Uffington White Horse

Miles cycled this year: 1990

In 123 Hours burning 70600 Kcal climbing 69130ft

Most miles in a week (so far) : 160 (still!)

I have started including cycling in getting to work. It’s at 50m+ round trip, and I have cycled the whole journey, but I have found that driving half way and cycling the remainder one day a week is a comfortable addition, as is cycling to one of the satellite offices and working from there. I do one or the other of these each week, and reduce my travel to work by 15%. As the year goes on I intend either to cycle the whole distance, or as I am not keen on getting up any earlier, I might well extend my ride on the way back.

The last week in April, I was away. We were going Saturday, but my mother-in-law wasn’t well, so we delayed to Sunday, when she felt better but not good enough to travel, so I went on ahead, bike in the car, having had a nearly 4 hour easy ride on Sunday morning. Sunday evening was spent lying on the sofa, planning a route for Monday. I was staying near Bourton-on-the-Water, but where to go. I like a destination, somewhere to go, but where? I looked on the map and decided on White Horse Hill near Uffington. It’s to the east of Swindon, and comprises a steep climb up the hill below the white horse, past Dragon Hill. It’s hard and unforgiving, but short.

This was also another chance to test my navigation using my walking sat nav. No maps on this screen, just a series of nodes joined by lines, all programmed by me in advance.

Monday morning was cool. I waited until after 9am as I told myself to let the rush hour traffic and school run die down, but also, and more truthfully, I was on holiday and I wasn’t up for rushing. I came out of the house, up the short drive, then right. The road rose and I went surprising slow. Heavy roads, heavy legs, not warmed up? Change down and forget it, ride on, there’s a way to go yet.

I had plotted a route down through back roads. These were so lightly trafficked that I saw more horse riders than cars in the first hour. I also saw deer and a hare in the road, my they move fast when pursued by a cyclist!

It was basically down hill into the Thames valley, then a climb up the Downs to the highest point on White Horse Hill, (That's the point half way across the profile), then back down across the Thames and back up through rolling Cotwold hills to Bourton. My body said enough at 54miles, so sit up & eat. It was just a nudge to say, “ I’m a bit feed up with this now, can you give it a rest?“ I think it was the cumulative effect of the last three days riding and the fact that I had been going gradually up hill for some time now. It was also lunch time and it wanted feeding.

It was quite weird riding into Bourton. Down a steep straight hill, exceeding the speed limit into the village, through a couple of tight bends, and into the main street, and people, loads of them, wondering kamikaze like across the road, ducks, more people, cars winding up the road through people looking for parking and not seeing the bright orange cyclist. It was nearly 2pm and I went into the baguette shop: Tuna and Mayo, Chocolate Brownie, in the back pocket. Up the hill to the house to sit and eat them, jam sandwich and whatever other goodies I had brought with me.

The rest of the week was spent walking 2 1/2 hours a day on the Cotswold Way. Very pleasant, mile after mile of beech wood with a woodland floor of bluebells, garlic or beech leaves.

Since getting back I was asked for my time to climb (cycle) a local hill from bottom to top. My time was quicker, but my times were to a different ‘top’ of the hill. I was quicker but to a lower point, a bend in the road where the hill is really over. From there the road turns to the left and rolls a bit until a car park.

So Monday I went to see what I could do. The time to beat was 9.20, I rode to my ‘finish’ in 8.06, 14 seconds faster than before, and I felt good, and rode on to the end in 10.02. It was much further and tougher to the car park than I recalled, and maybe I mentally turned off pushing so hard, but that doesn’t account for the extra 42 seconds. There is work to be done!

Under the weather

Miles cycled this year: 1425
In 88 Hours burning 51700 Kcal climbing 49100ft
Most miles in a week (so far) : 160 (still!)

Landmark since 1982 I have cycled 75000miles.

I’ve been a bit under the weather. Not ill but empty. The sort of thing that you might normally feel as a bit tired when you get up, but you do the normal things, and it goes in a few days. Don’t generally work like that when you are asking your body to exercise on the edge of what it is comfortable with either in intensity or duration.

