Not only my first ride of the year but a journey of discovery today. I wanted to find out a) whether I could manage an imperial century in winter and b) whether one was possible on the knockabout bike (I know my best bike is one that would be a pub bike for many of you but I like it and there is no way I'm taking it out on the muddy, gritty, salty roads of a Shropshire winter)
I set my alarm for 6am and got on the road by 7.10 (it's dark out there at this time of the morning
) heading south over Lyth Hill and through Condover and Acton Burnell to Cardington where I got to see the sunrise over Brown Clee Hill (and took a photo which has spectacularly failed to do justice to the sight). Next I turned north towards Harley, then via a bit of a roundabout route to Cressage. Here I was finding the strengthening wind felt quite icy so put on a third fleece (yes, I am nesh and freely admit it).
After Cressage the wind also felt like it was working against me . I wasn't riding directly into it but the blustery and cold conditions were making for slow progress which was to last for the next 50 miles.
I had a distraction at Eyton-on-Severn where a farm dog decided to chase after me barking furiously. He ddn't seem to like my tactic of talking gently to him and lost interest after a while.
Although I'd tried to pace myself, by Roden (approx 38 miles) I was starting to struggle and was starting to wonder whether I'd manage a metric century, let alone the imperial one. Perhaps I should have swapped the snow stud tyres back to the TourRides for this one.
I struggled through Shawbury and on to Wem (seeing a very near miss when a lorry overtaking me almost took out a BMW coming the other way.
By Wem (48 miles) I was seriously considering abandoning the ride, but thought I'd try and make it to Ellesmere and make a decision there. A few drink and food stops were needed but I got there (metric century
) and didn't feel any worse than at Wem so decided to carry on to Oswestry and make a decision whether to call for help there. This was a tough section of the ride - it's quite lumpy and was directly into the wind. I was down to about 9mph on the flat bits and 5 to 7mph on the hills. Not good. Despite this, stubbornness carried me though to the hill fort at Oswestry where I had a good drink (had run out of food by this point) and thought I'll try getting as far as Melverley as it's easier for my brother to pick me up if I have to call him from there.
With the wind now behind me and about 5 miles of gentle downhill I found a second wind and was cruising along quite comfortably. I stopped to see if a couple of cyclists with a puncture were okay (they were and wished me a happy new year) before continuing enjoying the ride at last.
All good things must come to an end and this good run did at Maesbrook where the road to Melverley was flooded. This meant a detour to Knockin and attempting to get to Melverley via a different road (which fortunately wasn't flooded). By Melverley I was wishing I'd stopped at the Knockin Shop as I was running out of energy and could barely turn the pedals. The idea of how nice a bag of jelly babies would be pervaded my thoughts for a few miles, then I remembered there is a post office at Westbury, the thought of which kept me moving when on another occasion I might have just given up.
The post office was open
and did have jelly babies and wine gums
, two packs of each were purchased and one whole pack was consumed which gave me enough energy to finish the last 11 miles.
102.81 miles at 11.2mph average today (almost 11 hours on the road though if you include all the stops
)
Lessons learned:
I can do an imperial century on the knockabout bike.
I
really shouldn't have done it on the snow stud tyres
.
Jelly babies can save a ride from almost certain disaster.
Crossing Lyth Hill at the start. The first light of dawn is just starting to show.
Not long after official sunrise I'm by the Royal Oak at Cardington.
Looking back towards the Stretton Hills from near Wroxeter. I was riding the pass between The Lawley and Caer Caradoc (the two peaks in the middle of shot) about 15 miles ago.
The ruins of Viroconium at Wroxeter.
Wem
The former Cambrian Railway station at Crickett (near Ellesmere)
At Maesbrook: Uh, oh. That wasn't in the plan - time to take a detour.
The radio telescope at Knockin.
The Knockin Shop is open. I'm fine though - don't need anything.
10 miles or so later: Westbury Post Ofiice - I'm saved.
