27 January 2013 (C4)
Total 138.5 miles
11 miles Prestwich to Cheadle
127.5 miles. Mere 200k Audax
Cheadle to Ellesmere and return (packed at Alderley Edge a few miles short due to dodgy knee and dead GPS along unlit and unsigned roads). Nasty headwind and the tailwind fizzled out for the return! Slushy roads with some deep, hub height, floods.
Used the heavy bike and was slow. Not the right bike at all if i want to do distance
and a decent speed (case for N+1 getting stronger!).
Audax times: 11h 14m moving time, 11.3 mph average moving speed, 5929 ft ascent (Strava), Santos Travelmaster
20 February 2013 (C5)
109.7 miles
Prestwich, Bury, Edenfield, Accrington, Great Harwood, Wilpshire, Ribchester, Longridge (sit down sausage and egg barm with a pot of tea), Woodplumpton, Elswick, Singleton, Blackpool (quick drink stop from a sea front stand), Lytham St Anne's, Kirkham, Preston, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley (sit down hot apple pie with ice cream and a large coffee at fabulous
Frederick's), Adlington, Over Hulton, Farnworth, Stoneclough, Whitefield, Prestwich.
8h 09m moving time, 13.5 mph average moving speed, 5078 ft ascent (Strava), Verenti Rhigos 0.3
02 March 2013 (C6)
100.1 miles
Prestwich, Manchester, Cheadle Hulme, Wilmslow, Haslington, Weston, Wybunbury, Audlem, Prees Heath (sit down bacon and egg sarnie with two mugs of tea), Tilstock, Ellesmere, Chirk Valley, Gobowen, Hengoed.
I didn't follow all my intended route due to the lane climbing out of the Chirk valley resembling something more akin to a muddy stream bed, so was five miles short when I got to my mates. Cue twenty minutes of riding loops on the surrounding lanes to make the century.
7h 22m moving time, 13.6 average moving speed, 4714 ft ascent (Strava), Verenti Rhigos 0.3
20 April 2013 (C7)
113 miles
Combination of a FNRttC (York to Hull) and a return Saturday Morning Ride Back to York (SMRBtY). A great night and morning. Times reflect the nature of a group ride. A really good shakedown for my new bike - literally as I lost a screw holding on the rear mudguard and the other came loose and started rubbing on the tyre!
8h 48m moving time, 12.9 mph average moving speed, 1441 ft ascent (Strava), Hewitt Chiltern
17 May 2013 (C8)
100.2 miles
Prestwich, Bury, Burnley, Colne - wonderful Skipton Old Rd to...Skipton - busy and lumpy A59 to Harrogate, Ripon, over the A1M towards Thirsk and then north on lovely B roads to Scotch Corner. Pushing against a northerly all the way.
8h 15m moving time, 12.1 mph average moving speed, 4422 ft ascent (Strava), Hewitt Chiltern
09 June 2013 (C15)
129.7 miles
Stannington (nr Morpeth), skirted Newcastle and crossed the Tyne on the North-South Shields passenger ferry, Sunderland, NCN 1 for a fair bit (quite rough in parts - first puncture), Shotton, skirted Middlesborough, Middleton Tyas (second puncture - a pinch flat as I hadn't inflated the tyre hard enough from the first!), Scorton for a bite at the pub, passed Northallerton, Thirsk, NCN 657 and NCN 65 along lovely country lanes into York and the train home. Great day but quite hot at times.
9h 7m moving time, 14.2 mph average moving speed, 1909 ft ascent (Strava), Hewitt Chiltern
01 August 2013 (C20)
139.5 miles
Day 5 of London-Edinburgh-London.
Started from Market Rasen about 09.00hrs after a 4 hour sleep following a 5 hour night ride from Pocklington. Didn't feel too tired as the thought of completing LEL was really lifting my energy levels. The weather forecast was for a hot one with a headwind all the way and this across some very flat Lincolnshire countryside - it was never going to be my fastest section!
Nice lanes from Market Rasen in the pleasant morning air to Woodhall Spa for an ice cream/coke break while watching a few fellow audaxers pass, then onto the quiet road running alongside the River Witham. Well, normally quiet except today I was passing right under the path of several jet fighters doing clockwise circuits. Made my fillings rattle they did!
After leaving the river side I moved onto the arrow straight and flat Holland Fen road and started to notice the heat and headwind but still felt OK. Some still quiet(ish) roads into the control at Kirton and then onto and thru Spalding. The heat and also lack of sleep of the last 5 days now forced a stop on a grass verge for 40 mins of recuperative napping. I was aware of some other audaxers passing by as well as the odd car but felt rested when my alarm sounded.