That’s not to say that somedays I don’t get up and feel a bit off, go out on my bike and forget all about it. But that’s the trick, and the problem. When do I feel tired because I am truly off colour, or when is it just how I feel because I went to bed a bit late or had a bad day in the office?

On the 20th of March I extended the Saturday Club run and ended up doing 69m in 4h05m. Sunday I rode the Exmoor Spring Audax: a lovely ride from Minehead, Porlock Toll Road, Exford, Simonsbath, Dulverton, then back via Dunster. It was 61m in 4 hrs. I decided to ride within myself and just get round. It was good fun. I rode to Langport for work on Tuesday, I felt ok, but clearly was slower than normal, but there was a bit of a headwind out.

Saturday the 27th I pushed out to 4hrs37m and 76 miles. In the second hour two of us were steadily climbing onto the Quantocks, another group not know to us were behind us. We rode steady and chatted. As it steepened, one of them attacked, well went past, but he clearly felt he could out climb us. I couldn’t resist and tracked him, slowly pulling the 25 feet or so in, he looked behind. I knew he had little choice but try and stay ahead. It’s predictable: he attacked us, now his pride would make him want to stay in front. All I had to do was follow. It wasn’t important to me if I caught him or he rode away, either way he was going to hurt and I was in control. It was my hurt I was dealing out to him. I closed gently and just sat a foot off the rear wheel, he knew I was there and did not look back. I could hear his deep breathing, I was riding inside myself. He sped up on the flat at the top, but I wouldn’t let him go. He turned at the top to look for his mates, I turned and could see my friend on the flat. I freewheeled. He never spoke, I hurt him and we knew it. What fun! It may be in part due to that after 3hr40 I felt empty. I ate and drank and rode home slower and it was still hard.

The next day I went to ride with the Bridgwater club intending to go to Yeovilton. I was tired, and Sarah, my friend set off at a quick tempo. I sat in towards the back of the group, hiding from the work at the front. Sarah had to be home by eleven and I decided that I was not right, and cut the ride short, but still doing just under two hours.

I felt tired, empty and hungry for the rest of the week. I needed to rest and decided to take a few days. Good Friday was an easy round the block (14M), but I decided to move my rest weekend forward so on Saturday rode short and when the attacks started on the way back from the café, I wished them goodbye and rode back with a couple of others, turning for home as the rain started. I got soaked, I thought it might rain, but not this big drop really wet stuff.

I still felt off, as though I’d had a long ride, so on Sunday I just rode to my mother in law’s and gardened.

The general rule to cycling is “if in doubt - don’t” I didn’t feel great, so best to take some time off and recover. Was I just tired, have some form of infection in the background, pushed too hard too quickly or just lazy? (I suspect a bit of 2 &3, leading to 1) Well I’m feeling more with it now, & rode to work today. Bit slow, but I don’t think my body is too keen at 7.30am, so it is easy does it, just get there. I feel ok, so it’s steady as she goes for the weekend. Shorter, less intense & recover.

My bikes

Miles cycled this year: 1109

In 69 Hours burning 40200 Kcal climbing 37000ft

Most miles in a week (so far) : 160

I have four bikes, and probably parts to make getting on for another one.

The oldest is a Dawes Fox. I bought it myself when I was 17 and a year later rode it Land’s End to John O’Groats in 13 days, complete with tent, sleeping bag, stove and all. The bike was no lightweight at 29lbs and all the kit weighed another 40lbs. As I had two part time jobs along with going to 6th Form, I could afford to adapt the bike and had put a triple chainset on it. The lowest gear was at a ratio of 1 to 1, and I could climb anything with that, it is a matter of pride that I have not got off and walked up a hill since I bought that triple chainset.

I rode it for years, tens of thousands of miles. It got me though college, where I would cycle round Bournemouth on it and to visit college friends around the country in the summer by way of a holiday. I even took to cycling to and from home and college on it. I could do the 52 miles in 4hours and it would take three Mars Bars, one every 13 miles on the route through Dorset via Blandford, to Yeovil and onto Long Load where my mother was living. It took about the same time as the train and only cost the Mars Bars.

