Chapeau! Amanda

The last two weekends have hardly been the sort to make you jump on your bike and train, but needs must I'm afraid.

Last Sunday was not too bad to be fair.... At Amanda's request we did the top section of the Hampshire Hilly Hundred route which covers around sixty miles and takes in a few decent climbs. What she didn't realise was that it was sixty miles if the ride begins where we usually start it (at Pitt, near Winchester). Doing the ride from home added an extra 7.5 miles on at each end ..... Suddenly a 75 mile ride!!
Still, to make up for it the weather was cold, overcast and generally doing its' level best to not help the mindset at all. We rode together throughout though in a valiant mind-over-matter display of winter cycling.
Amanda did really well, tackling the hills and descending more courageously than usual and finishing strongly and in good spirits, and just for the record, when she got a puncture in Overton - her support vehicle (i.e. me) was on hand to lend help in the roadside repair.
This weekend, I worked the mornings  and got home frozen (it really was very cold this Sat and Sun), so we decided to a little 19 mile route in the New Forest that we use as a time trial.
It is not a tough route since, as many of you will know, the New Forest not hilly but there are a couple of short, nasty hills. What is is testing though is the wind.... two sections of this route, Janesmoor Plain

and Deadman's Hill

(Roger Penney Way) are really exposed and because you we do them in opposite directions, you always get a headwind on one or the other.
On this occasion, with a North-Easterly wind blowing, it was Deadman's Hill that would be straight into the teeth of the icy wind. This is great training, there is no doubt about that, but talk about demoralising, it just doesn't let up.
Amanda could not hold my wheel on this section and we finished separately, but she averaged 16.7 mph over 18.9 miles which is exceptional and something for her to be very pleased with.
She is away visiting her family next weekend so I will no doubt end up nearly killing myself on club ride with the fast boys from Sotonia.
'Till then.......

The Isle of Wight - January 2011

A weeks break in the Isle of Wight may not be everybody's idea of a great destination in January, but we know a lovely spot that is great at all times of the year.
The weather was never likely to be that good so I took the Trek 1.2 and Amanda took her 1.5 WSD and on the Sunday morning we planned a ride so that we could meet my parents in the tea shop at Osbourne House to give them a key and then ride home.
We have done the "Round the Island" route a few times but generally in an anit-clockwise direction so we decided on the clockwise route heading off from Ventnor towards Freshwater, which takes in a couple of nice climbs as the road traces the southern costline.

The second climb is a personal favourite of Amandas as the views are tremendous and the decent is safe and fast.

You can just see the road going over the chalk cliff in the distance.












The top part of the island is fairly flat and a tail-wind meant that we made good time, handed over the keys and headed off to finish the 48 mile ride in good time.

On the following morning (Monday) I decided to get up early to tackle a specific climb - St Lawrence Shute. It probably won't be a surprise to know that my support vehicle chose to stay in bed, but it did not matter as I was only planning a short ride.

This is the view from the main road looking up the first section which leads past the little church on the hillside and the postbox.

This first section is over 8% in parts and represents a good challenge.

Every hill of note has "that bend" and this is no different. A sharp right hand hairpin and the road goes left and over a small bridge, and then turns sharp right and upto the final very steep section to the top.

This final run to the top is steep but not that long and one thing to bear in mind is that road can be quite slippery as it is under the trees - so rear wheel traction can be an issue.

Once over the top I turned right and back to Ventnor via the top route and a short 20 minute ride was complete.

A nice little climb to try if you are in the area.

I returned back to base camp to join the gang and we all prepared for a walk over Ventnor Down to landslip.

During the walk I noticed that there was a road leading up Ventnor Down to a radar station at the top. It was very steep and windswept but looked like a good challenge.

So myself and Amanda plotted a route to take in the climb as part of short sharp 28 mile run that would take us back through Shanklin and Sandown.

The climb in total from where we were staying is just over 4miles but the last half a mile is virtually flat, as the work is all done by then.

There are a couple of very steep sections of around the 15% mark and the wind on this exposed bit of road makes for an added complication. Amanda did herself proud by making to the top with just one short stop to catch her breath.

Definately worth a go if you are in the area.

This is the steepest section

It has its' own "that Bend" too.

One of the spectacular views looking back over Ventnor

Happy New Year - Fred Whitton and The Dragon Ride

A very happy new year to everyone reading this blog.

We had a quiet night of a couple of beers and a curry - hardly great cycling food but an early trip to work on New Year's morning made it a necessity.
As it's been so dry I decided to take the Madone out today and Amanda ditched the support car to join me on her Trek WSD 1.5.
We only did 30 odd miles around the Farley Mount and Kings Sombourne area but it was a lovely ride.
Amanda has booked us both in for the Dragon Ride in Wales in June as prep for the Etape. She is doing the 120km run and has booked me in for the 200km one - ouch!!
For Christmas my dear wife has also enrolled me on the Fred Whitton Four Season Challenge. 112 miles with Hardknott Pass coming at 99 miles in.
If I should meet my maker on any of these insane rides that she has booked me on - then please let the judge know that she'd been planning my demise for months in advance.