tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14775351212356707082024-02-18T17:44:19.567-08:00Al's Journey to the Etape Du Tour 2011Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-33531361597765946342011-08-19T10:39:00.000-07:002011-08-19T10:42:37.799-07:00Etape VideosI did say that there would not be any more posts but here are the videos that I put together to show my experience at the 2011 Etape Du Tour Acte 1.<br />
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Enjoy in HD by clicking the 320p icon and changing it to 1080p.<br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/8xsTYzF9oYA">http://youtu.be/8xsTYzF9oYA</a><br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/6KulK_udm9A
">http://youtu.be/6KulK_udm9A<br />
</a><br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/AK6cbNO2ejk">http://youtu.be/AK6cbNO2ejk</a>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-69277647848994774832011-08-10T12:14:00.000-07:002011-08-10T12:19:32.696-07:00And So ......The EndThis will be the final post that I write because, well, the journey is over.<br />
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I have just sent all the remaining money to Parkinson's UK and The Alzheimers Society and for the record I have raised over £1000 for the former and over £1100 for the latter.<br />
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All that remains now is to fill you in on the last three days of the our trip to France.<br />
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After the Etape was over and we left the Alpe D'Huez, we headed back over the route in the car so that Amanda could see where I had been, stopping what seemed, every few miles to take photos and video footage.<br />
Our destination was a small Chateau on the outskirts of Chambery, which we hoped would be something of a treat.<br />
We arrived to sauna-like heat and were given a room in the annex with no air conditioning, which we had specifically booked. Amandas blood was boiling since she had complained and got a "it's not our problem" sort of comment from the lady on reception. She instructed me to get on the Internet straight away so she could check the booking (one of those moments to do exactly as you are told) and before we knew it we had been moved into a fully air conditioned room. This is despite the fact that Amanda can only speak roughly three sentences in French and one of those is to ask for an ice cream :-) Good job though, it was boiling that night.<br />
Once settled, I cleaned the bikes behind one of the buildings using shower gel from the room (I thought they might object and I forgot my own cleaning liquid). This gel was really posh stuff as well. As I washed down Lord Trekington (my bike) I could almost sense him making the kind of orgasmic sounds that the girls in those adverts do.<br />
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We had always wanted to see Lake Annecy, so I set about plotting the most direct route possible, with Amanda looking increasingly worried as she saw the profile. After much debate, I had cracked it. around 71 miles and a couple of decent climbs to keep me happy.<br />
The following morning though it was grey..... we got all our stuff together and put our waterproofs on from the off, although it was not raining at this stage.<br />
Not long after we left the hotel though we started up the Col De Plainpalais which was over 16km in length. Then as we exited a tunnel, the rain started.... torrential and cold. But we were ready for it and we knew how lovely Lake Annecy was.<br />
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYwIvpEo_-9oY6H5WCsJo9BLyekCsvN1at-N8ktHbAt7a3FuouyVZ_1IT1tZHYyYMzRmRUkG5thp3RoPh1DTjd7ww7lgTT_6uaoxv_3_xBgS-xf0GkTNxaK1Kr4YECGDhKxNxVmmBrg/s1600/Col_de_Plainpalais_Chambery_profile.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYwIvpEo_-9oY6H5WCsJo9BLyekCsvN1at-N8ktHbAt7a3FuouyVZ_1IT1tZHYyYMzRmRUkG5thp3RoPh1DTjd7ww7lgTT_6uaoxv_3_xBgS-xf0GkTNxaK1Kr4YECGDhKxNxVmmBrg/s320/Col_de_Plainpalais_Chambery_profile.gif" width="320" /></a></div>The rain was getting worse though and was steadily soaking us to the skin. We were fortunate, I suppose that we plotted the route to be harder on the way out. Not least because as the day wore on, Amanda was too tired to catch me up and strangle me..... You see the route was a good deal longer because of the numerous hairpin bends... in fact 82 miles in total. And it rained, boy did it rain.<br />
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We finished this climb and not too long after, were on another, the Cret de Chatillon, which takes you up towards the ski resort of La Semnoz, which I found out later, has been used in the Tour De France.<br />
This climb is shorter but much steeper and the incessant rain would not give up as the beautiful scenery unfolded all around us. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR16k5dP6izuQEB7smWzd8ypSL-OR2QhwgD7L6V1PNoBJXiPrlFWejoHZY9HNUHp49bSmBlBDeGp0_08mSGV3-5AWtvSUlzlju96-moGXcUID6Klrjlyo3MUIaQFnXMwIHCQMLH1gHg/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR16k5dP6izuQEB7smWzd8ypSL-OR2QhwgD7L6V1PNoBJXiPrlFWejoHZY9HNUHp49bSmBlBDeGp0_08mSGV3-5AWtvSUlzlju96-moGXcUID6Klrjlyo3MUIaQFnXMwIHCQMLH1gHg/s320/2.png" width="320" /></a>It was getting colder though and as we got towards the top, the wind picked up and the sheltering trees disappeared to reveal the "Plateau" restaurant - it was shut - sob, but Amanda got behind my wheel and battled her way to the top.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A 17.4km descent into Annecy was next, in rain so strong that it was a struggle to see. With fingers constantly on the brakes to prevent our speed getting out of control, both our hands and fingers were going numb, and we were having to wring our hands to get the feeling back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We arrived in Annecy and eventually found a cafe. We were frozen and the only place that we could find only had an outdoor covered section.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Amanda was shivering as she ordered two coffee which were tiny ( oh for a mug). We ended up having four and they still didn't warm us up, and neither did omlette and chips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were actually looking forward to getting back on the bike to get warm again when we had a blessing in disguise, a puncture. Ordinally we would use our little compressor to re-inflate the tyre but hand pumping with a mini pump was just what the doctor ordered.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We turned away from Lake Annecy as the rain stopped and the sun came out! and began the long but shallow climb of the Col de Leschaux </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MI7nInKPNGEOUXVousAIIZ9WkOr78MwsME7WapcTrJMAeiEj3UlwdP0bgb67UQ9Vm7JmsUwXoKoZIB_KuZpb8Q0WPqDrrtRE2Cu8zz96T0abfS433rBDYgckz3evsB649eMIFV6aww/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MI7nInKPNGEOUXVousAIIZ9WkOr78MwsME7WapcTrJMAeiEj3UlwdP0bgb67UQ9Vm7JmsUwXoKoZIB_KuZpb8Q0WPqDrrtRE2Cu8zz96T0abfS433rBDYgckz3evsB649eMIFV6aww/s320/3.png" width="320" /></a>Amanda was beginning to smile as we made good progress and the better weather continued - this was of course to be short lived. As the extent of the extra mileage became evident, so to did the final climb of the day, the Col Des Pres (pass of the meadows), and it was as lovely as it sounds. But Amanda had, had enough and was giving me the death stare.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got to the top and were greeted by more black clouds in the distance, so it was back on with the jackets and another freezing cold descent back to the hotel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We showered, changed and laid all the kit out in the room to dry before heading off to Carrefore for comfort food.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Col Des Saises</span></strong></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the things that caught my eye was when watching the 2009 edition of the Tour De France. Stage 17 involved a climb called the Col Des Saises, and when the peleton descended into the town of Flumet, there was a fantastic helicopter shot of an amazingly curly road with all the rides going down it.... here is the video.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7J53F5TgKEE?hl=en&fs=1" width="425"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had both seen this and I was desperate to do this descent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Without going into too much detail, the climb was long but not too severe and although there was enough low cloud to prevent us seeing Mont Blanc, the rain held off.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The run down is fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone, especially as rather than turn right as the Tour did, we went left and headed down the valley along side the river<span style="background-color: white;">, the road cut into the rock and there were more bridges and tunnels than you could shake a mini-pump at.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">A small climb back over the Col De La Forclaz and we were back at the car and heading back for our final evening.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">It should have been something special really but it was Bastille day and most of France was shut down. Carrefore it was then. More comfort food and a couple of cans of 8.5% beer - slept well that night.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">Thanks for reading THE END</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-15236398348908678502011-07-22T11:35:00.000-07:002011-08-08T12:46:43.357-07:00France - July 2011 - The Etape Du TourNow that we are home again it has taken me a little bit of time to get the creative juices flowing, so I hope that I can convey my thoughts well enough to keep you reading.<br />
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The trip started on Thursday 7th July when I pretty much went straight from work to catch the ferry at Portsmouth - Amanda had booked the day off and that, coupled with a great deal of work the night before, everything was packed and we flung ourselves head-long in to the chaos that was getting onto the ferry (wait in a queue for a bit, move forward to another queue....... add as many steps as you want to here). Still, Portsmouth is not the most quaint of places and it serves as a really good place to get out of the country (it's all you want to do once you get there).<br />
Once though, we found our cabin, dropped the overnight stuff and headed for the onboard delights of the "Dirty Duck", "Pub" and began on the pint that I hoped would get me nicely off to sleep. There was just enough time to "tweet", my where-abouts to the people that mean the most to me (it turned out to be an excellent way of keeping people up-to-date).<br />
Friday morning duly arrived and we pulled into Le Havre, which I was amazed to learn is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and we faced up to the enormity of the drive to the outskirts of Grenoble - some 37 light years away by car.<br />
I won't dwell on this part of the trip other than to say that 1. French roads are awesome, 2. I love the little picnic areas that area regularly dotted along these routes, 3. French drivers scare the pants off you at first - if people drove so close in England nobody would get anywhere as they would stopping to have a "road-rage" related fight every few miles.<br />
We arrived in Saint-Egreve, just North of Grenoble at around 6pm, without too much fuss thanks to the Sat Nav, unloaded the car and set about the fruitless task of finding somewhere to eat, ending up back at the hotel resturant after a mile of walking in the evening heat.<br />
Our short term reality show "A Salesman's Life" continued promptly the next morning as we reloaded the car and headed off to our first main base of Saint Jean De Maurienne (where joy-of-joys) we would actually be spending two nights. On the way we passed through Le Bourg d'Oisans, and took the opportunity to drive up Alpe D'Huez, firstly to have a look at it and secondly to find the hotel that we would be staying in after the Etape.<br />
Back on the road and a dramatic drive over the Col De La Croix De Fer took us to the hotel in SJDM. A modest affair but the room was big enough to fit the bike in and was high enough up to see the mountains over the town.<br />
We decided to go for a short bike ride to stretch the legs and a short trip up the first couple of Km of the CDLCDF and back down was enough during the heat which, shortly after we got back, gave way to an enormous thunderstorm, clearing the air nicely.<br />
Sunday meant that we had to go and register so we hitched a bus journey to the tented village high above the start town of Modane. An hour was spent taking care of the formalities and then gaining every single freebie that we could.<br />
The bus arrived back at the hotel early enough for us to go for a short ride so we joined up with Martin and Sarah from our hotel and set off up the Col Du Mollard which was straight out from the back of the hotel but which turned out to be a ten and a half mile Category 1 climb.<br />
Sarah and Martin chose to save their energy and turned back about halfway up but myself and Amanda completed the climb and then headed back for our pre-ride meal.<br />
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4am was the alarm call and having organised all my gear the night before I was feeling quite calm and went down for breakfast in shorts and a tee shirt, quietly chuckling to myself at all the others who came down in their full cycling kit - so uncomfy (a lesson learned from "Fat Camp").<br />
30 minutes later and I was changed and on the bus ready to go. I bid farewell to Amanda who to set off for the finish as soon as I left and the bus started on the long-ish drive to the start.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YT_-Aj1frDbt_RoVpHwmQ4mZvrNwBz30PjJFKwIbMZBVNA1gCUNBL_Sc7vfjbAhbx8dvfZ4yMLKicxWOyVfR9Zwqke7QXJ-nmwy1Al0S1Tn6dWbjWHZh3ghUaN9oIeVhtvnS2-fWag/s1600/DSC_8070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Me - Ready for the off!" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YT_-Aj1frDbt_RoVpHwmQ4mZvrNwBz30PjJFKwIbMZBVNA1gCUNBL_Sc7vfjbAhbx8dvfZ4yMLKicxWOyVfR9Zwqke7QXJ-nmwy1Al0S1Tn6dWbjWHZh3ghUaN9oIeVhtvnS2-fWag/s640/DSC_8070.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We had a group of "all the gear and no idea" Americans on the bus with us and they were complaining that we were being dropped of too far from the start and that they wanted to be taken closer to Modane ( in hindsight an extremely wise move as the road was much longer and more uphill than it first appeared).<br />
As we progressed we overtook a steady stream of cyclists before hitting solid traffic, and only because we were bigger than most, our driver forced his way through in to a car park and we got off, gathered out strength and headed the final 5km towards Modane.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">The Etape Du Tour 2011 Acte 1</span></u><br />
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According to everyone that I spoke to I had quite a low "dossard" (start number) and this put me reasonably close to the front in terms of starting.<br />
A man (who turned out to be a woman) constanly relayed information in several different languages over the tannoy system - yep, nobody had a "lie-in" in Modane that morning.<br />
Finally the Mayor of Modane gave the word and my group were off at around 7.40am and it was chilly to say the least as the sun hid behind the Alpine landscape.<br />
The route started with a really fast 20 Km downhill run to Saint Michel De Maurienne and then came the left turn to signify the start of the action - the Col Du Telegrape - which is right above your head as you make this turn, leaving you wondering how are we going to get that high in such a short relative distance. The answer is easy - loads of hairpin bends, a trip round a gorge to the tune of 11.8km and an average gradient of 7.3%.<br />
I had made my mind up to ride this climb very steadily, trying not to let my heart rate get above 150, which I pretty much managed.<br />
This climb was a joy in the early morning light with the sun just beginning to take away the early chill, but it just keeps going - snaking up the early sections and then hugging the left side of a ravine before sweeping around the back of this chasm to arrive at the summit on the far side. The last section of which can be seen as you glance to your right and up..... a familiar glance as the day went on.<br />
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There were quite a few people at the summit of the Telegraphe, but I chose not to stop at the feed station there, as even at my steady pace I was feeling quite strong and had passed more than few riders on the way up.<br />
So I continued down the 5km decent that took you to the beautiful alpine town of Valloire and the base of the Col Du Galibier.<br />
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I did not really have too much time to take in much about the town but noticed a series of wooden carvings on the traffic roundabout, and a fellow dressed in a cow suit, who I duly "high fived" as I went past. This all helped to take my mind of the fact that the gradient had started to rise considerably in the blink of an eye.<br />
Shortly after I exited the town I stopped at the village-sized feed station and refilled my water bottles, but conscious of not letting my legs stiffen up too much, got straight back on the bike and headed off - destination - the top of the world.<br />
The Galibier is truly beautiful .... gone were the trees and gorges, replaced by snow capped peaks and Alpine meadows, abundant with scores of butterflies and bees. <br />
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As the road climbs past a couple of hairpin bends it heads onwards through a gap between peaks to a place called Plan Lachet where the road turns hard right, over a bridge and back on itself - and here's where the fun really starts?!!?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WCPwuldeQTtpheDumt_8wytl6-Xa2mWHYtoC0NL46E9kNdrqA9Hm0QvUGVyvlYns0mY0fUCuWssmlvinHjxnXVagMyf9MCcjxP-3nmCUUHW0wbLsIozS0G0UQK1PcdpfggvH_lmqrQ/s1600/Galibier.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Col Du Galibier Profile from Valloire - Courtesy of Climb By Bike" border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WCPwuldeQTtpheDumt_8wytl6-Xa2mWHYtoC0NL46E9kNdrqA9Hm0QvUGVyvlYns0mY0fUCuWssmlvinHjxnXVagMyf9MCcjxP-3nmCUUHW0wbLsIozS0G0UQK1PcdpfggvH_lmqrQ/s320/Galibier.png" width="320" /></a></div>You can see this whole section from a fair distance away but what you don't realise at first is that this is the first in a series of hairpin bends that take you up to the next plateau. It's only when you see all the riders ahead and trace them up the hill that the enormity unfolds. This whole section is much steeper and like the other climbs that we undertook in the Alps, is very consistant with not much chance to rest.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp35GC1TVWt3hwuyQSoe0vrtK6P4HD7-LDNYFrxZKeY3AWFq1K_3IgaYaMIksahcNxdNM8BtFCqtY0eVSYsHVUaFPnvKf_lO9S2gd0AJyXk58OsQv4RJYXVQC3Bgjiut1hsZsVLK10UA/s1600/DSC_8182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp35GC1TVWt3hwuyQSoe0vrtK6P4HD7-LDNYFrxZKeY3AWFq1K_3IgaYaMIksahcNxdNM8BtFCqtY0eVSYsHVUaFPnvKf_lO9S2gd0AJyXk58OsQv4RJYXVQC3Bgjiut1hsZsVLK10UA/s1600/DSC_8182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp35GC1TVWt3hwuyQSoe0vrtK6P4HD7-LDNYFrxZKeY3AWFq1K_3IgaYaMIksahcNxdNM8BtFCqtY0eVSYsHVUaFPnvKf_lO9S2gd0AJyXk58OsQv4RJYXVQC3Bgjiut1hsZsVLK10UA/s320/DSC_8182.JPG" width="320" alt="The View down towards Valloire on the Cold Du Galiber"/></a>Plan Lachet is just out of shot in the botom right hand of this photo but this gives you an idea of of the sheer scale of this section and what a visual impact it can have on you as a rider. You can click on this photo to see it in full size and Valloire is just visible in the distance.<br />
When you have got to the top of this section the road sweeps away to the right, then swings away to the left and over a bridge (from where I took this photo the following day), and then back round to the right past the brand new monument to the late, great Marco Pantani.<br />
