I have the day off. It's a nice day. I go for a bike ride
A fortnight after that little outing, time to beat the 2018 mileage record…
Weather forecast pretty much perfect for this. Warm, but not too warm, sunny intervals, light easterly wind. Just what you want when you have the last 50 miles of a 180+ mile day heading west. Real Life didn't throw a spanner in the works, my Honda (back at the menders yet again) wasn't going to be done for collection Friday or Saturday (and that's going to be a few more days at least...). So, ride it was....
Off at 2.20 or so. I had a route on the Garmin, but it never got loaded. Most of my route to the smoke was tried, tested, and pretty much lodged in the grey cells, as I've ridden it multiple times (either to Guildford and back, or all the way to the great wen) since Good Friday 2011 (in a Team Hummers peloton, 15 mph average to Victoria...!!). For the first stretch to Petersfield, I opted for a slight variation- rather than going through Havant and Rowlands Castle then north (and on narrow up-and-down gravel-strewn lanes between RC and Petersfield, which I've never much liked), I headed north-west as far as Hambledon, then NE to the A272, from there east to Petersfield. Not exactly a flat route either, but wider roads and less grot on them. From there, back on to my usual route. Made Haslemere in about 2 1/2 hours, so usual solo pace, even with three extra miles from the variation. Guildford just after six, then on to the A3 bike path. Well on, then off (there was a car parked on it....!!!) and on again sharpish. Unfortunately, it was back to being overgrown, so a bit of a trudge along that stretch till I got to Ripley, at 6.45 or so. Stopped at the village green for my sandwich, then on to Ockham (got the right turning first time for once...), Plough Lane and Esher.
Ideally, I'd have gone through Richmond Park after Kingston, but the ever-confusing one way system got the better of me again and I ended up back on the A3 for a bit (memo to self- follow directions for Kingston station or use a GPX for that bit!). Never mind, a decent off-road path and it was going the right way. Into Putney, over the bridge, through Chelsea (pausing to get the lights on), and over Vauxhall Bridge then on to Waterloo & reached Belvedere Road (back of the South Bank Centre etc) at about 9.15. 79 and a bit miles on the clock, so far. After Italian carbs at the Pizza Express, got the just-refilled bottle out of the pannier...bit empty. Hadn't quite screwed the top on. Whoops. Queue emptying pannier before tipping the puddle out, squeezing water out of soggy clothes (nothing damaged or ruined, thankfully), before back round to Waterloo for chinwagging with Martin and Chris W (who, it turns out, was the answer to the question 'Who said hello to me from a car when I was riding north of Alton on Wednesday?') and then on to the NT.
Excellent turnout, and it was good to see a group of Audax Club Portsmouth riders, including Paul C who's done a couple of FNRs before.
@StuartG was in exactly the right place to get the first of his punctures sorted out, with exactly the right TEC (
@Flying Dodo). Adrian (NOTP any more) delivered an excellent safety talk before we set off (thanks to Adam's expertise, pretty much bang on time). Excellent idea to go south via Kennington and Stockwell (don't know those roads much, lol!), which cut out that awkward turn we make after Clapham Common, before the not-a-variation any more through Tooting. I agree that Farthing Down is a better option than Portnalls Road (better views and a more gradual climb), and I'd brought the right bike for the cattle grids. And as for those grotty roads south of Bletchingley, I know exactly how bumpy they were. Bumpy enough to knock my Garmin out of its mount. Particularly helpfully, it was on a fast descent, so I had quite a way to backtrack once I noticed that odd noise meant something had gone flying..And not for the first time, off I go looking for a matt black object, on a black surface, at night, warning oncoming riders as I did so, didn't want anyone to hit it. The calls of 'Car up' were evidence, if it were needed, of just how effective a couple of Hope Vision Ones are for night riding. By the time I got my Edge back I was last man on the road, not that it was a problem (no turns to miss, and not one but two punctures for TECs to deal with). Thankfully, no-one (not one of us, let alone anyone with a motor) had run it over, and it was fine.
Then, Burstow, where the Scouts again did a terrific job (and one of the handy water butts finally got that bottle full again). On to Turners Hill (shame the easier ascent isn't really an option, it would add further mileage), and then one of my favourite bits, the rolling stretch to Lindfield, and one of my least favourite bits, the climb into Lindfield. At this point, Adrian decided he had to take it easier on account of his broken spoke, so passed leadership to Adam.
And then, the Beacon. For some, this is a horrible climb, for others it's a bit boring, they've done it so many times. For me, though, a Brighton ride just isn't going the right way if it doesn't go over Ditchling. It's always a challenge, though one I know is well within my capabilities, and getting to the summit never feels anything less than an achievement. I like it so much I even chose to go up there one afternoon in a week off last year. Given by that point I had over 125 miles on the clock, and that I'd been up since 8am on Friday, you might expect I trudged up it. Not quite. Second fastest ascent ever, 9:40 for the 0.9 mile Strava segment (fastest 9:28 back in 2011). OK, absolutely nowhere near the Strava KOM for the 0.9 segment (3:57, Lars Petter Nordhaug) but I was pleasantly surprised when I found that out. And I had not one but two bailout gears remaining on the 11-32 dinner plate cassette
Then down (as ever, 'Weeee!!!', and 'Oh **** a red light!!!') to Madeira Drive, and along to the Marina. Stuart's assesment of the place is all too accurate. I found it somewhat remiscent of the Tricorn Centre (definitely not something I wished to reminded of). Usual Wetherspoons breakfast delivered in usual Wetherspoons efficient and speedy fashion. Followed by increasingly usual (for me at least) multiple refills of coffee to fuel the next ride. I declined to join the remaining ACP contingent (Terry of the nice vintage Bianchi, and I forget the other's name) riding back, I was of the view I'd be better off riding at my own pace. Some of the Portsmuthians had left us at Turners Hill, a decision that bemused myself and
@Shadow when we discussed it (definitely not a flatter route home). Left the last three drinkers at about 9.45, somewhat after Terry and friend, and unsurprisingly, didn't catch them up. After a tentative exit from the Marina, my speed gradually picked up, and I wasn't in a rush. Apart from which, the alternative was Southern Failways...helpful mostly tailwind, no issues with traffic. It did seem about to rain by the time I got to Chichester, so considered the option of putting up with a train. When I passed Fishbourne station (just west of Chichester, 13 miles or so from home) I looked for the next train west. Nearly an hour...or I could just keep on riding and be home, or nearly there. Option refused. Speed remained steady anyway. Back at about 1430, 190 miles done, second longest ride ever. Yes, I was tempted to stick the extra miles in for another imperial 200, but CBA by that point (and it wouldn't seem right to not zero the Garmin, have a kip and then do another ten).
Thanks one and all, and for those of you going to Normandy, see you in a few weeks!