Rode a very worthwhile charity ride organsed by Eastgate Cycles today, called the "Paris-Roubaix 2015 Rob Willmott Memorial Ride". Rode it with
@Dark46 and an Eastgate/Kingsway regular called Dean, and went around in the slowest group comprising (so far as I could tell) almost exclusively of miscellaneous Steves. (Well that's what I called them all, anyway).
To fit with the Paris-Roubaix theme, some of us rode to and from the Start/Finish venue over Gloucester's only cobbles, and the 60 mile main event took in as many rough tracks and stoney paths as possible. The route winded out in a big clockwise loop from Gloucester, taking in the outskirts of Newent, the centre of Ledbury (Herefordshire), the southern end of the Malvern Hills (Worcestershire) and back along the Severn flood plain from near Tewkesbury to Gloucester. They threw in a particularly sadistic little hill up the Woolridge at the 57 mile mark.
Of about 70 riders, I dragged my sorry ass in
almost last of all, but I was actually quite happy with 5 hours 15 mins for a quite hilly 60 miler with plenty of stops..In my case, I was carrying a knock from as early as the first mile, where I struck my left kneecap hard against a metal barrier on a cycleway down near the Severn. They put these ridiculous narrow metal gates (that resemble turnstiles) to deter motorcyclists (or for traffic calming of cyclists). The one I hit didn't calm me much.
Then, at the furthest point from Gloucester (about 37 miles in), in the Malvern Hills at Hollybush, just as I arrived at the feeding station, I felt my saddle wobble a tiny bit. Once I'd wolfed down a most delicious flapjack I took a peak at the damage. Found to my horror that I'd completely sheared one half of the saddle clamp, which was now in 2 parts, and the saddle came away in my hands
. This would normally have been a game ender, but fortunately Dean is a most useful fellow, being an engineer by trade. Somehow, using fewer parts, and turning them upside down , he helped me to bodge it back together in serviceable fashion. What a hero, Dean. I managed to complete the last 25 miles by keeping my weight off the saddle every time I hit a hill or a bumpy section of road, and when freewheeling down hills I hovered just above the saddle riding it like Frankie Dettori. The last 15 miles or so were straight into a vicious headwind, and were a bit of an ordeal. I gave
@Dark46 a bit of shelter, and we both hung back to help one of the miscellaneous Steves back to the finish. Lovely bowls of Flemish Stew and chips were consumed by all at the Coach & Horses at the end, before I slunk home to watch the real Paris-Roubaix, feeling like I'd just been in it.
64.8 quite hilly and blustery miles in all today. My knee is now aching like mad, and I can hardly walk ..... but I'm really glad I was able to complete this one, as it is my April effort towards the Metric Century-a-Month Challenge. That's 4 down, and 8 still to go.
. Man, it's tough! Respect to some of the other challengers, who just keep reeling out spare century rides week after week...... I'm doing 12 and that's it!
Cheers,
Donger.
. Still the light side of the ride was seeing one of my friends again and this time I had an apple and a small penknife with me. My friend very much enjoyed the apple.
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