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<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50MyfgSp_7RZm9p-rV6CWowrNCFPR6mnOecrNnWJ99RXPybwPo9sps8PAcFU6Fd0HBvcpga_VDOpd4A9ROyon7YOM2uBBEN1pS3pgfTi8bJ6cX-f-J1DRwAUKZlRFA7aikgSihywrAw/s1600/DSC_8171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50MyfgSp_7RZm9p-rV6CWowrNCFPR6mnOecrNnWJ99RXPybwPo9sps8PAcFU6Fd0HBvcpga_VDOpd4A9ROyon7YOM2uBBEN1pS3pgfTi8bJ6cX-f-J1DRwAUKZlRFA7aikgSihywrAw/s320/DSC_8171.jpg" width="320" alt="Looking down from the summit of the Col Du Galibier"/></a></div>Another left turn and you can see the summit by tracing the riders up! It's high but only looks about 2km away (you appear on this photo where the first red dot is just to right of centre).<br />
At almost the same moment you past the 5km to go stone (each Alpine climb has a stone every km to indicate how far is left and what the average gradient is for the next km, similar to the one below). A kick in the teeth for sure, and not the last.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisjuden/5708419194/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Galibier km marker by Chris Juden, on Flickr"><img alt="Galibier km marker" height="500" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/5708419194_5855b341d4.jpg" width="332" alt="Handy distance markers on the Col Du Galibier"/></a>The road swings again to the left and steadliy climbs towards the final two km which are the steepest of the whole climb, hovering between 9% and 11% which is brutal after having been climbing for that long.<br />
With one km to go you pass the tunnel which is used when the summit is closed and enter the final section of hairpins on freshly laid, super-smooth tarmac.<br />
Still climbing steadily I was recovering from an error in judgement. I wasn't really aware of the effects of the altitude, until, with my mouth feeling dry I took a big gulp from my water bottle, missing a breath cycle in the process. It must have took me 15 breaths to "get my breath back" and for a while I was gasping for air.<br />
From then on it was sips only.<br />
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At the same time a British couple were setting up their camper van in readiness for the Tour de France, which would come by a full 11 days later. Now that's dedication.<br />
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The summit finally arrived and because there was so many people around I almost missed it and didn't see the summit marker at all.<br />
A good reason to go back the following day and join the queue for the obligatory photo by the alitiude sign.<br />
<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-soTezLF8CQ6a4r0GELp_RZIP4-cJOpZg-9fVMG7vsGY4wg5-BtKE8FbZiyTXNZikdGAMpiRiWjvrF1p6m7jJX4S1FBUtKdrHErxpUxspmkYFFv9Yc0GYhyphenhyphenp8dmO5q1ZZV_h1yuXOQ/s1600/DSC_8168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-soTezLF8CQ6a4r0GELp_RZIP4-cJOpZg-9fVMG7vsGY4wg5-BtKE8FbZiyTXNZikdGAMpiRiWjvrF1p6m7jJX4S1FBUtKdrHErxpUxspmkYFFv9Yc0GYhyphenhyphenp8dmO5q1ZZV_h1yuXOQ/s320/DSC_8168.JPG" width="320" alt="Me at the summit of the Col Du Galibier"/></a></div>(My dog insisted on coming)<br />
<br />
It was surprisingly warm going over the top of the Galibier - no need for the arm warmers or windproof jacket that I was carrying. But it was not too warm at this stage especially as the first part of the descent is 12 % and on a freshly resurfaced road, that was littered with hairpin bends and blind corners.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuv7z9UvzlLmObn2fEzwzEouyKCUS_NMXW6nhoKKRw_BWa26camYVr7DbBla0QJxK-uEQzuj1yj01zXdGW2NvpVNjRSGBiNIY1tXI-QgUa3aaVpPEt3aHCurQk-Nw8qnj9ejOM_vOfQ/s1600/DSC_8161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuv7z9UvzlLmObn2fEzwzEouyKCUS_NMXW6nhoKKRw_BWa26camYVr7DbBla0QJxK-uEQzuj1yj01zXdGW2NvpVNjRSGBiNIY1tXI-QgUa3aaVpPEt3aHCurQk-Nw8qnj9ejOM_vOfQ/s320/DSC_8161.JPG" width="320" alt="The descent off the Col Du Galibier towards the Col Du Lautaret"/></a></div>This sign signifies the start of around 40km of decending, which is an experience like nothing I have encountered before. With closed roads and the abilty to therefore use the whole road, being able to see where you were going for a long distance and speeds averaging around 45mph for almost three quarters of an hour, I likened it to spending a whole day at Alton Towers without ever getting off a ride.<br />
One of the greatest thrills of my life.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxJtf4ZYNBCaGA7cmqjgOj3S3EIMzn0imGtnOk3dYu-zHh6My4NfjG6-3tOjXftDb4cHv4CZhKl2igpG-plvj0hcrkdb7lXdDWuLhYH0f5RNeHrk3u9DYXW_i_1NzfB7ql053uvEnIA/s1600/DSC_8155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxJtf4ZYNBCaGA7cmqjgOj3S3EIMzn0imGtnOk3dYu-zHh6My4NfjG6-3tOjXftDb4cHv4CZhKl2igpG-plvj0hcrkdb7lXdDWuLhYH0f5RNeHrk3u9DYXW_i_1NzfB7ql053uvEnIA/s320/DSC_8155.JPG" width="320" alt="The Henri Desgranges Memorial"/></a>The Henri Desgranges Memorial.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtxEsLi-MwTdeerBwVfI_75NCLe5Efw2YGgRqujdBjSJK0vLg0FticnAJJGwJ9PlBWOjlTQCNckxWQnKfDE5VTCtFM1E96niNhaPp7fTYLN73ec4FLw42Bz53lFBFKTvoulxsLhKxzQ/s1600/DSC_8146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtxEsLi-MwTdeerBwVfI_75NCLe5Efw2YGgRqujdBjSJK0vLg0FticnAJJGwJ9PlBWOjlTQCNckxWQnKfDE5VTCtFM1E96niNhaPp7fTYLN73ec4FLw42Bz53lFBFKTvoulxsLhKxzQ/s320/DSC_8146.JPG" width="320" alt="The Glacier De La Meije"/></a>The Glacier De La Meije</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As I hurtled down this descent, mind focused, on the drop handlebars of my Trek Madone (aka Lord Trekington), fingers never to far away from the brakes - just in case. My mind was drawn to warnings about a series of tunnels further down the road. I can remember wondering what could be so dangerous about tunnels. Still there was nothing here to break the speed other than having to slow down a bit every now and again as the road swept over fissures housing waterfalls and a hard bend or two as I approached the feed station at La Grave.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Again I only stopped for the shortest time necessary to fill my water bottles and grab a banana, and I was back on the road heading for the Lac Du Chambon.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYpqvxoMeUupdt86TZDweZjz6kcMQQLrTL7Tei9f7UGm30DsOkEqUyzuofF72SUVpUcJwjA9RKmGh7XZHQGd6Ju4qyw83hj6n_1-BduC-AsdQ0ddWUcWL6c5UBP_R9iIJ77KtzgC6lg/s1600/DSC_8118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYpqvxoMeUupdt86TZDweZjz6kcMQQLrTL7Tei9f7UGm30DsOkEqUyzuofF72SUVpUcJwjA9RKmGh7XZHQGd6Ju4qyw83hj6n_1-BduC-AsdQ0ddWUcWL6c5UBP_R9iIJ77KtzgC6lg/s320/DSC_8118.JPG" width="320" alt="Lac Du Chambon"/></a>....which is one of the many "man-made" lakes the French have created to harness Hydro-electric power. You sometimes wonder if these pictures have been "doctored" due to the colour of the water - being so aqua-blue. Well having taken this picture myself I can assure you that it really is that colour! This picture is taken from the dam that marks the end of the main lake which we would all pass over in a while.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Shortly out of La Grave the nature of the road began to change as the lake comes into range. Gone were the meadows and treeless landscapes, replaced by a road which was carved into rock and perched high above the lake. With the rock though, came the tunnels, the first of which came as quite a shock.... They were not lit and at the speeds that all the riders were going, our eyes had no time adjust from the brilliant, cloudless bright sunlight, before not being able to see anything. I ( as many probably did), instantly hit the brakes and pulled my sunglasses down to the end of my nose so that could look over them. I was also helped by two French Policemen on motorbikes, whose headlights lit the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I was pleased to emerge safely through this and a series of probably another six to eight tunnels, but as the road swept across the dam and past the final part of the lake I could hear sirens in the distance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Within a few moments, and ambulance and four police motorbikes came past in the opposite direction - I would find out later that there had been a bad accident in one of the tunnels and a rider had been taken away in an air ambulance, and the police made the remianing riders walk through that tunnel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The next section of the route is essentially the only flat part of the stage, and it delivers you to the bottom of the famed climb of Alpe D'Huez. </div><iframe frameborder="0" height="548" src="http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/98460912" style="height: 503px; width: 514px;" width="465"></iframe><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsp1Ue4fFIjEtPg4od6sKj5gzZyoCNdNsl88fKuGL31o6HxsiuJk_Oe8QGK5O6xbB8be5b_gnzdnxhsU1ABYZXfCek0iE75YbxGJNh9lxF792N0KBs8NI9pvYWkiD9UrD8JtXhCgl-Q/s1600/DSC_8115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsp1Ue4fFIjEtPg4od6sKj5gzZyoCNdNsl88fKuGL31o6HxsiuJk_Oe8QGK5O6xbB8be5b_gnzdnxhsU1ABYZXfCek0iE75YbxGJNh9lxF792N0KBs8NI9pvYWkiD9UrD8JtXhCgl-Q/s320/DSC_8115.JPG" width="320" /></a>You could sense the nervousness amoungst all the people that I was around on this stretch, certainly nobody was really pushing the pace and I sat behind a French Gentleman who looked a good few years my senior as he munched on a sandwich and chucked the foil into the undergrowth - AAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!! My pet hate - still I had all my litter in my back pockets so I was able to take my own silent "moral high ground". Blooming unecessary though, and in such beautiful surroundings too, etc, etc - Alright Alex, I think we have got the message.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There was the final feed station at the bottom of the Alpe, right by the information sign that you see me standing next to in the picture above. I phoned Amanda to let her know that I was at the bottom of the climb (she probably thought that she would see me pass in the next 45 mins - how wrong she was).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Straight out of the feed zone I rolled over the mat that the video company were using to identify the riders and the organisers were using to time the climb, and then a left turn and the markers to indicate the small matter of 13.8km to the end!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jiWGkr27ToPajjQJRSAXDr-bwyIvyVN_QOqp-ZsM-Qn3LPhErZ-Fsho062UnQqQHzc2p7niR_7vEpETnaBpbIb46l5z0UJSts8YaZcvT7vAPQtnRBR5zWM9anWdt3mbttQQVPDwNIw/s1600/Alpe_dHuez_profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jiWGkr27ToPajjQJRSAXDr-bwyIvyVN_QOqp-ZsM-Qn3LPhErZ-Fsho062UnQqQHzc2p7niR_7vEpETnaBpbIb46l5z0UJSts8YaZcvT7vAPQtnRBR5zWM9anWdt3mbttQQVPDwNIw/s400/Alpe_dHuez_profile.jpg" width="400" alt="Alpe D'Huez Profile - Courtesy of Climb by Bike"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I have watched this a hundred times trying to get an idea of what to expect but nothing can. From nowhere the road shoots up to 13% and I could feel my legs beginning to melt underneath me. It was really hot now - pretty much the middle of the day. I can remember thinking earlier on in the stage that the Alpe had trees along the bottom section and wouldn't be too hot. No chance. The sun was directly overhead and there was not a breathe of wind. I can remember trying to get under any shade either from the odd tree or the rock face but the road keeps changing direction, not just because of the hairpins but also just natural wriggles. A spot of shade was gone in instant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I heard afterwards that it had been 35C on the final climb and certainly I have never experienced heat like it - stifling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The stretch to the first bend is long.... and steep and I could hear a group of young girls and Mum's chanting Allez, Allez, Allez as I rode - what a great job they were doing. A rider in front of me "high fived" one of them so I moved across the road and "high fived" the entire group". They instantly got a surge from being appreciated and I got an uplift for well..... not long enough really but it was still a lovely moment. You can watch it here in HD, click 720p.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-WNBXf5R6SA" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And there it was, bend number 21 - dedicated to Fausto Coppi and Lance Armstrong. I comforted myself in the fact that they also struggled on this climb, the difference being that they were probably going about four times faster and were about to win a stage on the famous climb. I was certain to finish second to them, but the ride would be no less effort.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The hairpins on the Alpine climbs are the only sections where the gradient eases, the complete opposite to British roads where the corners are generally the steepest parts. It plays with your mind though because, as you round the bend, and get some respite, the road then peels upwards in front of your eyes. Again, it was a time to settle into a rhythm, and pace myself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I have to admit that the next few bends are a bit of a blur and the next time I took note I was at bend 18 and then 15. More and more people lined the route and were cheering - it was genuinely humbling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I rounded a corner, I can't remember which and a group of guys with hosepipes were spraying anyone that wanted it down with cold water. I had my helmet camera on so I declined .....but you have no idea how much I wanted to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">By now, I was staggered by how high we had climbed as spectacular views appeared over Bourg D'Oisans in the valley below. This picture shows Le Bourg D'Oisans in foreground, the climb in the middle and Alpe D'Heuz at the top and is take from <a href="http://www.steephill.tv/">www.steephill.tv</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcIAIlKTqJWHPMy4dBQGlEk-VMNKhE0GjlY3QrKbM4USQHuh3nYbNcT2Xq9YnHUCqZHeMGcndvUKVHqrVY9uMsA2oOEz5wRDGqQBF3eH7DujvaZntu-aKJG4XiPhlHRdsWNGNKWBJ6A/s1600/alpe%252520dhuez%252520and%252520the%252520oi%2523920e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcIAIlKTqJWHPMy4dBQGlEk-VMNKhE0GjlY3QrKbM4USQHuh3nYbNcT2Xq9YnHUCqZHeMGcndvUKVHqrVY9uMsA2oOEz5wRDGqQBF3eH7DujvaZntu-aKJG4XiPhlHRdsWNGNKWBJ6A/s320/alpe%252520dhuez%252520and%252520the%252520oi%2523920e.jpg" width="320" alt="Alpe D'Huez from above"/></a>Still there is no let up in the gradient. I rounded a corner to see a camper van with a Union Jack draped over it and shouted (not very loudly), "Come on you Brits", to which I received a huge cheer from the occupants - lovely, it really does keep you going. My unrelenting slow pace continued past Huez village and finally the pitch of the road backed off a little, and it was at this point I could see a Dutch camper van parked up and the family, pouring cold water down the necks of passing riders. I got both the two girls and the Dad to cool me down, which felt fantastic, and I reserved my best "Merci" of the week for them. Why you may ask, the were Dutch - well I worked on the idea that their French was a good deal better than my Dutch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nWy7OJ5DsGo" width="560"></iframe><br />
The beatuful Amanda was waiting for me at bend number 1 just before the "Flamme Rouge" (meaning red kite) and is above the road at the one km to go mark. She didn't see me coming until the last moment and almost missed me.<br />
Once past the 1 km mark the road flattens a bit for the first time and goes past numerous bars and eateries - I don't think many of the riders will appreciate the guys cheering here while taking sips of their ice cold beers, but still the thought was there.<br />
Past our future hotel and maybe 500 metres of downhill - then the final left hand turn, and you've guessed it, a final uphill section to the line. I can remember seeing this and turning to the guy at the side of me and saying "Oh for crying out loud".<br />
I crossed the line in a blaze of sweat and jelly legs while "You can leave your hat on", by Tom Jones (from the Full Monty) played over the loud speakers. There were hundreds of people around the finish and I have to honest and the ladies were going mad at this music, I decided not to perform a striptease at this time as I thought they would be most disappointed.<br />
I recorded a short message just after I finished as Amanda could not get there in time so I don't have an actual shots of me crossing the line - I do have it on video so I will post that as soon as I can.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5LAIFx2naQs" width="560"></iframe><br />
And that's it really. I got my medal and goody bag and freewheeled back to the hotel, where Amanda meet me with an ice cold Coke - bliss.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBucAAwglTu8Ln5Ycwo6kEETfGMJIsljCDxLTkakeVHu27If_K1-uCuO9wIA4_W9VIInXU6ibGcLDe2m7hc0EVBXsZGLffTl3P9_SQ0B2mjAgjZcp8ggq0eaP8yN87NgkS_dwhE8X1Lw/s1600/DSC_8108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBucAAwglTu8Ln5Ycwo6kEETfGMJIsljCDxLTkakeVHu27If_K1-uCuO9wIA4_W9VIInXU6ibGcLDe2m7hc0EVBXsZGLffTl3P9_SQ0B2mjAgjZcp8ggq0eaP8yN87NgkS_dwhE8X1Lw/s320/DSC_8108.JPG" width="320" alt="Me trying to look like it wasn't that hard"/></a>I will detail the remainer of the trip in a fresh post but before I finish there are a few people that I would like to say a massive thank you to.......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Firstly my wife Amanda, without which none have this would have happened (mainly because she paid for the whole trip), but also for her unwavering support (excluding the Col Des Saisies - see later post), including training rides and even following round in the car taking photos and video. What a rock.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Secondly Fred and Jenny Hawkes, my awesome parents who have covered their lack of interest in cycling so well, that I am still fooled. They have help raise money (by pestering half on Nottingham), constantly listening to me going on about hills and cycling stats and are just such great people....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">and finally Sally at the Alzheimer's Society, Nicola and Parkinson's UK and everone who has sponsored me and help me raise a ton of money.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I you have read all of this Chapeau to you. It probably took you couple of days, and I'm afraid you will never get that back, and if you sponsored me too, you will never get that back either - but it has gone to one of two great causes and will hopefully benefit many of us in the future.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Thanks, and P.S, I watched the pros do the same stage today and it was great to see them suffer too. At least we went over the top of the Galibier and not through the tunnel as they did.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-64931616865924472852011-07-02T07:35:00.000-07:002011-07-02T07:35:52.968-07:00Well.... I did it :-). The Most Miles yet I mean...At 5.50am the following morning I left the house with the intention of riding the Southern Sportive route that I took part in last September, but by starting at home and intercepting the route at West meon, the route was set to be a total of over 125 miles (it ended up being 129.1 miles after I took a wrong turn when I wasn't looking at my sat nav).<br />
Again the main idea was to ride in the heat of the day and really push myself.<br />
<br />
I did that completing the route in 7 hours 49 minutes, at an average speed of 16.5 mph, which I am very pleased with given the length of the ride and the fact that I was cycling alone.<br />
A big thanks goes to Paul, of Paul's Pit Stop - who seemed to be the only place open, anywhere to get a cold drink and a re-fill of water.<br />
I drank 5 litres of water and still weighed two pounds less when I got home.<br />
I completed all the climbs in good style including Duncton Hill and the climb immediately out of West Marden, both of which I got heavy cramp when I rode them in the Southern Sportive.<br />
<br />
Just one weekend of training to go before I head off to France..... Really starting get excited now.<br />
