblique sidewind than a headwind. Arrived at Northampton at about 2pm and went into Waitrose at Kingsthorpe, to get more food and liquids. I have a strong sentimental connection to Northampton so it was nice to be there again. I hadn’t actually been in that branch of Waitrose since 1984.
As I started to attach my bike to a pillar, a bloke sitting outside the store on a chair offered to look after it for me instead, so I left it propped against the wall behind him. He was a Waitrose employee of some sort. I got the impression that he was employed to look after customers’ dogs as he was in charge of a large steel bowl with water in it.
However I was annoyed to notice that he’d come into the store, leaving my bike unattended, as I passed through the checkouts 15 minutes later. Fortunately it was still there. Just as well; I’m down to my last six road bikes now.
I didn’t go further into the town. The traffic was quite heavy. I turned back for home when I emerged from the supermarket.
The grim uphill slog north of the
town just didn’t materialise. Sure there was a bit of a climb, but it
was a lot less bother than I remembered, even with dodgy knees. I guess I
must be at a better standard of fitness now. I did get my arms a bit
sunburned, but at least my BSP tattoo was protected (by an armband). I
now have crisp, high contrast tan lines on my legs to die for.
Stopped at a familiar bench at Welford and had a bit more food and a tinned Starbucks coffee. Very nice.
Slightly
different route back nearer home, through Bardon and Coalville. Back on
96.57 miles. I did think of extending it to 100 of course but in the
end the lure of a hot bath proved too magnetic.