I courted my wife on that bike. I lived in Weston-super-Mare, was a recent graduate, and unemployed. I meet Denise on a National Trust Walk (where I was volunteering for the NT) and as she lived in Berrow some 10miles or so away and I had little money, I had to cycle to see her. She had a very nice car, but you have to show willing don’t you. Anyway, I made a groove in the road, riding back and forth, on my way back in the dark, sometimes fighting the gales from the sea. I couldn’t afford batteries for the lights, so I left the back light on as the batteries lasted quite some time in that light, but would turn the front one off, except when there was a car. It is possible for us to ride quite fast by moonlight and streetlight reflected back from the clouds.

One night on my way home, it was raining hard, there was a car in an entrance to a model racing circuit. Front light on, well you don’t want to scare the courting couples do you? It flashed blue lights at me, and the yellow clad policeman walked out in the road. I stopped and he asked me why I was out so late. I told him I was going home from my girlfriends‘. I was going to Worle from Berrow. A few more questions and he said I could go on my way as I was getting wet. I cheerily pointed out that he was getting wet, I was already wet. He did see the funny side. It would seem the caravan parks were being broken into in the Winter, and they were stopping traffic to check them over. A wet cyclist and one pannier was not a likely suspect it seems.

The Dawes Fox is in the attic now, as when I decided to get back into cycling in 1995, it was in effect cheaper to buy a new bike than update all the gearing & other kit which I had worn out or was out of date. Even then it was difficult to get the imperial 27” tyres which had been replaced by the 700C (slightly larger) European standard.

I then had a Dawes Galaxy, a bike that was far too expensive for me 12 years before. I even had the new STI levers where you could brake and change gear with the brake levers and even do both at the same time. I did 4700 miles on the Galaxy, including riding the sustrans route from Padstow to Bristol.

Denise and I bought new bikes. I had a Peugeot Competition 3000. A yellow and blue steel racing bike. I was faster on it without trying harder. A revelation. Mind you much of it was on the flat, and I would still be past by some ‘racer’ going what seemed twice as fast, chatting to his mate, whilst my lungs were fit to burst.

In 1998 I was ill and my road to recovery included exercise. As part of this I went to a gym., and out of the window on an early Saturday morning I could see a group of cyclists ride into Bridgwater. I wanted to be part of it, but they were so fast.

I bought a new bike, a titanium Litespeed, and sold the Galaxy. It was a bottom of the range Litespeed Natchez, but was quick and comfortable, and still thought of maybe riding with that group. I went to another clubs evening meeting, I wasn’t brave enough to actually try riding with them. But it didn’t go well, I didn’t feel welcomed, something all too common in racing cycle clubs it seems. It is much better to meet them on a bike on the road.

In 2000 I was riding up a hill in the Quantocks when I was caught by another man. He rode easily beside me, chatting about cycling, I was in my lowest gear about to expire, he was turning a larger gear with little effort it seemed. The hill steepened and I said goodbye, he was waiting for me at the top. Andy, as he turned out to be named, was one of those Saturday riders and he encouraged me to ride try a Saturday club run.

A few weeks later I bravely rode out to meet them, and to my amazement kept up with them to the café. Thing is, well it is flat round here, and it is easy to follow on the flat when those at the front aren’t really trying. The A38 south out of Bridgwater rises, gently. As we started the climb I started going backward in the group. I couldn’t keep up, I looked down, 25mph with an heart rate of 195bpm. Ah, no wonder I was going backward. I went home. Every week I rode out and got dropped (left behind) at some point on the way to Taunton. It wasn’t personal, I just wasn’t quick enough. My friends (I had some including Andy) came back to Bridgwater over the Quantocks, so I started cutting through and meeting them on the way back.

I bought another bike, another Litespeed, a Siena. A compact frame, and the most expensive bike I owned at that time. Lovely bike to ride, comfortable, more capable and faster than I will ever be.