<iframe width='465' height='548' frameborder='0' src='http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/95270920'></iframe>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-6560020640508719912011-06-26T07:43:00.000-07:002011-06-26T07:43:38.481-07:00Two Weeks TomorrowIts Sunday 26th June and the Etape is now two weeks and one day away.<br />
<br />
The weather has been terrible of late - gone have the dry days of April and May, leaving June as a near wash out, which has meant that training has been at a premium, with just a couple of runs out with Amanda of note.<br />
<br />
This weekend though, Amanda was visiting her parents and I had to work on both the mornings. Not ideal, but I felt quite tired yesterday and chose to spend the day around the house, stretching and reading a book ( about a famous Italian cyclist called Marco Pantani).<br />
Looking at the weather forecast though, we are sheduled to get two very hot days (at least for the UK) on Sunday and Monday before the weather breaks again.<br />
<br />
This seemed to be too good an opportunity to miss as one of the factors that I have not been able to train for is the potential heat that I may be facing in France. So I booked the Monday off work and decided that I wold give myself two really punishing days in the heat to really test myself.<br />
<br />
I got back from work, got the Madone ready and headed off for the New Forest - not with a route planned but I had a fair idea of where I would go.<br />
<br />
After early morning fog, the sun had now burned it's way through and it was starting to become very warm as I reached the Forest and headed up Shepherd's Gutter Lane (for those of you that know it) and on toward Bolderwood - the idea being to circle round and climb back up Bolderwood Ornamental Drive, which is about as hilly as the New Forest gets.<br />
<br />
It was apparent that there was a time-trial event in full swing and as I turned onto the climb I started to overtake a few riders and surprised myself with the energy that I had 30 miles or so in. As I continued I passed more riders and was starting to feel quite pleased with myself - especially as I overtook a guy on a full TT bike with aero bars and deep-rimmed carbon wheels.<br />
<br />
Best day on a bike for a while and a finishing average speed of 19.9 mph (doh! - so close to evens), for 51 miles, which I am delighted with. Tomorrow the idea is to complete the southern sportive route from home so it sould be about 120 miles, in the heat - hard training indeed!<br />
<br />
In the meantime I am going to do exactly what I am doing now - sit in the garden and drink gallons of water. I think I have deserved it today. Until tomorrow.....Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0Minstead, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, UK50.875527937618472 -1.657562630859388350.837583937618469 -1.7130106308593882 50.913471937618475 -1.6021146308593883tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-6576876335657315472011-06-12T00:43:00.000-07:002011-06-12T00:45:23.535-07:00Oh Crud!!This seemed like a good idea at the time but now I am not so sure....<br />
<br />
After completing the Dragon Ride with it's Alpine-like feel and hills, I thought it might be a good idea to compare the profile with that of the Etape that I will be facing in a month.<br />
So here it is...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvfxlDO5_s6PL1-ciuKOsWN0UnJJlorwod3aaOPpnZKItulexXZZynky-HfBSAf_CVFbkksYojA5uS1NwnpQFF7N4Kpgx3omr1KSDRqOuZLCO3ykI6eg5SNhusfHqUZIvLSkQnPJY7w/s1600/Profile+Compare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Comparison between the Dragon Ride and the Etape Du Tour profiles" border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvfxlDO5_s6PL1-ciuKOsWN0UnJJlorwod3aaOPpnZKItulexXZZynky-HfBSAf_CVFbkksYojA5uS1NwnpQFF7N4Kpgx3omr1KSDRqOuZLCO3ykI6eg5SNhusfHqUZIvLSkQnPJY7w/s400/Profile+Compare.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Dragon Ride is much longer of course but just check out the difference in elevation - I know the starting points are higher but still - Flipping 'eck.<br />
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That'll be another know to the confidence then.Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-73080202705272902922011-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:002011-06-18T02:33:51.062-07:00A Weekend In Wales - The Wiggle Dragon RideI have been building up to the Dragon Ride for quite a while now and have heard from many people just how good the route is.<br />
The wide roads and long climbs mean that this area is the closest thing to the Alps in the U.K.<br />
<br />
It was also set to take me to Wales for the first time for anything longer than a flying visit.<br />
<br />
Amanda had done her usual sterling work in finding us somewhere nice to stay, despite us booking a little bit later than we probably should have. <a href="http://www.heronsbrook.uk.com/">The Heron's Brook Bed and Breakfast</a> in Blackmill, proved to be a lovely retreat - lovely views, comfortable room and the best bit, a huge corner bath.<br />
<br />
As we got there quite early, we unloaded the car, grabbed a quick cup of tea and decided that it would be prudent to go and check some of the route. Not least because some of the major climbs were just a few minutes (in a car at least) from where we were staying.<br />
Twenty minutes away and we had our breath taken away by the beauty of the Bwlch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDnK_w6TNjsAXENxY9AgZilctL7DlsMjMtAiXw8DIPTsg00jwLLkX1OA0czdwEYvuZXa7ve82KUIEgUJEOTonv9A9_bQOZpuXfs0O781kF6_qTseMA5rF4GZ_9CWc554oQ2fl4600Fw/s1600/DSC_7903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The View up the Bwlch - this is the side we descended down" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDnK_w6TNjsAXENxY9AgZilctL7DlsMjMtAiXw8DIPTsg00jwLLkX1OA0czdwEYvuZXa7ve82KUIEgUJEOTonv9A9_bQOZpuXfs0O781kF6_qTseMA5rF4GZ_9CWc554oQ2fl4600Fw/s640/DSC_7903.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> This is in fact the way that we would come down after the final ascent off this mountain - and what a thrill it proved.<br />
Our short drive also took in the climb of the Rhigos - which my 200km route took in but Amanda's 120km route did not. Again we marvelled at the sweeping bends and spectacular views.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszDmAj8YiZS8A9wZs8uptTWsGLGjGuTkmrW5je7wCMOl1al9CsxhQyi8OeAxuDQwghxyoqYCerWHn5eXqDoBwr4UcaMl3eETonca0Hd7igGbs0v7dWW-PvdLS2ifKV1dNsPQxKwHUiw/s1600/DSC_7919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The first section of descent of The Rhigos, with the rest in the distance" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszDmAj8YiZS8A9wZs8uptTWsGLGjGuTkmrW5je7wCMOl1al9CsxhQyi8OeAxuDQwghxyoqYCerWHn5eXqDoBwr4UcaMl3eETonca0Hd7igGbs0v7dWW-PvdLS2ifKV1dNsPQxKwHUiw/s640/DSC_7919.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Once back at the Heron's Brook we got changed and set off to the pub to see if we could find pre-ride grub. We both ordered pasta dishes - with a side order of pasta. It was really hot in the pub and after we had eaten so much, we felt really drained and after finishing off with a shandy, headed back to bed.<br />
I am an early riser and Tricia (owner of Heron's Brook) had kindly offered to get up early to organise us some breakfast for 6.45am. By this time though I had already got the bikes loaded onto the car and Amanda was organising the mass of things that we needed to take. We checked the weather forecast and it was not looking good - heavy showers and possible thunderstorms - meaning we would have to carry a good deal more than we had hoped.<br />
Breakfast was duly dispatched and we set off for the start - alongside the Sony factory at Pencoed - only fifteen minutes away.<br />
We could not believe the sight that greeted us. It was 7.30am and already there were hundreds of cars queuing to get in.<br />
By the time we had parked, got the bikes off the car, readied all our kit and got to the start point there must have been a thousand riders in a long line between railings, stretching off into distance. I remember thinking that it looked a little bit like the start of the London marathon.<br />
The queue moved quickly as people were being started in groups at short intervals and before we knew it we were heading off to the music from Pirates of the Caribbean.<br />
We had only just got past the first corner when Amanda told me to go ahead and ride my own pace (see her entry at the bottom of this post) - so I duly departed a set off up the next small climb, to see someone already repairing a puncture. What a nightmare that must have been so close to the start.<br />
The initial part of the route headed towards Bridgend along nice roads and as usual in these events, was typified by some riders going too fast early on and overtaking in silly places, where there are just too many riders still. Funny thing is I have now learned to chuckle at this because, although some of these guys are very good riders, the vast majority are regular cyclists who get carried away and set of too fast, and the chance are that you will see them again later when they have blown up and you pass them as they grovel in the gutter with nothing left.<br />
The pace was quite fast early on and I managed to avoid a few early incidents - mainly riders not holding their position in the road (moving sideways off their line) and quite a number of water bottles coming off on bumpy road surfaces and instantly being squished by the wheels behind.<br />
We by-passed Bridgend and turned north-west through Wick and through the lovely Ogmore By Sea, which offered beautiful views of the sea to the left. We swept right alongside the Ogmore River estuary and another water bottle bit the dust.<br />
The next place of note was Porthcawl, a typical busy seaside town and a fair few people cheering us on. It was here that the first feed station was located. I was feeling good though and had plenty of supplies though, so I kept going and continued with regular gulps of water, the odd energy bar and plenty of jelly babies.<br />
We continued to make good progress as we had now settled into a reasonable group and as we headed out of Port Talbot we saw the sign for the first major climb of the day the "Bwlch", which was over 13 miles of climbing!<br />
The first section is not steep at all and the climb in earnest does not start until you have been through the small village of Cymer. From there the road steepens and hugs the left hand side of the mountain. The trees disappear to give a much more rugged feeling and once round a couple of bends, you can see the road right the way up to the top - with ascending cyclists looking like dozens of ants crawling to the top. Looking up at the final section, the road sweeps round a long open bend to the left and appears to steepen dramatically, but fortunately it is an optical illusion and the pitch actually becomes less severe. One more bend back to the right and we were at the top.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZ12ZgecUnxTUD0jCR-n0NWBYN3ZscVqx2RzCzZCdXyV-Jp7wtpQoYkUaqKkv-90DYZBI2y5xalQP9FgLm-Uq7rlj1Gs-wYVofwh4wklXzEXbWFgVrh6Mrv2YLXBzEKal5rqfZOoqHw/s1600/DSC_7913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Climb of The Blwch, with Cymer in the valley below" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZ12ZgecUnxTUD0jCR-n0NWBYN3ZscVqx2RzCzZCdXyV-Jp7wtpQoYkUaqKkv-90DYZBI2y5xalQP9FgLm-Uq7rlj1Gs-wYVofwh4wklXzEXbWFgVrh6Mrv2YLXBzEKal5rqfZOoqHw/s640/DSC_7913.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Virtually the whole climb was into the breeze and I spent most of the climb sheltering behind other riders. Not proud of that but I figure that I would be glad later on.<br />
The second feed station was at the top and I was greeted by a very kind member of the local Rotary Club who filled my water bottles up for me and pointed me in the direction of the sustenance.<br />
With the first major climb gone and 52 miles completed, it dawned on me that I was still not even half way round so I got quickly back on and headed off towards the awesome descent down in to Treorchy.<br />
really long and fast and having overtaken a couple of other riders, my confidence in my new tyres was beginning to improve. At which point I was overtaken by another guy who went past like a bullet (it made me jump as he came up on me so quickly - I was doing 43 MPH at the time!). <br />
A short stretch through the town bought us straight the bottom of the second major climb - The Rhigos - a climb of around four miles and a similar pitch to the Bwlch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatY90a2Zf0bV3H1yU4kPERxv7nC7Bkcy4oYaKYWlkEZsjOgWkGha27-Bi422rSNqcWrtSoFOlOARIZOTtPaHnTxNRCRUZmDx86qM3vpPMVYp8hoLmfZs9QyPrNTLvPan81TOkX9EdGQ/s1600/DSC_7918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The climb of The Rhigos" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatY90a2Zf0bV3H1yU4kPERxv7nC7Bkcy4oYaKYWlkEZsjOgWkGha27-Bi422rSNqcWrtSoFOlOARIZOTtPaHnTxNRCRUZmDx86qM3vpPMVYp8hoLmfZs9QyPrNTLvPan81TOkX9EdGQ/s640/DSC_7918.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Again it was just a case of getting a rhythm and sticking to it.<br />
I arrived at the top feeling pretty good and prepared myself for another break-neck decent the first part of which was even more intense than the previous. (See second Picture Above).<br />
This descent lasted ages, flattened off and then descended again, so much so that my arms, wrists and fingers were aching by the time I reached Glen - Neath.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCPJqVkMk-abo9_xxUqCxestCYzn-jRuczArzzkLQ5nyYqppYngukodiVYKCFzxUCu3BtFvrA1N3QiPJJzLukTliI1t957mL-_8ABw0coHfV7_YzRc-vx0xGGMsOyCu-uuxxRl3wIsQ/s1600/vdr%2525202011%252520200km%252520gran%252520fondo%252520profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The 200km Route Profile" border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCPJqVkMk-abo9_xxUqCxestCYzn-jRuczArzzkLQ5nyYqppYngukodiVYKCFzxUCu3BtFvrA1N3QiPJJzLukTliI1t957mL-_8ABw0coHfV7_YzRc-vx0xGGMsOyCu-uuxxRl3wIsQ/s640/vdr%2525202011%252520200km%252520gran%252520fondo%252520profile.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Then came something of a sting in the tale.....<br />
I had looked through the profile and seen the major climbs and thought to myself that there was not much else of significance - wrong.<br />
Turning right we started a climb that I had not paid too much attention to, Coelbren. Not a particularly steep or long climb, but coming where it did, after a long descent, where the muscles have started to cool down it was a brute. The rider directly in front of me got cramp, couldn't unclip his feet quickly enough and fell in a heap into the roadside verge. I plodded on and was so glad when I reached the top and got into a group for the next fast section to Neath, where we came upon another short tough climb (Cimla). Which was made all the easier thanks to the large numbers of people who had come out to cheer us all on! This was quickly followed by the final feed station and a banana gorging session.<br />
The only thing that remained (or so I thought) was the second ascent of the Bwlch and it really was a slog.<br />
Starting around the 95 miles it is the Dragon's equivalent of Hardknott Pass on the Fred Whitton, but whereas Hardknott is all you can do just to get up, this is more like a slow death. Not only does it go on for such a long time, but you have already covered it once and it plays with your mind.<br />
It was here that I saw the only spots of rain on the whole ride (Amanda would later tell me that she was caught by a real cloud burst), and I could see my breathe as the top approached.<br />
Over the top again and down the third and as yet unvisited side at a slightly more cautious pace now that the roads were wet . This road though is awesome, carved through the rock, twisting and turning, with waterfalls at various points, and a marshall at the bottom stopping the traffic as you come to the roundabout - what a great idea.<br />
Just one climb remained now and it was the steepest of the day. The finish line was only nine miles away now though and I hooked onto a couple of really fast guys and followed their wheel all the way in - truth be known, it was all I could do to hang on (31 MPH on the flat).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLBhaNGm7fFnyP7f7xB2n25NM_DOAkkob8QQBadmhU6_ddjSVEeGVW_Ocqr_2RA_bJ4T3sxtZ7S-ZTw3rnL6I30XbXKmHhhuLPhQjvSvfEWKNpWr_i7G-EpENqQMu-rXKEdXGDiP7Fw/s1600/05062011046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Me crossing the finish line" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLBhaNGm7fFnyP7f7xB2n25NM_DOAkkob8QQBadmhU6_ddjSVEeGVW_Ocqr_2RA_bJ4T3sxtZ7S-ZTw3rnL6I30XbXKmHhhuLPhQjvSvfEWKNpWr_i7G-EpENqQMu-rXKEdXGDiP7Fw/s320/05062011046.jpg" width="320" /></a>I arrived to see Amanda clapping me in, picked up my medal and pasta and was delighted to listen to Amanda telling me what a great day she had also had.</div>If you are thinking of a top class sportive to try I can highly recommend the Dragon Ride. It is by far the best route and the best organised event that I have taken part in so far.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JK4U2lfMcKAQd7G2WfJgEDYgrLiceVNRAMbIk2HsRYLesimj6J9q-l1B6zmZFez1xmh_cUZkdiQCa7HT3SNU5YBllLfeNa64KdvCWbU59aqCC19dWQX22L8oV0_8-pOd_lbQ7czBDA/s1600/05062011048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="I don't look much like a man who has just got a goody bag!" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JK4U2lfMcKAQd7G2WfJgEDYgrLiceVNRAMbIk2HsRYLesimj6J9q-l1B6zmZFez1xmh_cUZkdiQCa7HT3SNU5YBllLfeNa64KdvCWbU59aqCC19dWQX22L8oV0_8-pOd_lbQ7czBDA/s320/05062011048.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="548" src="http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/91215054" width="465"></iframe><br />
Here is the video from my day...... Enjoy in HD too.<br />
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<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TmoEUdR4bwE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Here is Amanda's take on the day.....<br />
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For me this was a fantastic day of firsts!<br />
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I'd studied the route description and profile so much over the last week that I thought I was prepared for what my 120km would throw at me, so after blowing Alex a kiss and waving goodbye to the cloud of dust he left as he sped off into the distance I settled myself into an easy pace and let the fast boys and girls go. But to my surprise the three so called short climbs early in the ride turned out to be nothing more than short inclines so as the next group of riders overtook me I thought to myself with a little effort I can get their wheel, go at their pace and save my energy for the big climb to come.<br />
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Alex would have been proud of me, after the months of badgering me to stay on his wheel and ride close I was doing it, I was keeping up, I was following the hand signals, giving my own, riding fast but not too fast that I was tiring myself out or missing the fab views but fast enough to make the first feed station at the 30mile mark in 1hr and 45 mins - I couldn't believe it.<br />
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I enjoyed it so much that when I needed to take off my rain jacket (it hadn't rained yet but I was cold at the start) I didn't want to lose the group by stopping so I took it off whilst still riding and stuffed it in my pocket, unfortunately this wasn't a no-handed first but a first all the same.<br />
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The nice thing about being a lady on a predominately male event is that the men had to queue for the loo and the ladies didn't. After re-filling my water bottle & grabbing a banana I set off for the 2nd leg of my adventure.<br />
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More Alex advance was ringing in my ears "make sure you eat and drink regularly" so after a few miles and knowing the Big one was coming I decided to eat an energy bar, well it was more like eating cardboard but with half a bottle of water I forced it down.<br />
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As I turned right and started the 13mile climb up the Bwlch I felt good and strong, my legs weren't tired and I soon found myself overtaking other riders - male & female (some of which had sped past me in the early miles and were now suffering for their early efforts). This was my next first I had never before overtaken anyone on a hill!<br />
