Unknown territory! 200 miles 😬

So up until the 23rd of April my longest bike ride was 135 miles in 2018, I had done a few rides of similar distances and am now fairly comfortable with 200km / 130 miles. However I need to go further, much further! So the next hurdle towards achieving a 2022 Super Randonneur is a 300km event. I chose to enter the Oasts and Coasts 300 down in Sunny Kent. My club mate Eddie was keen to give it a spin as well 👍.

Having booked a Premier inn near the start I realised with the ride to and from the hotel it would be a 200 mile ride #doublecentury 🙂.

So after a 04-30 alarm we rolled out of the hotel at 05-15. After a quick coffee and croissant at the start we headed south at 6am. The first 100km were easy and fun, all new roads for me lots other riders in various small groups the first 3 control points passed and onwards towards the coast at Rye. It was here I was reacquainted with my old Nemesis.... Head wind and wow what a head wind this section was the dreaded Romney march, pan flat and the local riders had warned us to beware 😳. The flat featureless land accentuated the wind, but we had 8 riders in our group so we started a chain gang to share the work. This 25 mile section was hard but would have been brutal solo. We reached Hythe at 160km for lunch. 

by the shingle beach we found a pub for lunch before heading once more into the wind. The next 40km through Dover and Deal was quite frankly horrible. Just me and Eddie rough roads lots of slow shared use cycle ways and hills with very strong headwinds. When we reached deal I was grumpy like a bear with a sore head. We still had another 100km to do we had gone from flying along to a snails pace. After a mars bar and Lucozade we pushed on now with another group of riders, we knew as we gradually rounded the coast the wind would eventually be across and then maybe just maybe help. 🤞🤞🤞🤞

After dinner at Herne Bay we eventually had a tail wind..... Ohhh I love a taily 🌪

We now flew along weary but eventually making good progress. The last pitstop a 24hr garage and with the light now fading Eddie was finding things tough 😕,  his back aching and his bike making some worrying noises 😢 we limped along lights now on full power in the dark. I however was having a second wind, so was keen to keep pushing this wasn't what Eddie wanted 😅 but reluctantly I kept myself in check. Then he punctured the tyre sealed but it would not hold more than a few psi. We limped to the finish Ed and his bike battered tired but we had done it ! Pizza waited for us as a reward for a hard long day in the saddle. 

201 miles,  10774ft of elevation. 

Door to Door it took 17 hours but i felt good and could have carried on if necessary.

Great confidence boost for bigger challenges ahead.

400km next up in May all for the MND Association. 

Before heading home the next day I even bagged 4 @100 climbs in the area in another 40km ride 😃

Another 200k just for Fun !! Delightful Dales 03/04/2022

I decided another 200k would be a good idea to help get my body used to long distances. The Delightful Dales seemed to fit the bill nicely it included a top 100 climb that I had yet to bag. Another challenge I set myself few years back was to ride all the 200 climbs from the first 2 Simon Warren 100 graetest climb books before turning 50. I have done 120 so far including todays 25% Park Rash 6 and a bit years to bag another 80 but I must admit its getting harder due to the distances involved to get to them !! Anyway back to the Audax, Delightful Dales is renowned as one of the hardest 200k calendar events so it seemed ideal prep for longer challenges in the next few months. I arrived at the start early having slept locally the night before in a Airbnb, after a nutritious breakfast... yep McDonald's Muffin Mc sausage 😜 I shivered and drank tea at the Pendle village hall waiting rather impatiently for the 8am start. Then off we went, I planned to sit in the wheels to Park Rash at about 50k but as normal my competitive instincts took over. Will I ever learn ?? Probably not so I ended up chasing down quick riders and was eventually the second rider to hit the savage Park Rash. So how to ride 25% gradients when you have another 150km to go ?? slowly !! The weather was lovely cold but bright and we seemed to be flying along.

 

Having reached the top I was greeted to beautiful views, cows and Snow !! more snow than I had seen all winter in Shropshire. Yorkshire in spring !! Next stop Leyburn at 80k and it had been a breeze so far after a coffee and pasty pavement picnic from the local Coop I was off again, aiming to not spend too much time stationary I turned east for the 50k section to Kirkby Stephen. Ok so remember me saying it had been easy thus far ?? Well it was payback time the next 50k seemed to take forever, the clouds rolled in and the block headwind combined with long long draggy climbs made progress very slow. I was 4th rider on the road at this point. If only I could catch someone we could share the work, I could see 2 riders in the distance as we climbed towards Catterick Garrison firing range. I set about trying to reel them in but also not expend to much energy. I eventually caught the first rider but he was a lot slower than me so I pressed on eventually catching Russell Carson who I had rode with earlier and chatted to in the carpark at the start. We worked well together for a few Ks before he dropped back and once again I was alone. climbing up towards Kirkby Stephen. 

I knew from the Etape Du Dales route in 2018 that a long decent was my reward. Finally I dropped down Lamps Moss and into Kirby Stephen Costa for lunch. 2nd rider again I had lunch with the young chap who had kept ahead of me all day so far, his name eludes me but after a chat and re-fuel we continued towards home and the dreaded Coal Road (Garsdale Head) surely now a tail wind would help us ?? Nope cross head wind and my bike has developed a rattle.😡 I hate a noisy bike especially when riding solo, I was now out front but had to stop and tighten the bottle cage that was causing the noise in this time a few riders passed so now at least I would have a bit of company for the Coal Road. I have rode the coal road before with 100k in my legs today I had130k in my legs and it looked and felt like a wall but we got up it and at the top it felt like a victory. That's all the climbing done I declared !! The rider next to me shook his head and said Cowgill is next !! Well I couldn't hold his wheel on Cowgill I was flagging, wind and cold were getting to me I stopped regrouped had a pee took a gel and decided to harden the F*** up . #rule 5!! Eventually at the Ribblehead viaduct we turned left got a bit of relief from the wind, crosswind home now but I was low on food and water. I remembered Settle was on the route and would surly be a good place for scoff. I got a quick mars bar and Lucozade and headed off again the last few miles on a busy A road really stung my legs were cramping then out of nowhere 3 riders came flying past I got on the back and when flew the last 5k back to base. first group back what a ride.  It turns out I overtook the 3 riders in settle they had fish and chips !!

I know its not a race but it was good to get around quickly, next time I will smell the roses more, and have fish and chips !!

300k ride on the 23rd April #strapin