Progress was slow, but one day I managed to get to Taunton, a sufficiently short time after my friends for them to wait for me, and it has continued since then without break. Well there was that break that coincided with me breaking my collar bone, but that’s another story.

Dunkery Dash on Siena

Oh and for my fortieth birthday I bought my Cervelo R 2.5. It was lovely, carbon fibre, quick to react, no wasted energy, pressing hard on the pedals converts without fuss to forward motion. It was recalled after a year due to some possible fault and they gave me an R3. An R3 won the Paris Roubaix that year, a 250km hard race with 50km over cobbles, so I shouldn’t be able to brake it then. It is a pure racing machine, designed for racing and climbing. It is not just a sports car, it is an F1 car of a bike. I am, however, no Jenson Button.

So that’s the four then, bikes that have got progressily more expensive, lighter and faster. The Peugeot is reduced to turbo duty in the garage having done 10800miles and the Dawes is in the roof. The Litespeed, 19000miles, gets out all year, with the Cervelo, 4000miles, reserved for dry weather only. The Litespeed is the choice for LEJOG, as it is the most comfortable for day after day.

A few days rest finishes Saturday with another block of increasing distance on Saturday and Sunday and shorter rides Tues & Thurs.

PS Pic from Dunkery Dash at www.bit.ly/aaLVB2 I’m the one with the orange body, and yes the white arms took some cleaning.

Dunkery 'Dash'

Hello to those of you who are only hear as curiosity got the better of you and you thought you might follow the link I sent to you, telling you about this blog. Feel free to leave messages.
Miles cycled this year: 889
In 55 Hours burning 32500 Kcal climbing 29000ft
Most miles in a week (so far) : 160

Dunkery Dash is somewhat of a misnomer. It is an Audax, a non competitive group bike ride. Everyone starts together, but it soon breaks up into groups, and men & adrenaline means that there will be competition. (I was 9th out of 70 odd) It is a misnomer though as it starts with a five, yes 5, mile climb up onto the Quantocks, a fast descent then another long climb up on/in to Exmoor National Park, and ultimately to the highest point of the road next to Dunkery Beacon, the highest point of Somerset. You then turn round and come back, after a drink and a very nice piece of cake. The climbs include 16% sections including the last hill, oh and there was a stiff headwind on the way out, and a bit of sleet. Dashing is, therefore, not at the top of the list. In fact the last hill is a kind of slow bike race. How slow can I ride without falling off? I won’t walk - it is a matter of pride. I can ride quicker up that hill but not after 3 and a half hours, 54 miles and maybe 4800ft of climbing already in the legs using racing gearing.
I suspect you may be asking ‘why?’ and I do wonder that myself. I think on rides like that it is best to leave the thinking part of the brain at the start and just get on with it. Thinking about it gets in the way. It is just a case of which way next, whilst remembering to eat & drink and dodge the odd car. It is a nice feeling to finish it, although me and the bike look like we went across ploughed fields, my back felt like it was going to seize up due to the climbing, and I now walk like an old man.

Still it will be easier/faster next time and all good training for later in the year.

The pic is the route as seen by my bike computer. The brown shaded bit are the hills, the blue line is my speed, and the red wavy line is my heart rate.

Time for a lie down now :-)

Well Hello!

Miles cycled this year: 658
In 40 Hours
Most miles in a week: 160

Sorry dear Blog, I have been ignoring you.

Well I now have the leave booked, 3 wholes weeks in September. Lets hope that no little cloud is getting the idea to follow me.

My Dad has agreed to take the first week riding shot gun, well driving the car with me kit in it, which makes him more of a camel train, but I suspect he would prefer to be known as support. I will be handed over to Denise after the first week, and she will stay with me 'til the end. However long that is. Currently it looks like 16 days, I can't resist taking in Land's End & John O'Groats, it only adds 50 miles. Oh & my Dad won't be following me on the road, he will be off gadding about, seeing the sights. We will see :-)

Had the weekend off my bike last weekend, a rest was planned, but I ended up decorating at the Mother-in-laws. How romantic.

Anyway, onward and upward. Next 3 week block of building duration and mileage. I'll see you after the Dunkery Dash