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As Alex says above the climb doesn't properly start until you pass through Cymer, I was still feeling good and had settled into a nice rhythm, the views were great and the line of cyclist going off into the distance as the road wound it's way up was amazing. I experienced the same feeling as Alex as you go round a right hand bend and see the road winding off to the left then right it appears that the gradient kicks up, I'd been climbing for about 10 or 11 miles by now and my legs were aching but I still had a few gears to go and thought I can't change down because I'm going to need them. But was an optical illusion as I turned the corner, the breeze dropped the gradient relaxed and I changed up and powered to the top.<br />
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After a short break to refill my water bottles and grabbed another banana I put my jacket back on and started the best descent of my life, I had the road to myself, no cars and the riders that set off just before me were no where to be seen. I don't know how fast I went because I didn't dare take my eyes off the road for a second but it was fast.<br />
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At the bottom I took my jacket off again - without stopping and headed for the last short tickle of a hill again I passed another male cyclist on the ascent. After another fast descent it started to rain and I finished the last 10k or so in an absolute downpour.<br />
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I didn't mind being wet I finished my 70 miles in 4 hours and 31 minutes - I'd said I wanted to do it in less than 6 hours but really hoped for between 5 and 5.5 this was my last first of the day - I have never ridden 70 miles in under 5 hours.<br />
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The day was amazing it was made by the lovely cyclist I shared the work & chats with, the spectators that cheered us on and Alex's constant support and encouragement to always improve that prepared and trained me to ride in groups and climb well.<br />
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I'm supposed to be Alex's support and motivator for the Etape but of late it has been the other way round - Thank you!Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0Pencoed, Bridgend CF35, UK51.514191188812845 -3.495712655273450851.496469688812844 -3.5206296552734506 51.531912688812845 -3.4707956552734509tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-56537138946029796842011-05-30T05:02:00.000-07:002011-05-30T05:03:53.580-07:00A Year's ProgressWe've come along way in a year, Amanda and myself......<br />
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Just over a year ago, we cycled a sportive event called the Hampshire Hilly Hundred - Amanda to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society and me, to help her along the way and provide support.<br />
Amanda found it very tough and completed the 98 (or so) miles in a little under 8 hours.<br />
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Yesterday we did the route again (starting from home to increase the miles a little bit), as training for next weeks Dragon Ride in Wales, where Amanda is set to complete 75 miles and I will complete 126 miles, as further training towards the Etape Du Tour in July.<br />
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I got home from work and we hit the road at around 10am, heading towards Twyford to intercept the route and soon ran into the first hill of the day - White's Hill, leading to Owslebury. We have cycled this a few times since but vividly remember how much of a shock this hill was when we first did it last year. Turning of the main road, not long after the waterworks building, the road narrows to a single track and works its way through woodland before suddenly steepening from nowhere and reaching 17%. It's not long but tricky if you are not expecting it. We both found it considerably easier than in last May though.<br />
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We have also come along way in terms of our knowledge of how our bodies will react and the kind of nutrition we need to have in order to keep going - Jelly babies seem to be the best discovery. Plenty of instant energy, easy to digest and you can take them in small amounts, and most importantly, regularly. With a good breakfast, plenty of water and an electrolyte drink to aid hydration and prevent cramping we managed our nutrition throughout the day.<br />
Winchester Hill and Beacon Hill are not as challenging as they once were and once over them we headed northwards and on towards the top section of the route on the far side of the M3.<br />
At 50 miles in we stopped at Overton to refresh our supplies (not the same scenes of desperation eating ( see earlier post) that greeted my solo trip past here in December).<br />
We timed our most sustained eating for the 3 or four miles immediately before Watership Down but in truth this hill has lost most of it's reputation. It consists of two steep sections with a flat run in between. It was so tough last year because it comes 62 miles in and we were a good deal less fit back then ( we were also both 10 pounds heavier).<br />
As we approached Farley Mount, with around 90 miles on the clock, I realised that if we took the most direct route home from here we would not reach the 100 mile mark. <br />
I indicated to Amanda that we would need to go all the way back to Twyford and then home to make sure we went over the ton. She was now becoming very tired and fortunately for me, could not catch me up to strangle me.<br />
We arrived home more than an hour quicker than the year before and did five miles more. Our average speed was 2 mph faster and I certainly had a good bit more in the tank, which was a welcome confidence boost.<br />
Onwards to Wales now for the Dragon Ride, which I am really looking forward to as Wales is a place I hardly know and I will hopefully have some pics and video to give a flavour of the day.....Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-55025367923686923012011-05-15T05:07:00.000-07:002011-05-15T05:09:16.755-07:00Al Goes to Fat Camp - Day 3As many people had left on the previous evening, it had been decided that only one group would go out on the final day for a short 30 mile ride to stretch our legs. It had also been decided that the group would go at a nice steady pace as everyone was tired and like myself, faced a substantial trip home.<br />
Heading North out of Skipton the ride was just that, a nice gentle roll round. Then a rider had a chain snap, and the group took a few minutes out while a repair was made.<br />
As the morning progressed I became increasingly aware of a new rider that had not been with us on the previous days. He clearly had fresher legs than us and was determined to force the pace, although it was funny to watch as the group "hung him out to dry" and no one followed him, forcing him to stop and wait - with a thoroughly disgruntled look on his face.<br />
It was inevitable though that as the end of the ride came, the stronger riders began to pull away from the group and a bid for first to the hotel was being made. Everyone let the new face sit on the front and just sheltered behind him, knowing that he would simply ride himself into the ground, and so it proved.<br />
We entered Skipton on the final run in and myself and the new guy managed to anticipate the traffic and pulled far enough clear of the rest that they would not be able to catch us back up. From there, I simply sat on his wheel and waited until about 500 yards to go before sprinting to the finish and leading the way into the hotel car park in a completely meaningless and childish display of waining strength - still, I was really pleased to have finished strongly, it's good for the confidence levels.<br />
It brought to an end a thoroughly enjoyable and informative weekend and one that will hopefully set me up nicely for the Etape in what is now less than two months time.<br />
I am now really starting to look forward to the trip to France and with the fundraising having gone well in the last month or so, I feel that things are now starting to come together.<br />
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Anyone that reads this blog and would like to sponsor me for either Parkinson's UK or the Alzheimer's Society can do so by clicking the following links <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Hawkes-Parkinsons-UK">http://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Hawkes-Parkinsons-UK</a> or <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Hawkes-Alzheimers">http://www.justgiving.com/Alex-Hawkes-Alzheimers</a> - Many thanks in advance.<br />
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In the meantime, here is a short video that I have created showing some of the sights of the weekend.<br />
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W_3cIsbtf-A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-77998133674689348252011-05-10T10:58:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:00:31.125-07:00Al Goes to Fat Camp - Day TwoOnce again I rose early on the Sunday morning and, with only a little soreness in the legs, was very glad that I had taken the time to stretch my muscles before going to bed the night before.<br />
This ride, the second of three was slightly shorter than the first day at 60 miles and only had three climbs of note.<br />
Breakfast was duly dispatched and I readied myself and the bike for another fast, long day in the saddle with the fast group, and to my surprise, all the same people put themselves up for the challenge for a second day (although one would later drop back into the slower groups after suffering cramp).<br />
We headed off again through Skipton but then turned North West and on to the first climb of the day, Scosthrop Moor, which was challenging but more memorable if truth be known for the descent into Settle which was fast, twisting and utterly unnerving thanks to a rippled road surface which constantly threatened to destroyed any control that you had over the bike. More interesting though was that at the bottom, the welcome into Settle was in the form of cobblestones - ouch!!<br />
The first feed station was located here and after a short session of taking on all the food and drink that you could we turned right and with the warning "make sure you are on the small ring here" (i.e. your easiest gears, indicating a nasty climb). They were not kidding, immediately the road narrowed and swept left, steepening rapidly. Fortunately this was short lived and the, now single track road levelled and followed a hedge line before meeting up with the main road.<br />
A right turn later and we began the main climb of the day - Heading almost North from Stainforth, we turned into what was again a howling wind and the road was very steep at the start.<br />
To use a cycling commentary term, the steepness of the road, coupled with the headwind "blew the group to pieces" and I ended up in the second of four groups, trying to play a cagey game by shielding behind another two riders. Eventually though, one rider dropped away and just myself and Darren continued to the top.<br />
The gradient had now relaxed somewhat and although the wind got even stronger as we ventured further out on to the moor. Courtesy of <a href="http://www.sportivecentral.com/">www.sportivecentral.com</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MH0DOw64ya21z7hqmQ4XqDJipWfRjLiGcm4VJZVIq7UztqmMpv8XjDuBpnnw9b57TQFm6i32zR2pGgEbpJVwfr2BApplY-03ZyVRHhZ_1XEDnPpWvIvW33wkIYxN0HsMscPmd19HjA/s1600/PenYghent_StainforthProf.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MH0DOw64ya21z7hqmQ4XqDJipWfRjLiGcm4VJZVIq7UztqmMpv8XjDuBpnnw9b57TQFm6i32zR2pGgEbpJVwfr2BApplY-03ZyVRHhZ_1XEDnPpWvIvW33wkIYxN0HsMscPmd19HjA/s320/PenYghent_StainforthProf.gif" width="320" alt="Pen - y - Ghent from Stainforth Profile from Sportive Central.com"/></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was becoming aware of a mountain to our left-hand side , and it looked strangely familiar. It almost looked like a forehead...... Darren told me that it was Pen -y - Ghent. Now it made sense as I had been camping there with my Dad many years ago when we did the Three Peaks walk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnVym7kAC_Orw0jItn04Op9Yy49M95nNhigHVq_ES3rMXxizrzoVxspQdZOB_qhFUA6MhNcW3nNdrUV6LELHPlnn_pa3OETDr0I6aw6pc6-0bexprJFcbU_JTjCQ4oKCP6dSyUD3TOg/s1600/34968_104922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnVym7kAC_Orw0jItn04Op9Yy49M95nNhigHVq_ES3rMXxizrzoVxspQdZOB_qhFUA6MhNcW3nNdrUV6LELHPlnn_pa3OETDr0I6aw6pc6-0bexprJFcbU_JTjCQ4oKCP6dSyUD3TOg/s320/34968_104922.jpg" width="320" alt=" Pen - y - Ghent"/></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Quite a sight. This just about signalled the summit and a long flat stretch which then descended (very steep and fast again), to Halton Gill where the second feed station awaited.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">The next section followed the river Skirfare before swinging left over open grassland over to the far side of the River Wharfe, through Hebden and the delightfully named Appletreewick.</div><div style="text-align: left;">A quick descent and a sharp right turn over a very narrow bridge and we were nearly at the final climb - Halton Moor. The group had to stop though as Darren's chain had snapped. He indicated to us that we should carry on (as luck would have it the owner of the local bike shop was in the pub nearby having Sunday lunch and just happened to have his tool kit in the back of his van).</div><div style="text-align: left;">We pressed on up what was a very nice steady climb. My legs were very tired though and I got dropped on the climb and ended up finishing the ride on my own - my only comfort being that I did get back to the hotel a creditable second.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Better still, we were back in time to grab a quick shower and watch the football. I sat there and stuffed my face with all the post ride recovery freebies that we had been given.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Another ride tomorrow and not too sure whether the legs will be up for it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
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</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-61393475165058484312011-05-07T10:58:00.000-07:002011-05-07T10:58:57.393-07:00Al Goes to Fat Camp - Day OneWhat a fantastic thought that my Mum and Dad had last October, to send me to training camp in the Yorkshire Dales, organised by Sports Tours International.<br />
I laughingly referred to it as "fat camp", but I knew all along that this would be a hard three days and no laughing matter at all. <br />
Having researched the routes in the week leading up to the trip, I realised that this would be hilly terrain to say the least and that at least two of the climbs were in my book of 100 greatest cycling climbs, notably Buttertubs Pass and Fleet Moss.<br />
And so it was that I set off Northwards after being at work, and after making good progress, then hit a huge traffic jam on the A34 and sat in the car with the engine off for over half an hour. Some six hours later, and thoroughly worn out after a long drive and a 4.30 am start, I arrived at The Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton and got checked in to my room. A single occupancy was a sound idea since I knew that rest would be a premium and I could "spread out". Before I knew it, the time had reached 7pm and it was time for the welcome meeting and a briefing on how the weekend was likely to pan out. Three groups would go out each day to accommodate a range of cycling levels. The question now dawned, which group to go in, and this became the topic of conversation over dinner with a group of guys many of whom had completed previous Etapes and had fascinating stories to tell of their exploits.<br />
We all retired early and I continued to contemplate which was the best group to go with... this thought stayed with my right through until the next morning.<br />
I awoke early as I often do and found myself with some time on my hands before breakfast was available so I got all my kit lined up and pottered down for a leisurely pre ride fuelling session, before we were set to meet up for the ride at 9am. The plan was that the slowest group would go out first, followed by the middle speed group, with the fast group going out last. I was toying with the idea of going with the second group but after chatting to the leader of the fast group, I thought to myself that I had come here to train, not to just amble round and take it easy - the fast group it was.<br />
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We set off on what was a 90 mile route with four notable climbs, although the road was never really flat at any stage...... Heading North out of Skipton the early part of the route was gentle enough, and the pace was fast but no so fast that weren't able to take in the increasingly beautiful surroundings of the Yorkshire Dales<br />
Our ride leaders indicated to us that the first climb of the day had arrived as we passed through Buckden, known as Kidstones. Profile from www.sportivecentral .com<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_FCblKpw98fhe3ALDxLipiohPdHCy0Nf2pZk2lcwMq2C7xaT9NSBaEhZps11KYvnlUISBOel652R5cEmsZciDaYJAdMXyaz6ub68kMJ93VSKJgZNEWfpsLo8mAzs-9OqQFdg7uxakg/s1600/Kidstones_Buckden.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kidstones from Buckden Profile - Courtesy of Sportivecentral.com" border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_FCblKpw98fhe3ALDxLipiohPdHCy0Nf2pZk2lcwMq2C7xaT9NSBaEhZps11KYvnlUISBOel652R5cEmsZciDaYJAdMXyaz6ub68kMJ93VSKJgZNEWfpsLo8mAzs-9OqQFdg7uxakg/s320/Kidstones_Buckden.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was a lovely climb with a few steep sections and sweeping hairpin bends but it was more notable for me for that fact that my chain jumped off during a double gear change. Just as I tried to use the front derailleur to re align my chain, I felt a hand on my back, pushing me for just long enough for me to get my chain back on without stopping. It was Darren, one of the ride leaders who has been alert enough to see/hear what had happened and helped my out before it became a problem - a great help.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Following a fast descent and a water stop we proceeded towards the second marquee climb of the day - Redmire Moor. Approaching from the south west you see the impressive site of Castle Bolton on the left, before climbing up onto open moorland. Profile from www.sportivecentral .com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdAn01-7yvWYJuRVVElM3qEknFKpb39VWZAFPVuuvXp8Euo03-VzzpS3IbiUMld5dzBBQa5E3vGQMRCNdYrXfSQJyzr5SVb8r8ry7iKzKETc2UjDcIpXrF3vQ5nT61booHd_uDVU-7A/s1600/RedmireRedmire_Prof.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Profile of Redmire Moor from Bolton Castle" border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdAn01-7yvWYJuRVVElM3qEknFKpb39VWZAFPVuuvXp8Euo03-VzzpS3IbiUMld5dzBBQa5E3vGQMRCNdYrXfSQJyzr5SVb8r8ry7iKzKETc2UjDcIpXrF3vQ5nT61booHd_uDVU-7A/s320/RedmireRedmire_Prof.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can see this is a significant climb and with the strong headwind, this was a climb not to be underestimated. I really enjoyed it actually as I always think that you might as well make the training as difficult as possible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The descent was pretty scary, I found. Paul, Darren and a couple of our guys fairly hurtled down this narrow, twisting, wall-lined road. The howling wind gusted and did it's best to throw you off line. I just held on tight and went down as fast as I dared.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next stretch took us through rolling Dales countryside and past river (although fairly dry) and on towards Thwaite, which signalled the first major climb of the day - Buttertubs Pass, rated at 8 out of 10 in my book of cycling climbs. Profile from www.sportivecentral .com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeXBPSn4dW-H9OCIBQXiGCBQnmqbTI2NCDmqmdACE-PAdZaG1J1lLH8fviz03rn-hEhg6h62HspKGoxvK-MdotpTcWemXWm2ZGRVq5IdWJE1jfnFOsuwR9OKvlHr8OZlcJP1WP8s3nA/s1600/Buttertubs_Thwaite.