The heat and wind when I got going was like cycling into a giant hairdryer. No chance for sweat to pour down your face as it evaporated as soon as it made an appearance. I had made sure to bring plenty of water so was taking frequent drinks and just slowly plodding away with my head down. After 10 mins I spied a fellow audaxer ahead and soon caught up. It turned out to be Francesca who I had provided with a fast tow for the last 15k into Market Rasen in the early hours of this very morning (it seemed like a different day though).
She'd been having a breather and was now ready to go so we decided to work together on the next section. We kept leap frogging each other every couple of minutes and this sure made it easier having a break from the h/wind. Francesca is also a very attractive lady from Venice and it was a real pleasure to draft behind her, although I made sure i did more than my share up front! After a while we stopped while she necked some painkillers and I found out she was having lots of back pain and was out of time but planned to cycle back to London anyway.
We carried on to Thorney where I suggested we stop for a refreshing drink at the Rose and Crown. While I had two pints of Shandy and Francesca managed a pint of lemonade we were met by incredulous stares from the local drinkers when we told them what we were doing. They had seen lots of cyclists passing thru but were at loss as to what was going on. I love actually seeing jaws drop.
Soon back on the road, Francesca decided she needed to rest and stretch her back. She told me to carry on though so, with some reluctance (as we'd been working so well together you understand) i did. I only carried on for a couple of km and then decided I too needed to stop as my feet were getting hot spots. A few more audaxers passed and with my feet feeling better I decided to tag onto a group of 3 which included
@wilkyboy.
We didn't get very far when we came to standing traffic and blue flashing lights. Two LELers were off thier bikes and being back-boarded by paramedics while police took statements. As an emergency nurse I would have been happy to stop and help but both were concious and being expertly tended already so I carried on. I was alone though now as the group had fractured. Stopping in a layby a short while later for a break from the wind and time to phone my wife, I was passed by
@Trickedem and soon caught up with him for a pleasant few km together into the control at St Ives.
I was feeling really good now. Only one more control at Great Easton and then the finish was in sight. I was stamped, fed and watered and back on the road within 30 mins or so. I set off alone into the early evening after picking up some fresh AAs for my front light from the local Shell station. Leaving St Ives over the bridge I noticed 3 cyclists ahead and sprinted after them and asked to join them for some shared riding.
This was very pleasant section for me although I've read some people found it a bit of a killer - hilly with tired legs at the end of the day. I suppose it all depends on how much rest/food/fluid you've had as well as how your body and mind are holding together. The group grew as we were joined by quite a few others. I found I was stopping at the top of hills and and having to wait for others to catch up. So, while i'd been enjoying the company and chat when it got properly dark I decided to stop waiting and just go at my own pace.
I was soon flying down country lanes and powering up the other side. I was passing lots of slow moving groups of cyclists who by now could be seen for a mile or so ahead when the terrain allowed by virtue of their bike lights. I then almost had an off when I came to a nice descent and rise which i set off down at speed - my light picking out the way. A cyclist was at the bottom of the dip, weaving about and I shouted I was about to pass which I think caused him to wobble even more and so my gap began to close. I was doing about 45kph and there was no chance to brake in time and the gap was going to be very tight. I got thru without any collision and shouted a sorry over my shoulder. I resolved to be more careful for the rest of the section. I might be feeling fine but there were lots of slow and tired cyclists now and I needed to give them some courtesy.
After what seemed like no time at all i found my self passing thru Great Easton. My GPS track indicated i carry for a couple of km so I did and ended up on a dark unlit lane with church ahead of me. This was not what I was expecting. Rounding the next bend though I spied some lights and then two volunteers who started to clap me as I pulled into the control. This was a small communal hall, rather than the big schools I'd gotten used to. Time for some scran and lots to drink and then the final section to Loughton and the end of LEL. Just 45 km to cover and 6 hrs 45 mins to do it in. What could possibly go wrong?
12h 3m moving time, 11.6 mph average moving speed, 1867 ft ascent (Strava), Hewitt Chiltern
28 September 2013 (C22)
193.4 miles. Full Monty 300k Audax
Solo nocturnal ride of the permanent version of this Audax after finishing a run of night shifts in order to fit in my Century challenge and to complete a Super Randonneur series. Weather was OK but dark lanes at night were a bit boring and slow at times. Almost came a cropper when a badger ran out in front of me. Hard getting enough sustenance and fluids and deviated slightly into Shrewsbury for a stop at McDonalds (a story in itself at 04:00hrs on a Sunday morning!).
15h 0m moving time, 12.9 mph average moving speed, 5399 ft ascent (Strava), Hewitt Chiltern