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Profile of Buttertubs Pass from Thwaite" border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeXBPSn4dW-H9OCIBQXiGCBQnmqbTI2NCDmqmdACE-PAdZaG1J1lLH8fviz03rn-hEhg6h62HspKGoxvK-MdotpTcWemXWm2ZGRVq5IdWJE1jfnFOsuwR9OKvlHr8OZlcJP1WP8s3nA/s320/Buttertubs_Thwaite.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turning left off the main road, the start is not too difficult but ahead you can see the road steepening and swinging first right and then left in alpine-hairpin style.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pace had been quite hard up to this point and a few of the guys had been left behind. meanwhile Alistair, who I had been chatting to and, it turns out, lives only a couple of miles away from me shot off. Not attacking but just riding away, and having established that he is a triathlete, I made no attempt to try and keep up with him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alistair was waiting at the bottom of the descent and I joined him to wait for the others to catch up. Glancing south and saw what appeared to be a road going over a very steep hill in the distance - it looked familiar too, having had a good look at the climbs prior to the ride. Yes it was the final climb of the day, Fleet Moss - the highest road in Yorkshire and it looked horrendous from this distance. Profile from www.sportivecentral .com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFG335d-5AXbEW-j2FfuiBK_ms9iEdO133HsA1tU14XzLVpNCXzilKaUQFNRKOFvWe-9r6rlrFwu_QtalAMlwXbOWxSNU26fthzZJUFoEknk0wG41Sq0u8rHqpT4os7SbiG5mFU8QvQ/s1600/FleetMoss_Hawes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Profile of Fleet Moss from Hawes" border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFG335d-5AXbEW-j2FfuiBK_ms9iEdO133HsA1tU14XzLVpNCXzilKaUQFNRKOFvWe-9r6rlrFwu_QtalAMlwXbOWxSNU26fthzZJUFoEknk0wG41Sq0u8rHqpT4os7SbiG5mFU8QvQ/s320/FleetMoss_Hawes.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We headed through Hawes and just as the 100 Best Cycling Climbs indicated, the road climbs steeply at first before all but levelling off. It really is toying with you though as, once you pass all the farm buildings, all you can see is a really big hill, and the road simply takes the shortest route over it. No hairpins to soften the gradient, just straight up and over, and it it just gets steeper and steeper, finishing off with a brutal section of around 20% when your legs are in tears. Once over the road flattens before a short final 18% ramp to complete the climb.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The descent that follows is terrifying - twisting blind corners, uneven road, very steep and a cross wind. Concentration is the key and by the time we had got to the bottom my eyes were nearly popping out of my head.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final section of the ride seemed to take for ever as my legs, arms and wrists were all tired and all I wanted t do was get back and rest (and have a beer).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We all gave it our best effort to get back to the hotel and with a few mile to go, myself and Alistair had dropped the rest of the group, and the two leaders had gone back to make sure that they were OK.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The two of us eventually reached the hotel together and shared a handshake as we came into the car park together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few beers, a seminar on the Etape route and a hearty supper later, my head hit the pillow and that was the end of the end of day one.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-19767215144264870602011-04-09T12:16:00.000-07:002011-04-24T05:19:14.799-07:00L'enfer Du Nord - The Fred Whitton Four Seasons - Take TwoPlease note all the photos can be clicked on to see the full size picture.<br />
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With due deference to the famous cycling race, Paris-Roubaix,(aka L'enfer du Nord - The Hell of the North), the Fred Whitton Challenge could easily take on the same name for someone like me who lives in the south of England.<br />
After having to abandon the challenge on Monday 4th April (see previous post) due to horrendous weather, we continued to check the weather forecast for another window of opporutnity - Wednesday seemed to be a good day following a wet start - Thursday seemed even better.<br />
Amanda's sister Jenny had arrived for a couple of days break and decided to tag along in the support vehicle to keep each other company - really kind of her as she is not a cyclist and must have been pretty bored, but it was a real help to Amanda.<br />
It had rained all of Tuesday and following the 50 mile abandoned ride we spent Tuesday walking around the Aira Force waterfall near Ullswater - not the ideal preparation for the legs but the whole week did not quite go as planned in a cycling sense.<br />
At 5am on Wednesday 6th April we awoke to ....... rain. Never mind, it was forecast and was scheduled to clear up fairly early, so we got the car loaded up (putting my cycling shoes in first).<br />
As we drove to Coniston and the start point it was throwing it down again, and there was more than a little aprehension in the car as we could see it all happening again. Amanda was very quiet, I just wanted to get going and Jenny just thought we were both mad (she was probably right).<br />
This time though, things were different. We had remembered my shoes, my mp3 player and I didn't drop my phone - bonus. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKH-85wvihpJ55i2dAWPLnNiXh94z80YWT0N4r69MnNFUqkW8aZ5ALPegqRefP7tVF2TM889WUa_sISVMmEuGIJ1TbY6YNwhHZGmcJjIIlbKJGcj71TvRlUaGRT2Tx2y_vW4n5UZ-Pg/s1600/DSC_7712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Checking in at the Start Point" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKH-85wvihpJ55i2dAWPLnNiXh94z80YWT0N4r69MnNFUqkW8aZ5ALPegqRefP7tVF2TM889WUa_sISVMmEuGIJ1TbY6YNwhHZGmcJjIIlbKJGcj71TvRlUaGRT2Tx2y_vW4n5UZ-Pg/s320/DSC_7712.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And so it was that I "dobbed" my card in at the start point and got underway, heading for the first climb of the day at Hawkshead Hill.<br />
I remember enjoying this climb first time around and this was even better now that I had the correct footwear on. It was still raining, if more lightly, but it was still pretty dark.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0TAx4FVCMDZOBtswMjAyvm8g1_ujRAeVr7lSY4zIDOUq8ww0_H7ii-uxVV2vJO5hBWFe6rdJIGeWW2i6ItZXrA4mxhoQkLjwyI7mS4P55Xej6-2CJ1xQBRBp4aQlqtLudTZGDhGuHA/s1600/DSC_7718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hawkshead Hill in the Dark" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0TAx4FVCMDZOBtswMjAyvm8g1_ujRAeVr7lSY4zIDOUq8ww0_H7ii-uxVV2vJO5hBWFe6rdJIGeWW2i6ItZXrA4mxhoQkLjwyI7mS4P55Xej6-2CJ1xQBRBp4aQlqtLudTZGDhGuHA/s320/DSC_7718.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Things continued to improve when I also didn't take a wrong turn at the top of Hawkshead Hill, and headed down the descent - carefully. The roads were soaking wet and the heavy rain of the previous days had washed a fair bit of debris onto the roads, just making you watch your step a bit.<br />
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Moving on around the head of lake Windermere and through Ambleside the rain finally began to ease and this was welcome as I turned left to Troutbeck and began the steep introduction to the start of Kirkstone Pass again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyVqOeUwxn6hjGe0otybTo9RFE5HtFTEneFkMxV1qFbUisXjYwMzMy3OxtG08M_2p0lpLyUhvzwO4YT4P1H9uXrJd4xQ5Qeu_9dRWDe4jRvlNuqZb2ikXK2GN9QEljWNlN-FRtIlkaA/s1600/DSC_7722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Kirkstone in the fog again" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyVqOeUwxn6hjGe0otybTo9RFE5HtFTEneFkMxV1qFbUisXjYwMzMy3OxtG08M_2p0lpLyUhvzwO4YT4P1H9uXrJd4xQ5Qeu_9dRWDe4jRvlNuqZb2ikXK2GN9QEljWNlN-FRtIlkaA/s320/DSC_7722.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I arrived at the top for the fourth time during the week and yet again it was shrowded in fog. You can just about make me out logging in at the checkpoint.<br />
There was so much moisture in the air that the video camera started to pack up.<br />
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Heading quickly off down towards Ullswater the road was wet and slippy, so anxious not to create any problems, I took it nice and steady and hit the climb to Matterdale End in good spirits.....<br />
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......then I saw it...... The Sun..... admittedly only milky behind the clouds, but neverless it was there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91MjPQA9d4Cn3Ei_OReg5x1E1wqjuIRd-i-QMGbpco4q-emwnt0ufLOaOA1Yf7qKkc8rGzqsh802S0skFb9XGRtKe0IrDVk6BbfZM12iNatHVWWHMqI0mp-8ggOgeBMxW5UatHAnslQ/s1600/DSC_7727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Matterdale in the Sun" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91MjPQA9d4Cn3Ei_OReg5x1E1wqjuIRd-i-QMGbpco4q-emwnt0ufLOaOA1Yf7qKkc8rGzqsh802S0skFb9XGRtKe0IrDVk6BbfZM12iNatHVWWHMqI0mp-8ggOgeBMxW5UatHAnslQ/s320/DSC_7727.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The wind was also beginning to pick up but this was not a problem at this stage - it was just nice to have the sun coming out.<br />
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Here you can see the conditions getting better as I start to descend from Matterdale End towards the long stretch along the A66. Not a nice section really, yes it is fast and there is a "safe" strip to the side of the road but this disappears for a while and the wind blows you into the road, especially when it gusts. The "cats eyes" are also very high so are a real potential problem when they are wet.<br />
The next stage of the route takes you through Keswick, past Derwent Water, through Borrowdale and on to Seatoller which is at the base of the first real test of the day, Honister Pass. It was at the top of this climb that I had to abandon on the Monday due to the terrible weather conditions. I took a quick stop at the public loos here and a wringing out of the socks (there was no hand dryer unfortunately) before the climb probably saved me a few extra grams of weight.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz3Mp7wdL2a7hJu3xHq7lJXl1yjhzUsqg3a-vj0KScP9HN6RjPZQ7JBH7gLC1XD06SyOypugAd46YhXKTjecAtMldySEemaOsqBkHxQOCIvuV9azDDQikm8DKQkCikkVyL9R8-OAFNw/s1600/DSC_7732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Intimidating Sign at Honister" border="0" height="228" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz3Mp7wdL2a7hJu3xHq7lJXl1yjhzUsqg3a-vj0KScP9HN6RjPZQ7JBH7gLC1XD06SyOypugAd46YhXKTjecAtMldySEemaOsqBkHxQOCIvuV9azDDQikm8DKQkCikkVyL9R8-OAFNw/s320/DSC_7732.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Today was different though, the 25% warning sign at the bottom did not seem quite as daunting with dry roads and a quick look over my left shoulder gave a view of a group of school children "river running" in the gushing water at the side of the road.<br />
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I was setting a (very) steady pace, not wanting to tire myself out both in terms of the climb but also because, at 48 miles I was still 8 miles from the half way point.<br />
This climbs teeth are all at the start with a sustained, very steep section which gradually gets steeper until you pass over a cattle grid when the gradient relaxes until a steepening towards the end. Halfway up the steepest section, I realised that my front tyre was starting to go down - I couldn't believe it. The road is so steep here that I was struggling to find a spot to park the bike up so that I could repair the puncture. I put the new tube in, checked the inside of the tyre and used my mini compressor to inflate the tyre. The tyre seemed really hard, but that is the whole idea of the compressor I thought, so I put the wheel back on and got in position to continue - no mean feat when the road is so steep and you have to clip back into cleated pedals....<br />
I must have got five yards maximum before there was a huge bang from my front tyre. I looked down and saw my tyre off the rim - that's it I thought my ride is over - but on closer inspection the tube had blown and the tyre had simply been blown of the rim. My only option was now to repair the original tube and pump it up (by hand), but knowing how long this would take, I thought that I had better ring Amanda and tell her what was going on as she had gone on ahead to go to the slate mine with Jenny- no signal, not for the first time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW5PNYeNhst6fF_yHd3Jk93__i-f6oFWHu8GmROg-m0eszxpr3V8cLKS-sCzGrThkZugem2PlS_-dMK8U2X0pehtgegEXJmisg0dYTDXg6PGHbqFqkZimgyVsrWOt1JGoUasU_b_USg/s1600/DSC_7746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The top of Honister. This time in the sun" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW5PNYeNhst6fF_yHd3Jk93__i-f6oFWHu8GmROg-m0eszxpr3V8cLKS-sCzGrThkZugem2PlS_-dMK8U2X0pehtgegEXJmisg0dYTDXg6PGHbqFqkZimgyVsrWOt1JGoUasU_b_USg/s320/DSC_7746.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>By the time I had repaired the tube and pumped the tyre up I had probably wasted about 20-25 minutes and finally reaching the top of the climb, in strengthening winds, Amanda and Jenny were waiting at the top, frozen, and had not even been in the mine shop as they didn't want to miss me. <br />
As I passed I said that I would meet them at the Buttermere check-in point where I could "stop the clock", use the facilities and wait for them.<br />
Once the girls arrived I replenished my stocks of food and water, changed my soaking wet socks, fully pumped up my front tyre and headed off for my favourite climb, Newlands Pass.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkIPk72y1w43vSYnvlBoKkkeDJmDE-635dDfAcybqNN05FtmGymYEqB_m-yJC8kiyJZqX_96Y0qEBBlpSQRwxgplDznwo0saOBCRI8xb3y-E5t4cYgmpA1Hs0RHh4d5ufHKW_UEnRrg/s1600/DSC_7751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The beautiful Newlands pass" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkIPk72y1w43vSYnvlBoKkkeDJmDE-635dDfAcybqNN05FtmGymYEqB_m-yJC8kiyJZqX_96Y0qEBBlpSQRwxgplDznwo0saOBCRI8xb3y-E5t4cYgmpA1Hs0RHh4d5ufHKW_UEnRrg/s320/DSC_7751.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I love the way that the road clings onto the side of the mountain. I think it is the most scenic of all the passes that I have done in the lakes.<br />
The spectacular Moss Force waterfall awaits at the top before that best, fastest and most exhilarating decent on the whole route, as the road is fairly straight and you can see everything in front of you and before you know it you are arriving in Braithwaite and the start of Whinlatter Pass....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0S5zOdlNmqsHrH1vfonJImzJh86wY7hxvW6XhyUOQgo6ZuNqa32bnliMB_J3cr4UuSRGxNAyOmbnUhGkNIMcA_N0h_-C0kt49flqGgE774MlgHp2yIrjNv0Pshdan_b1YH3SJsX_KQ/s1600/DSC_7764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Whinlatter Pass" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0S5zOdlNmqsHrH1vfonJImzJh86wY7hxvW6XhyUOQgo6ZuNqa32bnliMB_J3cr4UuSRGxNAyOmbnUhGkNIMcA_N0h_-C0kt49flqGgE774MlgHp2yIrjNv0Pshdan_b1YH3SJsX_KQ/s320/DSC_7764.JPG" width="320" /></a>.....which is fairly straightforward with two or three steep sections to keep you honest and the whole climb is sheltered by trees so, no wind and pleasant shade. As you can see from the photo, the sun was now shining and for the first time in the week I took off my rain jacket and stuffed it in my back pocket and looked forward to the descent and the section of the route that I had never done before</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Normally, the descent from Whinlatter is long and fast but the wind was now fully blowing and was it was really slowing me down as I headed towards the next climb - the beautifully named Fangs Brow - followed by Kelton Fell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Amanda and Jenny had taken a well earned lunch break at the Whinlatter visitor centre and they did not catch me back up until the climb of Cold Fell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQgu9pzlYz53elnhLEwzqqh7EghQrkJhoYtcyBNu7tx4Ub3VoEI2w5SHlFtbGNg3dXRiZ6SCN21CnvTDwr6St6RCLF_cIyoRV3sEYyu6xOcZqsNr02NzMqMIaATIdcibA9_mR-peD2g/s1600/DSC_7784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The barren outlook of Cold Fell" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQgu9pzlYz53elnhLEwzqqh7EghQrkJhoYtcyBNu7tx4Ub3VoEI2w5SHlFtbGNg3dXRiZ6SCN21CnvTDwr6St6RCLF_cIyoRV3sEYyu6xOcZqsNr02NzMqMIaATIdcibA9_mR-peD2g/s320/DSC_7784.JPG" width="320" /></a>This is the upper section of Cold Fell, which is not the most invitingly named place that I have ever come across but the climb is a nice one with spectacular views to the coast on your right hand side. As the name suggests though it is very open and that meant that the whole climb was straight into the wind - very punishing indeed and my whole body was starting to feel really tired and I was very conscious of not pushing too hard knowing full well what was not too many miles away....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The descent from Cold Fell takes you straight to the final check-in station at Calder Bridge..... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JYUYmCajVs2JARiBSsKZfC3ochSB1OfkYJmkmL0UUDp2nc4UsdXnA0G9ptQmGocDOgSCYsdMH-sIsVGNqtfh4_iaGF3y29LjPaRtcuy0GmU18zcyvJzeh9JLBoydtwuRqACuXdbEnA/s1600/DSC_7788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Last checkpoint at Calder Bridge" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JYUYmCajVs2JARiBSsKZfC3ochSB1OfkYJmkmL0UUDp2nc4UsdXnA0G9ptQmGocDOgSCYsdMH-sIsVGNqtfh4_iaGF3y29LjPaRtcuy0GmU18zcyvJzeh9JLBoydtwuRqACuXdbEnA/s320/DSC_7788.JPG" width="320" /></a>......but all this is just the prelude of course to the main event. The route now heads through Gosforth and Santon with a short climb up Irton Pike and a descent into Eskdale Green. By this stage though you have cycled about 95 miles and all you can think about is Hardknott Pass.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJsVEBUohnL8SAKx1CJmgN4RMAm6JTjNvTiHdPou0Y6nxjHLBIpyKYsAZ8NzolKWXvyKQO3prn2Mm6lvCProwh5PPsLxLQrLSthXVJSZE75MW7gpWXoudDQUnU2IfVFdeeY-s-8sang/s1600/DSC_7790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The welcome sign to Hardknott Pass" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJsVEBUohnL8SAKx1CJmgN4RMAm6JTjNvTiHdPou0Y6nxjHLBIpyKYsAZ8NzolKWXvyKQO3prn2Mm6lvCProwh5PPsLxLQrLSthXVJSZE75MW7gpWXoudDQUnU2IfVFdeeY-s-8sang/s320/DSC_7790.JPG" width="320" /></a>The irony is that this is really the longest, flattest part of the whole ride, but as you ride down the Eskdale Valley alongside the railway you get a glimpse of what faces you next. I have read so many peoples accounts of this climb and so many descriptions, but one of my favourites describes Hardknott Pass as looking like "Mordor" in the distance..... but not today. For the first time I was seeing Hardknott in the sunshine, and it really is an incredible sight. The road was built by the Romans and how they managed it, I have no idea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the time you see this sight, you have already been through the killer first section,over the cattle grid and past the car park. This is the so called "flat section" which in reality is around a 7% to 9% gradient.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz0YEV0TC11pwI5c6CTuMG2QAJg_T9LFmde1mEVQf8yQ3djrO52IzK0DxUz_V2UGw75JtRavNzI8mx7Clwo57V7-SAipxqvhhIRB_UVLqVIN7XbkJEr7LtM1ET9kRyEer7eAiu9E5kw/s1600/DSC_7809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The view up Hardknott Pass" border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz0YEV0TC11pwI5c6CTuMG2QAJg_T9LFmde1mEVQf8yQ3djrO52IzK0DxUz_V2UGw75JtRavNzI8mx7Clwo57V7-SAipxqvhhIRB_UVLqVIN7XbkJEr7LtM1ET9kRyEer7eAiu9E5kw/s400/DSC_7809.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>As I looked ahead a car had stalled on the infamous 33% left hand hairpin bend and had had to reverse down and have another go.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My legs were dead by now and I would like to say that I bombed up without any fuss but that wasn't the case - I did ride every single inch of the pass but I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewuj8keUZhdSyOVXlGqPOu7-GwdTeO68uqkPuQqE4eE_TX0t7PSOF7ka0DkzYgG4TrG2rW5Y1S3GHC3UVhF7QmvreX3O7CvZ8TdHDxDJD_rSFFKEFKXHOU5VMDONCEbhklCoF7R0eBw/s1600/DSC_7822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="My right hand Lady" border="0" height="132" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewuj8keUZhdSyOVXlGqPOu7-GwdTeO68uqkPuQqE4eE_TX0t7PSOF7ka0DkzYgG4TrG2rW5Y1S3GHC3UVhF7QmvreX3O7CvZ8TdHDxDJD_rSFFKEFKXHOU5VMDONCEbhklCoF7R0eBw/s200/DSC_7822.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCveKv8vL1I5-Iq_ZNsAcVfASkfpp0kdcCLAjdJ1MtmyNLg6mqOVFq7FbnUDKPbnCGG2JXEvmYPMm6A_qly9rVNJBhzgKdfBLnVjR-T7lr6Gz6V997oc_z0bC5lE-jCOgdTdvfMAf7DQ/s1600/DSC_7823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Near the Top" border="0" height="131" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCveKv8vL1I5-Iq_ZNsAcVfASkfpp0kdcCLAjdJ1MtmyNLg6mqOVFq7FbnUDKPbnCGG2JXEvmYPMm6A_qly9rVNJBhzgKdfBLnVjR-T7lr6Gz6V997oc_z0bC5lE-jCOgdTdvfMAf7DQ/s200/DSC_7823.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was greeted at the top by my lovely lady who had driven all the way to the top - no mean feat believe me, and she still had the other side to drive down which is probably worse as the road is more twisting and the road surface is very poor. I has been likened to "riding down the side of a house" It really is a nerve shredding experience with your brakes on full throughout, your arms locked and your weight as far back as you dare.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once down, all that remains is the short, spectacular ride up the Duddon Valley to the foot of Wrynose Pass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o83LtGmFK7pWD3SVGd7iCRjpOI_6wPqx9x6Z9Y3UsV5jLDmAzgkj-gDGgyoZk-WRGo1SVIx6RIMeIQ8Vo93Tzn6zqh8MqOCP1SpEYPYYRV2w8VbdJAe10tqFlW9HlFKsVstyklP8qA/s1600/DSC_7825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The View from Hardknott to Wrynose" border="0" height="131" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7o83LtGmFK7pWD3SVGd7iCRjpOI_6wPqx9x6Z9Y3UsV5jLDmAzgkj-gDGgyoZk-WRGo1SVIx6RIMeIQ8Vo93Tzn6zqh8MqOCP1SpEYPYYRV2w8VbdJAe10tqFlW9HlFKsVstyklP8qA/s200/DSC_7825.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ILkq_bRba8KCdRvdYPpKyLuvwnJgQdGxMS1QQ1NFgbIs12LlaahfNKVk4mhfcMq8cqIXVkvwUKp5FC4fUTHRY2-quYPxmHVKnD4tFFy_imMQ1h2iqKUJSIE_B6YvjP-od682MXO0vA/s1600/DSC_7824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Duddon Valley looking up to Wrynose Pass" border="0" height="131" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ILkq_bRba8KCdRvdYPpKyLuvwnJgQdGxMS1QQ1NFgbIs12LlaahfNKVk4mhfcMq8cqIXVkvwUKp5FC4fUTHRY2-quYPxmHVKnD4tFFy_imMQ1h2iqKUJSIE_B6YvjP-od682MXO0vA/s200/DSC_7824.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Wyrnose is another formidable climb but it is much easier from this side, and although very steep, is do-able. This picture shows me coming up Wrynose with Hardknott in the background, looking like a river as the road is wet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewnUeFhmG97UHPCSd6LIFND6DJU_UnsGDBl7Vae2wjaeEG_pd6F-k6EeMp9_he1P4HhrY4bTxWTKwmh2ihHAm51cH0A79ChuuAKldU9KCPByNPdkl5HUn4vhHEwrvbjaJfJUIcYgkxw/s1600/DSC_7832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Climbing Wrynose with Hardknott in the background" border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewnUeFhmG97UHPCSd6LIFND6DJU_UnsGDBl7Vae2wjaeEG_pd6F-k6EeMp9_he1P4HhrY4bTxWTKwmh2ihHAm51cH0A79ChuuAKldU9KCPByNPdkl5HUn4vhHEwrvbjaJfJUIcYgkxw/s400/DSC_7832.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the descent of Wrynose complete all that remained was the final run into Coniston to the finish - about seven miles but it seems to take an eternity and I had nothing left to give. I almost rolled to the final check-in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNM15fYvQTM79x2rOGh_HhBVR-Y6UrfN68t2BYw7-JEuOZfcPsDGiuZjnejyzpDfwZrJrcu08XQecjs2BjLKFTgei1G6VjjJvoNqarUt1Tq9M870gy3zCZXBRkr2uOI059_xx-LPXC2g/s1600/DSC_7843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Near the finish in Coniston" border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNM15fYvQTM79x2rOGh_HhBVR-Y6UrfN68t2BYw7-JEuOZfcPsDGiuZjnejyzpDfwZrJrcu08XQecjs2BjLKFTgei1G6VjjJvoNqarUt1Tq9M870gy3zCZXBRkr2uOI059_xx-LPXC2g/s400/DSC_7843.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">....and here is the final moment 111.7 miles, 8 hours 52 minutes and 7838 calories later, I dobbed my card in and The Fred Whitton Four Seasons was complete - a great, scenic but formidable and tough ride - highly recommended.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7BtvrA1rZ6xp-j4FRcnEXuDGalSL10y7hPK6p6x4CnCmSYQc6dNTe94HtHJJBAsVKhjCe0lFdFHAB3J3rMNL7F8MWEuBdH42CdrD2BgLSvSF-OHuGAdL964-nTSRnZlYAOR4Fyr77g/s1600/DSC_7846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dobbing in at the final checkpoint" border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7BtvrA1rZ6xp-j4FRcnEXuDGalSL10y7hPK6p6x4CnCmSYQc6dNTe94HtHJJBAsVKhjCe0lFdFHAB3J3rMNL7F8MWEuBdH42CdrD2BgLSvSF-OHuGAdL964-nTSRnZlYAOR4Fyr77g/s400/DSC_7846.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>All that remains is to say that I instantly tried to put on some of those calories lost by having the biggest plate of chilli and nachos I could manage, and to be fair, if you have managed to read all of this, you probably deserve some too.<br />
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Here is a little video that I have created of the day - and don't forget to watch it in HD - just click the 240 or 360 in the bottom right corner of the player and change to 720.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SQWcZrdt_uQ" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Next stop, the Dragon Ride......<br />
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</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-42898851168638729282011-04-04T14:17:00.000-07:002011-04-09T02:04:39.196-07:00The Fred Whitton Four Seasons - Take OneHaving arrived in the Lake District on Sunday afternoon to beautiful weather with almost no wind, I avidly watched the weather forcast to try and see which day would be the best to do the challenge.<br />
I wanted to get the challenge done as quickly as I could so I was hoping that the Monday would be OK.<br />
I looked as though the morning would be fine, but that rain and strong winds would arrive at around 10am and be set in for the rest of the day.<br />
The wind though was to be coming in from the South-West and that would mean that it would be helping me over Hardknott and Wrynose but hurting on Honister (little did I know).<br />
My plan was to set off at first light and be through Ambleside and Windermere before the school run, then hopefully past the stretch along the A66 before the road got too busy. I have cycled in Lake District rain before, so I thought that I would be pretty well prepared as it pretty much always rains here - the perfect plan - wrong.<br />
Today, everything went wrong that could go wrong. We were so well organised it was untrue. I loaded up with all the usual stuff, puncture kit, pump, gels, food, jelly babies you name it.<br />
Amanda, acting as my support vehicle had a satnav programmed with the whole route and all the checkpoints marked so she could follow me round, (or so we thought), spare inner tubes, large pump, change of gloves and so on.<br />
We arrived at hills garage at 6.30am (a little later than I had hoped but it was a beautiful morning), and began getting everything ready. It started with my phone falling out of my pocket and falling on a grate, but fortunately it did not fall through, but I was all ready to go five minutes later, just my shoes to put on - arrrrrggggghhhhh!!! - I had forgotten to put them in - the one thing that you cannot do with out when you have road pedals is cleated shoes. At the same time Amanda was discovering that the route had inexplicably not transferred to her satnav and she had no reference of the route - something that she was not comfortable with at all. What to do...... Amanda insisted that she wanted to go back to the house and download the route on to the satnav and at the same time would pick up the shoes...... Something that was actually quite doable since that first part of the route almost took me back to where we are staying, near the foot of Kirkstone Pass.<br />
And so it was that I started what is possibly the hardest cycle route in the U.K wearing trainers with overshoes on pedals specifically designed for cleated, hard soled shoes. It was awful. <br />
Amanda took the most direct route back to the house while I headed for the first climb of the day, Hawkshead Hill - a lovely climb but I hated it. Every bump in the road, everytime I changed gear, my feet would jump off the pedals and those squishy trainer soles soaked up a good deal of my effort. A slight wrong turn at the top did nothing to improve my mood, but I was gradually getting used to it.<br />
Once through Ambleside, I turned left and started the long climb up Kirkstone Pass (which I have done before but not from this direction) - still no sign of Amanda though so I pressed on, and tried to film some of the stunning views on my helmet camera - still no sign of Amanda. Continually looking over my shoulder I was expecting her to come past me at any minute, since it was over an hour since we went our different ways - still no sign - she must already be at the top waiting for me - can't wait to get my proper shoes on - still no sign. Oh crud, I had been filming the ascent, with the blinking lens cap on. How dosy can you get - what next I started to think, are there enough signs now to tell me that this is not the day I should be doing this.<br />
The top of Kirkstone Pass was now just ahead, shrowded in mist but still dry and there was no Amanda. Where could she be?...... I swiped in at the check point and pulled out my phone - no signal. Two other cyclists had appeared by now and one was generous enough to lend me her phone, which did have a signal. Turns out that Amanda had tried to intercept my route, but I had already gone past the point that she had decided to wait. I had already been at the top of Kirkstone Pass for ten minutes and the wind was really picking up - I was starting to get really cold. Amanda said that she would get there as quick as she could but it was 15 minutes before she arrived - I was shivering now and was so delighted to get my shoes on and going again that I forgot to check back out at the timing point. Not really a problem as any chance I had of doing a good time had already gone and now the 30 minute wait would not be removed from my total time.<br />
Pressing on, things seemed to be going remarkably smoothly as I rounded Ulswater and turned left to begin the climb of Matterdale End.<br />
Amanda had got ahead and was taking photos and I went over the top and began refuelling on gels, water etc while there was chance, as the route was about to reach the fast stretch of the A66.<br />
Glancing at the time, it was 9.21am when I felt the first spots of rain and by the time I got half way down the A66, I had to pull my glasses down so I could look over them while they still kept most of the wind and rain out of my eyes. It was really starting to come down now though and I had turned into the wind so that it was now coming from about 10 o'clock, occasionally blowing me into the road a little.<br />
"What have I done to deserve this?" I remember thinking, but determined not to get demoralised I thought, that this wind would help me later. It's not going to beat me - it's thrown a lot at me today - it's trying to make me give in. That is when I got a front wheel puncture. Amanda had gone on ahead but could not have helped anyway. The road was too busy and 15 minutes later I was back on the road. Still smiling through gritted teeth.<br />
The next section is basically there to deliver you to the foot of Honister Pass (which again I have done but from the other side), and is scenic but not overly taxing, other than that the rain just came down harder and harder, and the wind just got stronger and stronger.<br />
Honister Pass is stunning from this, the Seatoller side. It has a stream running all the way on the left hand side ( for stream, now read raging torrent) but it starts very steep and water was gushing over the walls on the side and down the road. Traction was beginning to get difficult, and the wind was now straight into my face, and just never let up.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhdyACMD9KeXRQKAZxVTAqMmlsexJfrOakWbFLNeO3MpSzzpxDKiiF94qIfaw6Su4e-yqgsnrsNrN8OlarpgROtDIqR6iA-8F7IZEMXR_Cn_zHum6O_hyZyXR8Eik_s3BR45W5KlVIw/s1600/DSC_7672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Horrendous Conditions on Honister Pass, The Lake District" border="0" height="212" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhdyACMD9KeXRQKAZxVTAqMmlsexJfrOakWbFLNeO3MpSzzpxDKiiF94qIfaw6Su4e-yqgsnrsNrN8OlarpgROtDIqR6iA-8F7IZEMXR_Cn_zHum6O_hyZyXR8Eik_s3BR45W5KlVIw/s320/DSC_7672.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Hope this picture does it justice - this is right at the top of Honister Pass looking east. Click it to see the full size picture. Many thanks to Amanda for braving the rain to get this photo.<br />
<br />
Never have I cycled in such adverse conditions - even Cairn O'Mount, which was also very windy, but was at least dry. As I got past the steeper sections the trees disappeared and the wind had nothing to to even slightly break it up. I can remember thinking to myself "this just isn't fair. I am on a super tough climb in torrential rain and a headwind strong enough to almost blow you over".<br />
Finally the top and Amanda waiting at the Slate Mine. She beckoned me inside, and said "I want you to stop, the decsent off here is too steep and the whole road is covered in running water". She was right, but I didn't want to admit defeat. "You can stop here and restart another day", she continued, "It's too dangerous".<br />
I spent around 10 minutes deliberating it in my mind, but when I removed my jacket to find both my shirt and base layer soaked I realised that, coupled with sopping wet sock, shoes and overshoes, I had probably carried an extra 5 kilos up that hill. Amanda was right - it was time to stop - but rejoin at the same point, never.<br />
The weather looks good for Wednesday and Thursday so I will go to the start and try again. I have come all this way to do the whole challenge, so that is what I will do........... Until then.Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-51666804703256785842011-03-30T11:47:00.000-07:002011-04-01T12:37:47.693-07:00When You Fall Off Your Bike...... Get back on etc etcHad a great weekend just gone. Amanda took her cycling ladies out for a jaunt around the Hatchets Pond area and I elected to do my so called Killer route again - this time doing the whole route and not falling off.<br />
The weather has been very dry for March and nice daytime temperatures with little breeze made for a perfect cycing day.<br />
I did do the whole route - nearly fifty miles in 2 hours 50minutes with an average speed of 17.3 mph. Got home feeling good and happy that my climbing legs seem to be coming back. Just as well since the timing chip for the Fred Whitton Four Seasons arrived yesterday - no turning back now, and in a way, I am actually starting to look forward to it. Huge challenge.<br />
I had a go with a helmet camera while on the route and got some (very shaky) footage of Winchester Hill and Beacon Hill which I will edit and then put on here - when I work out how to.<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kIOialsoYFs?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kIOialsoYFs?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Old Winchester Hill<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4fpmGmqj_F4?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4fpmGmqj_F4?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Beacon Hill<br />
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Sunday brought another superb day for weather and myself and Amanda took to the New Forest for a gentle 64 mile route that she designed. Very good it was to with a few areas that I had not been to before.<br />
Lake District next week and hopefully a report on a successful Fred Whitton Challenge.<br />
Hardknott ( and Honister, and Wrynose, and Matterdale, and Kirkstone, and Whinlatter) here I come! - bet they are not very scared.....Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-75290380152741772422011-03-20T12:06:00.000-07:002011-03-20T12:06:59.265-07:00Al's First CrashIt has been a sore week, and hence the reason for no update following last weekend.<br />
Amanda was at her Mum and Dad's and I was looking forward to getting out following a week off the bike to regenerate tired limbs.<br />
I have protected my Madone all winter and resisted the temptation to take him out during the winter months to protect him from salt and mud, but following a dry period, I decided that this should be the first time I take him out this year.<br />
I felt like climbing so I thought a route that I had used as training for London to Paris, which I had called the "Killer", would be ideal - although having done Exmoor and the Lake District since this route, it's killer status is somewhat diminished.<br />
What a difference - I love my trek 1.2 but the Madone is just a completely different beast. Everything about it is fast and responsive, and it seems to want to go up hills.<br />
The Killer route takes in two different ascents of Beacon Hill and the three steepest ascents of Old Winchester Hill.<br />
Unsurprisingly it has a warning sign at the bottom but this is a fairly long climb with a steep start that then steadies off to around 7%.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3CKdswKwUtnf0MBKy2j4WFqDvJGwcy763l0htTCWQCfnHB4rIWnZjPGD-rzwUMs2zYBiBSUxQj_YP06TquiD4gM4YxRCozRh0gFv7tOFoVuuNe1mvxrX8xKw_G-6GVYFNlvjk0TRdA/s1600/DSCN4768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Tell Tale Sign at the bottom of Old Winchester Hill" border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3CKdswKwUtnf0MBKy2j4WFqDvJGwcy763l0htTCWQCfnHB4rIWnZjPGD-rzwUMs2zYBiBSUxQj_YP06TquiD4gM4YxRCozRh0gFv7tOFoVuuNe1mvxrX8xKw_G-6GVYFNlvjk0TRdA/s320/DSCN4768.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I fairly bombed up this bit and even had time to ride one-handed to take some pics on the way up</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcuuPKNIXC-6nJtfcPqqMtEKnQpyjwHDxp-24-Dqi8t9MUimXq7MYonBklvImFdl2c8dvI1BeBL4c8DDYDzksJvqdgctwnsbMr-ZeY12I2-jZqHRvsH4iCmf1quJkQ8f2mhh2aZ-AAQ/s1600/DSCN4771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt+?about="" border="0" half="" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcuuPKNIXC-6nJtfcPqqMtEKnQpyjwHDxp-24-Dqi8t9MUimXq7MYonBklvImFdl2c8dvI1BeBL4c8DDYDzksJvqdgctwnsbMr-ZeY12I2-jZqHRvsH4iCmf1quJkQ8f2mhh2aZ-AAQ/s320/DSCN4771.JPG" up?="" way="" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1eDaPO1HtYyDebfFLVG8XzWIQv6tQbdz5PCMhYv_mhAiZSXCUQf8D2eTr78BSXdpoK8egN2Smc9oJbiHIQRCUkPFa0SzyvFYb7e619pl6j3O3r0pKMQ8KIoXCM_Tu4UHcEy87FL2hA/s1600/DSCN4770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Near The Top" border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1eDaPO1HtYyDebfFLVG8XzWIQv6tQbdz5PCMhYv_mhAiZSXCUQf8D2eTr78BSXdpoK8egN2Smc9oJbiHIQRCUkPFa0SzyvFYb7e619pl6j3O3r0pKMQ8KIoXCM_Tu4UHcEy87FL2hA/s320/DSCN4770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Feeling suitably pleased I descended down towards West Meon and then turned right, up a short sharp hill and towards Coombe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This stretch of road is lovely as it clings to the side of a hill in a heavily wooded area. The road was covered in debis and I can rememeber thinking to myself to be careful - only to come a cropper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turning left towards a farm building, my front wheel hit a patch of mud and slid away from under me, I nearly got control back but then hit the loose garvel in the middle of the road - down I went. It happened so quickly that I can't really remember what hit what but I picked myself up (very shakily) so see some (thankfully) minor damage to my bike, but as the shock subsided, more painful bits became apparent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The shredding to my top was the first giveaway as I felt pain in the left side of my chest, but also pain around my right elbow and left thumb, both of which were swelling up as I watched.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Realising I was in shock, I sat down on a wall for a bit and started checking my phone and music player, all of which seemed undamaged. Relieved, I looked up to see a elderly gentlemen making his way towards me with a mug in his hand - This very kind man had seen me come off while he was in the car park of the Meon Springs Fly Fishery and had made me a cup of coffee - what a lovely, kind thought, and many thanks to him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After probably 15 minutes I thought, "this is no good, I am about as far from home as I could be and I have got to get home before things really start to hurt". Getting back on I now realised that my right hand was also hurting just below the palm. Still, I thought, I have full movement in everything so nothing is broken.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first obstacle to overcome was the ascent of Old Winchester Hill from one of the North Easterly routes which are by far the steepest - I used to think that these were horrendous but it wasn't too bad on this occasion and I got to the top with no issues.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tYESZ7Q5CQLL3AWfYrIL6uwhebFqx6kEZQ_eF77JX56ECdpIqdqn_jW6ez2gR2ERWdxsB6dZ-WUOnZO5P8_85rdIrkAYK32dvi2Geli2zLs9d1F0zdVUwVDfbM5vt5ASRKKE95TWdQ/s1600/DSCN4774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="One of the very Steep Northerly Ascents of Old Winchester Hill" border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tYESZ7Q5CQLL3AWfYrIL6uwhebFqx6kEZQ_eF77JX56ECdpIqdqn_jW6ez2gR2ERWdxsB6dZ-WUOnZO5P8_85rdIrkAYK32dvi2Geli2zLs9d1F0zdVUwVDfbM5vt5ASRKKE95TWdQ/s320/DSCN4774.JPG" width="320" /></a>Riding home was not too bad either. I got in and after cleaning my bike down, I got straight into the bath and found various scrapes, a nasty burn to my right forearam and a very sore left thumb.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One week on and I have been back out on the bike with Amanda and have all but repaired...... all in all a very lucky escape.</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-19533017778281145742011-03-06T10:57:00.000-08:002011-03-06T11:23:25.244-08:00Ditchling Beacon, Steyning Bostal and ConfidenceConfidence is all about state of mind and perception.... Mine has taken a bit of a dent recently as I seem to be lacking my usual power and I am reaching for smaller gears when normally I can power through....<br />
<br />
With Amanda meeting some of her friends for coffee and a night out, I thought it was an ideal time for me to do some more hill training, and the fact that she did not need the car meant that I could go a bit further afield from my usual training areas.<br />
Ditchling Beacon had been on my mind as a significant climb within a distance that I could get to. Not only that but, after consulting my 100 greatest cycling climbs book, there was another, Steyning Bostal that I could do in the same ride.<br />
I poured over the maps the night before and tried to make sense of a route which was becoming increasingly awkward to plot due the fact that both the climbs, once completed, descended to the (very) main A27 which is a dual carriageway and not a road that I wanted to take on.<br />
It meant plotting a route that, once over this first climb, meant going over what I thought was going to be a bridge to get across - wrong! - I had to navigate the central barriers and then take a rather convoluted route through Shoreham-on-Sea in order to get back the other side of the South Downs for the climb of Ditchling Beacon which is from the north side, beginning in the lovely town of Ditchling.<br />
So, Saturday morning I set off early for Storrington which I thought would be an ideal starting point, and so it proved with a nice little spot on a side street easy to find.<br />
As I started to get changed, I felt cold - not that surprising since in the last few days the weather has turned much more winter-like, but still, not the best start.<br />
I loaded myself up to the hilt with all the necessary tackle and some jelly babies, 4 snickers, 3 energy gels and a banana ( I was determined to make sure that I had enough to not suffer - or so I thought). After donning my rain jacket I set off for Steyning, which is a charming town at the northern base of the South Downs. A right turn later and I was at the bottom of the first climb - Steyning Bostal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmiE41a4_se__YlFecDwHfMQGwVqbCgg1GGD1fHrPS3jkxPZyKb-vR3YqqeD6rdHDxx3DI2oTgJCmLavd-E-H2RG6qSgjDUaKSw1qlSnlFueNXXeHnQxe1qxJMw061we3ggDBsp_uJw/s1600/IMG-20110305-00004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The View from the Bottom of Steyning Bostal" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmiE41a4_se__YlFecDwHfMQGwVqbCgg1GGD1fHrPS3jkxPZyKb-vR3YqqeD6rdHDxx3DI2oTgJCmLavd-E-H2RG6qSgjDUaKSw1qlSnlFueNXXeHnQxe1qxJMw061we3ggDBsp_uJw/s320/IMG-20110305-00004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
You pass a sign saying something like "narrow road with passing points" - all climbs seem to have this - and then you rise gradually until you meet a road coming in from the right. You then swing left and the gradient increases markedly as you pass a sheer chalk face and as the road then sweeps steeply around to the right you reach the summit and a long flat stretch before a fast descent interupted sharply by the A27.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Some 20 miles later I was beginning to wonder if I would ever arrive at Ditchling. Yet again I was beginning to feel tired and despite taking regular food and water, my feet and hands had only just warmed up.<br />
I finally did reach the town and was a little disappointed that I did not have time to hang around longer as it really is a picture. I was also surprised at how busy it was but I definately had a sense of expectation building in me.<br />
As I turned onto Beacon Road the road was flat enough but full of traffic. This clearly was a little different from the previous climb and the reason is that this is a major route into Brighton - I wasn't quite prepared for that.<br />
The road continues for some time at a gentle pitch before you come across a left hand bend and this is where the climb begins in earnest as the gradient increases sharply and you head into a heavily wooded area. This steep section is sustained and the road snakes as it clings to the side of the Downs, emerging from the woods briefly, before becoming even more steep, whilst affording incredible views of the surounding area to the North.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFvRZ2h4sMkdnuFsFOLauZLFxIdve2yIx4qmWdjd-Ma1CB6iCtvaOWGxOjun25WduJW2Mzqym0h2dQTy91Boe9T2-TAysg3OWr60RT28HxQx9Q3q4mW9Cgqa_pn2ylnxNo7KkW_mO3g/s1600/IMG-20110305-00008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="About Halfway up Ditchling Beacon Looking Back" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFvRZ2h4sMkdnuFsFOLauZLFxIdve2yIx4qmWdjd-Ma1CB6iCtvaOWGxOjun25WduJW2Mzqym0h2dQTy91Boe9T2-TAysg3OWr60RT28HxQx9Q3q4mW9Cgqa_pn2ylnxNo7KkW_mO3g/s320/IMG-20110305-00008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The view quickly disappears again though as the still weaving tarmac, heads back into the trees and one last notch up in gradient sees the road swing to the right and the summit.<br />
I really found this hill tough. At no point was I out of breath and my heart rate was not too high, but my legs just did not want to know. I did of course get up but I really did have to slow right down and just concentrate on getting to the top - not what I am used to at all. I certainly seem to have lost my climbing "bounce"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3tHfUdonEzp-lfAyaG_EaJN2fkX1tDCndK5hp_3PnQRb9Wg5AQ8kZJHOhI2ky9Cx9NsVMrZ6X8wtfYPRcDl5xRdmqMFJf5wmM-OPg0YR8d7VKiPkthXpRVX4tn2NO9QXOiKGGwavaw/s1600/IMG-20110305-00009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The View Up to the Last Wooded Section" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3tHfUdonEzp-lfAyaG_EaJN2fkX1tDCndK5hp_3PnQRb9Wg5AQ8kZJHOhI2ky9Cx9NsVMrZ6X8wtfYPRcDl5xRdmqMFJf5wmM-OPg0YR8d7VKiPkthXpRVX4tn2NO9QXOiKGGwavaw/s320/IMG-20110305-00009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I am not used to struggling up hills and it is certainly starting to play on my mind a little - don't get me wrong - Ditchling Beacon is a testing climb but I have done far harder and with better form.<br />
<br />
Am I over trained or under nourished, or both?<br />
<br />
Well, this week I am dispensing with careful intake and calories and fuelling for a big weekend. A few days off the bike should help with the recovery and a large plate off liver and onions (One of Amanda's many specialities which I have just polished off), should help rebuild the muscles.<br />
<br />
Anyway with the Beacon out the way I promptly puntured on the descent and while repairing the hole I became aware of just how many cyclists were going past me. The hill is clearly used as a training run by a large number of locals - I saw one guy complete the hill three times!!<br />
At the bottom, a lack of options meant the only way to go was to turn around and go back up and down the same hill - the other ascent is far longer and therefore nothing like as steep. Enjoyable in its' own way though.<br />
After a couple of wrong turns on the way back to the car I finally arrived having done 68 miles (more than I intended), but was greeted with the hot coffee and sandwiches that Amanda had made for me that morning - What a Star!Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-83983935254611391232011-02-28T09:10:00.000-08:002011-03-03T04:57:59.950-08:00Return to the New ForestI didn't write an update last week as there didn't seem too much to talk about.<br />
Myself and Amanda did a 60 mile run based on the Southern Sportive route that I did a few weeks before, but since she had not done any of that route before, it was all new to her.<br />
She meet up with Duncton Hill and did well - the only bad spot was that she had three!! punctures on the route.<br />
<br />
This week though Amanda was tied up taking her recently formed ladies only cycling club, out on their maiden trip from Lepe on Saturday.<br />
I fancied a long run but did not want to go too far from home, so I set out into the New Forest, to complete one of the training rides that I used for the London to Paris.<br />
The added miles from home to the start of the ride at Half Moon Common would take the ride to over 85miles, although most of the ride would be flat.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhcELGbCE-qAe4F11m11J1UPTO2kEhlQA1DRCHdIQvRgZJO6tsC-Z16ohpHEomn6WYDR1m806ptKeH3xsCGAdE-f7DbeilANyctF2YYrXngnBJLNGQrx13xJhZi6icXtwI0QwUBmArQ/s1600/4450617901_bb99d706dc_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhcELGbCE-qAe4F11m11J1UPTO2kEhlQA1DRCHdIQvRgZJO6tsC-Z16ohpHEomn6WYDR1m806ptKeH3xsCGAdE-f7DbeilANyctF2YYrXngnBJLNGQrx13xJhZi6icXtwI0QwUBmArQ/s320/4450617901_bb99d706dc_o.png" width="320" alt="Blissford Hill - The New Forest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The one real exception to that is Blissford Hill which although very short, has a really steep section (the sign says 25%, but my Garmin Edge 705 indicated a max of 21% - either way it is steep enough to create a grunt or six).<br />
Fortunately enough, I missed most of the rain, and again, really struggled in the second third of the ride, only to get better towards the end - a nutritional rethink is on the cards.<br />
Still, on the positive side, I did the whole ride without a stop (other than for nature) and did all the eating and even put on my rain jacket while on the move - a useful skill I could do with working on with the Lake District in mind.<br />
Got back in time to listen to the football on the radio as well.<br />
<br />
The Sunday weather forecast was not good - nice start but but by Midday, rain would be in control. Neither myself or Amanda wanted to get wet so we set off early and were ready at the Marchwood Enclosure by 8.30am for a (hopefully) brisk 30 miles. A few technical faults later, we were done and home just in time for the heavens to open - almost exactly on 12pm.<br />
Although the ride was not hard, by the time I had washed the bikes down and sat down, my legs were toast - completely wrecked....<br />
and so the Sunday ended with me watching the football and eating vitually everything that we had left in the house.<br />
Amanda got up early to give me a lift to work on Monday - seriously in debtted to her for that!</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-88149809825354018032011-02-12T08:18:00.000-08:002011-02-28T09:24:08.904-08:00The Outlaws ComethSaturday morning and the prospect of of Mum and Dad coming down for the weekend meant that the only chance to get a ride in was to do an extended route home from work. Both myself and Amanda had given blood the night before, so this really limited us to a fairly short, non-taxing route home.<br />
So I went in and while I was working, Amanda rode in to met me (my Trek 1.2 was already at work), and we set off through the south side of Winchester and did an extended route along various stretches of the beautiful River Itchen.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is a route that we have done a few times but today was beautiful - a (insert appropriate collective noun here) of Long Tailed Tits escorted us along the hedgerow as we set off...</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvtB9AVyANvVGMDTxAOCOOhfIEPqKNAcdJd1cWfyA-28l_m0n3TxKns89C3UI81SFF8aYWTgjCCNMnkqvVhWX1EdpBBC36bBMSb5Sl0LojU4ozyAFcZ38KSpW_0zociSriwXu9piRGA/s1600/Long-Tailed-Tit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvtB9AVyANvVGMDTxAOCOOhfIEPqKNAcdJd1cWfyA-28l_m0n3TxKns89C3UI81SFF8aYWTgjCCNMnkqvVhWX1EdpBBC36bBMSb5Sl0LojU4ozyAFcZ38KSpW_0zociSriwXu9piRGA/s320/Long-Tailed-Tit1.jpg" width="320" alt="The Long Tailed Tit"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The ride itself was fairly uneventful except for the the huge number of snowdrops on the bank of the River Itchen as it passes through Ovington. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We were so taken that Amanda insisted on a photo....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyusu-xh4tR7mmq3u1rtJ8QhSn264eaKRh_rfk13O4kffuMV2i88lj1d1TVZy_QGAR1I03-MS14SCG38hDpRjXccLSrYo63_NuwCnmCIjasgtjKRen4zt0bYwP8P4x-u-7RjgBRt0Ufw/s1600/12022011033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyusu-xh4tR7mmq3u1rtJ8QhSn264eaKRh_rfk13O4kffuMV2i88lj1d1TVZy_QGAR1I03-MS14SCG38hDpRjXccLSrYo63_NuwCnmCIjasgtjKRen4zt0bYwP8P4x-u-7RjgBRt0Ufw/s320/12022011033.jpg" width="320" alt="Snow Drops in Overton"/></a></div>A lovely stretch this.<br />
28 miles later and we arrived home to find Mum and Dad already arrived, in the house, drinking tea and tucking into the cake that was made for me!!!........ We knocked on the door only to get no answer......Honestly, you couldn't make it up.Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-70840105869934925542011-02-06T10:53:00.000-08:002011-02-06T10:53:38.041-08:00Alex v The ElementsNo pictures this week, just me grumbling about how hard cycling is when the conditions are bad.<br />
With Amanda visiting her parents this weekend I had planned to really test myself, both in terms of the mileage and circumstances that would test my mental resolve - and so it proved.<br />
Planning the route on Friday night I decide that I would do the major part of the Southern Sportive route that I completed in September. A few adjustments we needed but the main idea was to try and complete 100 miles - It would be the first time that I had tried to complete so many miles on my own.<br />
Glancing at the weather forecast the signs were not good - a strong southwesterly wind was forecast which meant that the whole of the second (and home leg) would be straight into the wind. No worries I thought, I am quite a strong wind rider and this will give me the test I need.<br />
Waking up Saturday morning I was greeted by the sound of howling winds outside - still, I downed my porridge, got the bike ready, had some muesli, packed two water bottles, 5 snickers bars, a banana and a tub of mixed nuts into my various pockets and headed out at 7.20am towards West Meon, where I would meet the Southern Sportive route.<br />
This route is a delight really - nice roads, including some main ones, but at no point were they too busy, and I plugged on towards Petersfield with the wind at my back. I was determined though, not to go too fast as I knew that I would need to keep all the energy I had for the return part of the ride.<br />
It began to drizzle, which meant the drops were coming in sideways on the back of the wind, and it almost felt as though mother nature was throwing drawing pins at me. It wasn't that cold though and this led to my first mistake - as it wasn't raining hard, I decided not to put on my rain jacket as I thought I would overheat. I had now turned and the wind and rain was coming in diagonally from the left hand side - horrible. Turning left and heading up towards the climb of Harting Down my legs turned to lead and it felt as though I had put the bike in reverse. It was only once I got home that I realised that the top of this hill is the second highest point of the route.<br />
I finally arrived at the top and had to stop to eat my banana - five minutes later and now starting to feel cold, I put the rain jacket on and headed off again, downwind towards Goodwood.<br />
Once over the fifty mile mark, it seemed the best idea was to find somewhere for a coffee and hopefully something warm to eat, so a sign for "The Pheasant" was just what the doctor ordered. Once inside a nice spot next to a large radiator beckoned, and so the process of de-robing began.<br />
As I took off my jacket I started to realised just how wet I was. My Alzheimer's jersey was soaked through, and so was the jacket below. I duly hung them over the radiator and looked down at my base layer which was also soaked - no wonder I was starting to struggle with all that extra weight.<br />
Forty five minutes, two coffees, a coke, a bowl of soup and numerous trips to the hand dryer later, most of the gear was OK to put back on - I couldn't really have had any complaint if the Landlord had been waiting at the door to charge me for all the extra power that I had used.<br />
Once back on the road, and heading back into the wind I was feeling much better and around 12 miles further on I met a main road with enough cars coming past to make me stop and take a drink - Nooooooo!!<br />
I had left both my water bottles in the pub after I had filled them up - too far to go back - not feeling quite so chirpy now - silly sod - never mind, no point worrying about it now, SUMO (shut up and move on).<br />
And so it continued.... into the wind.<br />
I think I am quite a good rider in the wind - you make yourself as small as you can, and just try and keep a rhythm and keep your cadence sensible. At least that's what you try and do, and then the elements slap you down and throw in a gust - all momentum lost and your legs get sapped just trying to regain your ground.<br />
This is where your mind is tested, you want to give up, your mind plays tricks.<br />
Arriving in Clanfield, popping into a shop, and stocking up on water (I couldn't take it with me as the bottle was too big), gave me a sense of revitalisation and having popped my lights on the bike, I was finally on the last stretch and eventually turned onto our drive at 4.20pm (ish).<br />
A fib about no pictures - here's the screeenshot from the Garmin.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a 100="" a="" am="" and="" as="" but="" completes="" day,="" for="" from="" garmin.="" here?s="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknJ6E_3rU_YUinq-sgvcxrpu9yOwntx_YY0A4X6ABo329HZTs8F708IK23cQ8hYDwBMr1WPTEpre89p2GDDVXYGHbpkm8EmGhraiQ-RdK_3Ey8dZ_na-5EB60rtdsC9A0X0n26I9-ew/s1600/5848.bmp" i="" if="" imageanchor="1" just="" miles="" only="" picture...="" proud="" satisfying="" screenshot="" so="" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" that="" the="" tough="" very="" well=""><img border="0" h5="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknJ6E_3rU_YUinq-sgvcxrpu9yOwntx_YY0A4X6ABo329HZTs8F708IK23cQ8hYDwBMr1WPTEpre89p2GDDVXYGHbpkm8EmGhraiQ-RdK_3Ey8dZ_na-5EB60rtdsC9A0X0n26I9-ew/s200/5848.bmp" width="120" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
Until next week. (Wow 47.6 MPH - that's fast :-) )</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-3823952181239487012011-01-31T09:22:00.000-08:002011-01-31T09:22:42.028-08:00Chapeau! AmandaThe last two weekends have hardly been the sort to make you jump on your bike and train, but needs must I'm afraid.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguaQ6es0h4bWXPlr2nJnFFtH78hhqxJvQ_tzO0VHmDh8OJrPddiTwE3LSyv85w4m1myEF_riDV0kuzNW-Q3oraOs5QVavYVeqVSAWd4RMg5gYNMJxS8-WVjyIyaZ07Mc-gwnP4wM48A/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguaQ6es0h4bWXPlr2nJnFFtH78hhqxJvQ_tzO0VHmDh8OJrPddiTwE3LSyv85w4m1myEF_riDV0kuzNW-Q3oraOs5QVavYVeqVSAWd4RMg5gYNMJxS8-WVjyIyaZ07Mc-gwnP4wM48A/s200/untitled.bmp" width="180" /></a></div><br />
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!!<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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 <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=50.905198,-1.6749&spn=0,0.153637&z=13&layer=c&cbll=50.906281,-1.674214&panoid=1b6-CC5Xt8g9bfJUhFq0pQ&cbp=12,194.7,,0,3.94&source=embed&output=svembed" width="425"></iframe></div>and Deadman's Hill <iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=50.942421,-1.735153&spn=0,0.614548&z=11&layer=c&cbll=50.943123,-1.733925&panoid=ZdVibPrn_GlYxBXrp51gMQ&cbp=12,45,,0,5&source=embed&output=svembed" width="425"></iframe><br />
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(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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
'Till then.......</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-80673470142036820812011-01-16T09:14:00.000-08:002011-02-28T09:31:38.207-08:00The Isle of Wight - January 2011A 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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZb9kM192Ir8p_9Ms_3LN8fJjaYGmnjaK0x7PaPAAGd14LEsCfvQF3m1DPdwR3Y6jMoZUento5PwL8_AjLH_SBpn3IfELzLmiEu3LleIHs1umsN262hd6jCWvDGvT8HWDx-8MrfKhbQ/s1600/09012011016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZb9kM192Ir8p_9Ms_3LN8fJjaYGmnjaK0x7PaPAAGd14LEsCfvQF3m1DPdwR3Y6jMoZUento5PwL8_AjLH_SBpn3IfELzLmiEu3LleIHs1umsN262hd6jCWvDGvT8HWDx-8MrfKhbQ/s320/09012011016.jpg" width="320" alt="The Road to Freshwater Heading West"/></a></div>The second climb is a personal favourite of Amandas as the views are tremendous and the decent is safe and fast.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTk1CI4TaZeql81vmxk8EJo48R7Q_8lFZzn-RqmtCD9BvKCdIN2fJkyvZiwXRkdt78HRvpytKStPhdIO-Q2QxVjQbtuFuUDsX-khYHviiZv7GHnZAehZF8fEOov28CHSmZhOTds6CBw/s1600/09012011018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTk1CI4TaZeql81vmxk8EJo48R7Q_8lFZzn-RqmtCD9BvKCdIN2fJkyvZiwXRkdt78HRvpytKStPhdIO-Q2QxVjQbtuFuUDsX-khYHviiZv7GHnZAehZF8fEOov28CHSmZhOTds6CBw/s320/09012011018.jpg" width="320" alt="Freshwater Bay"/></a></div>You can just see the road going over the chalk cliff in the distance.<br />
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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.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpU6D2Spcp2wFb-v4Z-vBDqKzYN44W6StHa0IT5AQk5groQcTH4OcTQlt8QB_PED91niFwhLrVLkGf4HmjzaNX8r6_9AmImDEHg77aieL73Sr_rfaBVJ6_XRHZ8evnCmlTZ_bcaSLD1g/s1600/DSCN4725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpU6D2Spcp2wFb-v4Z-vBDqKzYN44W6StHa0IT5AQk5groQcTH4OcTQlt8QB_PED91niFwhLrVLkGf4HmjzaNX8r6_9AmImDEHg77aieL73Sr_rfaBVJ6_XRHZ8evnCmlTZ_bcaSLD1g/s320/DSCN4725.JPG" width="320" alt="The Base of The St. Lawrence Shute Climb"/></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This first section is over 8% in parts and represents a good challenge.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uxr2aYPLXfwrF5mYPw2a3BBsPK53N6hXcbpLKYCXYNqgeR4ziBisyavr9KoyPp0fwnowRa77M80kA-5eQ07ANGsDkRMnoxmakPuuyUCtjObs1XK9lOyVeQ8W7oK9rw4h_QOx5iWzEA/s1600/DSCN4727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uxr2aYPLXfwrF5mYPw2a3BBsPK53N6hXcbpLKYCXYNqgeR4ziBisyavr9KoyPp0fwnowRa77M80kA-5eQ07ANGsDkRMnoxmakPuuyUCtjObs1XK9lOyVeQ8W7oK9rw4h_QOx5iWzEA/s320/DSCN4727.JPG" width="320" alt="St. Lawrence Shute - Heading Towards the Steepest Section"/></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8roRox9mO_RtV_GSRpZmIoxWrTjZBDd9IVYt3plpWWg4FvN5PtstzL7jYiB0Y5m4aJOfH9J0-2dzEiA0NoXbwhirVDmxERwdtrsTeLsIMRUX_kjLMOwULdwW321Zuo-kP57Ix0bVnA/s1600/DSCN4730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8roRox9mO_RtV_GSRpZmIoxWrTjZBDd9IVYt3plpWWg4FvN5PtstzL7jYiB0Y5m4aJOfH9J0-2dzEiA0NoXbwhirVDmxERwdtrsTeLsIMRUX_kjLMOwULdwW321Zuo-kP57Ix0bVnA/s320/DSCN4730.JPG" width="320" alt="The Steepest Section"/></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Once over the top I turned right and back to Ventnor via the top route and a short 20 minute ride was complete.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A nice little climb to try if you are in the area.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I returned back to base camp to join the gang and we all prepared for a walk over Ventnor Down to landslip.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTCvWPlXDPssIdCnPtlIzrVncGOel5N6-ly_GbLiRsJG3u46Ms4e4SUQCtlBGbNV_yClxGnMAASfosgeitxkaWGNFEtvClNNL4L5AvSiUs39jeSHNTa9YkqmDNwOUBJUCScJ-C6YJDQ/s1600/11012011021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTCvWPlXDPssIdCnPtlIzrVncGOel5N6-ly_GbLiRsJG3u46Ms4e4SUQCtlBGbNV_yClxGnMAASfosgeitxkaWGNFEtvClNNL4L5AvSiUs39jeSHNTa9YkqmDNwOUBJUCScJ-C6YJDQ/s320/11012011021.jpg" width="320" alt="The Climb Up To Ventnor Down 1"/></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Definately worth a go if you are in the area.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is the steepest section</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMfvDDvRgNHILjwbZdbqu-elOa3YqE3EdTuiBphkKzSGVqWjmWwQt9dI-HCPiGJ1D40clkcdtoilIHJgMBnY3Jg-YhVUPy-dkCJzHVjizpn6bqtaSJY_LFhCsogAYrLdFPN70Ou-2rA/s1600/11012011027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMfvDDvRgNHILjwbZdbqu-elOa3YqE3EdTuiBphkKzSGVqWjmWwQt9dI-HCPiGJ1D40clkcdtoilIHJgMBnY3Jg-YhVUPy-dkCJzHVjizpn6bqtaSJY_LFhCsogAYrLdFPN70Ou-2rA/s320/11012011027.jpg" width="320" alt="The Climb Up To Ventnor Down 2"/></a><br />
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</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It has its' own "that Bend" too.</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL6c9XnL8xkFWgrygwA89pwDOaSqERP16plLIgX-8zb3bCtN1AwZCoi-DlDoyLZMJ6hPWADa84IVDq1YA5IJuj3AM_55PyDft2nFJm6aO_povmeIzbKTw5r6zdDKnmgo0YcugTej5gw/s1600/11012011025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL6c9XnL8xkFWgrygwA89pwDOaSqERP16plLIgX-8zb3bCtN1AwZCoi-DlDoyLZMJ6hPWADa84IVDq1YA5IJuj3AM_55PyDft2nFJm6aO_povmeIzbKTw5r6zdDKnmgo0YcugTej5gw/s320/11012011025.jpg" width="320" alt="The Beatiful View Over Ventnor from Ventnor Down "/></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One of the spectacular views looking back over Ventnor</div>Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-82507091438880249222011-01-01T09:12:00.000-08:002011-01-01T09:12:48.577-08:00Happy New Year - Fred Whitton and The Dragon RideA very happy new year to everyone reading this blog.<br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
We only did 30 odd miles around the Farley Mount and Kings Sombourne area but it was a lovely ride.<br />
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!!<br />
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.<br />
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.Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-89712415296867588932010-12-19T05:48:00.000-08:002010-12-19T05:48:41.447-08:00Snow, Cold Feet and Utag (s)As the bad weather continues the and the chances of going out on the bikes is, frankly nil, I thought that I would tell you about a few products that I have found useful.<br />
I have always had cold feet on the bike, even in summer, and I have tried everything to try and counteract and I have finally found somethings that help.<br />
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Firstly, there are <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0030DKSKG?ie=UTF8&tag=alsjoutotheet-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B0030DKSKG">Mycoal instant foot warmers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=alsjoutotheet-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B0030DKSKG" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> , which my wife swears by and stick onto your sock, just under your toes and keep them warm for hours - good value too as you will see if you click the link.<br />
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Secondly, having read various forums, I decided to change saddles. I don't know whether it's just my shape but none of the Bontrager seats that I have come across are comfortable for me, so I decided to get fitted up for a Specialized Toupe Team BG (Body Geometry) 130mm saddle. Getting measured up was far less intimate than I had thought (you sit on a gel pad and the impression left by your sit bones is measured), but from the moment I I started using it, I could not believe how comfortable it was. Not only that, but the centre of the seat (running along the length) has a groove missing which is said to remove pressure on your femoral arteries allowing more blood to pass down your legs and to your feet. It has certainly worked wonders for me.<br />
The second thing I would like to share is the UTAG, which I have no qualms about promoting to the full, as I have one myself, and I have bought one for Amanda, my Dad and John (my wife's Dad who has vascular dementia).<br />
They are essentially a USB stick that you can have all your personal details on including Blood Group, Medication, Allergies etc. You can add a photo of yourself for recognition and it even has a password protected area where you can put scans of important documents that only you can see.<br />
They come in a wrist band version (Black, Blue or Pink) <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004DN8N7W?ie=UTF8&tag=alsjoutotheet-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B004DN8N7W">UTAG DIGITAL USB SPORTS BLUE WRIST BAND SMALL (BLISTER PACK)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=alsjoutotheet-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B004DN8N7W" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> , which myself and Amanda have, a dogtag version, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001AR8F8G?ie=UTF8&tag=alsjoutotheet-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B001AR8F8G">UTAG In Case of Emergency USB Dogtag</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=alsjoutotheet-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B001AR8F8G" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> (which my Dad has) and a wallet version which is what John has, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002DZYAII?ie=UTF8&tag=alsjoutotheet-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B002DZYAII">UTAG Ice Card- Usb Safety Information card</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=alsjoutotheet-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B002DZYAII" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /> . Click these link to see them at Amazon. They are also sold by <a href="http://www.inmotionproducts.com/">http://www.inmotionproducts.com/</a> in the U.K<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZrACptmWVibA8PPGEGVp7qUKdq1TQChmxM-xhhsZMCCZMlaHaJsMdURwBIJYvTkb3pysMgaHxbZHcnfRIi4xuIoqwqSd25Fvqaslo2oIm3eQ7XlWwvlNrunU3FQwGsATIvJlyO5t7w/s1600/utagsports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZrACptmWVibA8PPGEGVp7qUKdq1TQChmxM-xhhsZMCCZMlaHaJsMdURwBIJYvTkb3pysMgaHxbZHcnfRIi4xuIoqwqSd25Fvqaslo2oIm3eQ7XlWwvlNrunU3FQwGsATIvJlyO5t7w/s1600/utagsports.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wrist Version - also available in Pink</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I originally got one because I cycle to work very early in the morning and wanted the assurance that if I had an accident an ambulance crew could find out all about me quickly (all ambulances have the facilities to read the UTAG). My Dad is a keen walker so the reasons were similar, but in the case of John, the reasons were slightly different. John has become anxious and concerned that his vascular dementia may cause him to not be able to explain who he is to people and the worry has increased that he may become lost and not be able to explain to someone who he was or where he lives.<br />
His UTAG wallet card contains all this information as well as details of his condition and medication, and gives him some peace of mind when he is out and about, and he not mentioned this concern since.<br />
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Please note if you do purchase any of the items linked from anywhere on this page I will put the monies raised into the charities that I am riding for.<br />
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Thanks in advanceEtape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-84300493422548774022010-12-12T04:47:00.000-08:002010-12-12T04:47:19.503-08:00Hampshire Hilly Hundred - In December - Alone .........Why???With all the bad weather that we have been having of late, the "big thaw" (has there ever been an average sized thaw??) is now in full swing, and I thought that it would be good to get out and really shake up my limbs.<br />
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I had the idea that I would do the Hampshire Hilly Hundred (normally done in May) route as I already had it in my Garmin Oregon 300 GPS, so I didn't have to do too much planning.<br />
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On the Saturday morning, I dragged myself (silently kicking and screaming) to get ready and although the freezing temperatures of recent days had gone, a grey sky loomed overhead. Not the end of the world as I have plenty of kit to keep me warm, but it left me with the common cycling problem of how much to wear so that you are warm enough, but not overly warm when you are climbing. Worse still - the Madone was in the corner looking at me and wanting to go out - really wanted to take him but decided not to because I didn't want to cover him in salt and mud.<br />
So at 8.45am I set out on the Trek 1.2, complete with mud guards, two spare tubes and enough cereal bars to feed a small army and headed for Twyford which is the closest point to the route.<br />
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My support vehicle had decided not to join me and instead, headed for equally testing (so she keeps telling me) Gunwharf Quays for a day a of Christmas shopping - hardship indeed....<br />
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As I turned right off Hazeley Road, onto Mere Lane I come across Whites Hill, which is a nasty short hill with 17% gradient at one point. It's a road I know very well but was a bit slippy on this occasion, as water ran down the surface. Once safely negotiated, I turned through Owslebury and then right towards Corhampton Golf Course which I was surprised to see was still covered in snow with little sign of thawing.<br />
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The route then turns towards Broxbridge and on to the Bat and Ball Pub which signals the start of the climb up Old Winchester Hill, which although one of the highest points in the area, is not a difficult climb at all from this direction (there are four other routes to the top all of which are tougher). Halfway up though, the bike seemed to be slow and heavy, and I was convinced that I had a puncture - this was a prelude to me hitting what was not "the wall" but was more of a waist high picket fence. I had eaten and drunk plenty but the cold conditions were sapping the strength from my legs and looking skywards, there was no sign that the sun was going to able to get through the cloud. Still, I kept going over the top and descended towards West Meon and over the main A32 and on towards the lovely village of Exton.<br />
The route goes around the edge of Exton as this takes you to the bottom of Beacon Hill and it is the most testing climb in the area in my opinion, as it is fairly steep but also is long enough to mean that you cannot simply overpower it - you have to think your strategy a bit to climb it well.<br />
At the top, fairly tired but pleased with my efforts I saw something that I had to stop and admire - a Red Kite, still fairly rare in England circling low almost directly over my head.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFRXG3_2K9D5AIEGnJ9HOKJn7zDT4SoqKOoMLENWzFBI4rA7XDq0ZDcngWP17Py2gQ3-O7MgaLNzRqRaAVOQaFuAwctk-G5MHtb-KAkFw64_0ZImJ5nRb_7Nf9usx0HD0rDIusOh44Q/s1600/kites3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFRXG3_2K9D5AIEGnJ9HOKJn7zDT4SoqKOoMLENWzFBI4rA7XDq0ZDcngWP17Py2gQ3-O7MgaLNzRqRaAVOQaFuAwctk-G5MHtb-KAkFw64_0ZImJ5nRb_7Nf9usx0HD0rDIusOh44Q/s320/kites3.jpg" width="320" /></a>Picture from <a href="http://www.northernkites.org.uk/">http://www.northernkites.org.uk/</a></div><br />
He/she circled around for three minutes or so, then shot down behind the hedge and rose back up with a small kill in its' claws - truly awesome.<br />
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The next stretch of the ride is fairly unremarkable and is there essentially to get you to the North side of the M3, but I was becoming increasing cold and hungry and was starting to curse the small village Christmas fetes that advertised "Homemade Mince Pies" aplenty - but hadn't opened yet. Worse still, there are no more village shops anymore - Hampshire is littered with beautiful villages but none of them have a village shop - curse you Tesco!!<br />
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Arriving in Overton I at last found a CO-OP and having stocked up on bananas, snickers and lucozade and got back on and headed towards Hannington and a different White Hill which leads to the long fast descent into Kingsclere - the Gateway to Watership Down.....<br />
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....... one of the areas toughest climbs, nothing compared to what you can find elsewhere, but the fact that it arrives at just over sixty miles into the route make it testing enough. A very steep opening stretch relaxes to almost flat as the road sweeps through the tree-lined hill side, giving you just the breather that you need before the final ramp up, which is crippling to tired legs.<br />
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The descent of Watership Down is great - long, fast and not too twisting - the only shame is that the road surface is not great, but it does mean virtually no cars. It also signifies that you only have one climb of note remaining - Farley Mount.<br />
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It was starting to dawn on me that, with around 25 miles remaining and the time approaching 3.30pm, I was still along way from home and I had not thought to bring any lights with me (it just didn't occur to me that I would be out that long). Fortunately, Amanda phoned, and although drained from her days' shopping, she offered to meet me on top of Farley Mount with my lights - good job too as by the time I got there it was nearly dark and the prospect of the last part of the ride amongst the traffic was not pretty .....my support vehicle had come through in fine style!<br />
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After nearly 6 hours 45 minutes in the saddle I finally arrived home and got stuck into homemade soup and sandwiches - pleased with the fact that I had completed my longest solo ride to date - well chuffed.Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1477535121235670708.post-82660032056231921772010-12-05T08:30:00.000-08:002010-12-05T08:30:37.691-08:00Tour du jardin des centres d'EastleighFollowing the poor weather of late, Sunday 5th December 2010 turned into a grand tour of the local garden centres looking for Christmas presents.<br />
With all the salt on the roads and still some snow and ice, Amanda and myself got on the trusty mountain bikes and headed off into the fog. While not too cold to start with, the thickening mist meant that by 2pm you could feel the air tearing strips of your face - too much even for Nivea For Men's most expensive "Q10" to protect against (cripes .... did I just admit to that?).<br />
Only ended up cycling ten miles but it didn't look as though we would be cycling at all with how the weather has been this week.<br />
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I have started to see a dilemma looming - I really quite fancy doing the Fred Whitton Challenge but it falls on the same weekend as the Hampshire Hilly Hundred and it is also the following week from my "Fat Camp" (see previous post).<br />
May have to look into Fred Whitton Four Seasons which I believe you can do at any time sounds like a cracking idea.Etape Boy_11http://www.blogger.com/profile/12990131573246423383noreply@blogger.com0