Ow! That hurt.

Asics Off Road Series – Wildman
Saturday 21st January 2012

Format: 10km run, 18km cycle ride, 5km run

Venue: Hankley Common

Present: Just Malcolm & Kit

Through the preceding week I didn’t believe I was going to be able to make this one, awaiting parts to make my bike serviceable, and suffering a sore knee myself. Finally got everything sorted on the Friday, and committed to enter on the day. I shouldn’t have done.

We arrived, parked, ambled down to register, then trekked over to the transition to site our bikes. Memories of past events here flooding back, Malc having had a puncture on the first lap a couple of years back, freezing cold the year after, and me having somersaulted over my handlebars into a very deep puddle next to transition. Thankfully this time it was much milder, and I smiled to see that the large puddle was nowhere to be seen.

I was limping a little, but put this down to the car journey, we opted to walk around a little, giving me a chance to loosen up whilst taking in the landscape. Transition set in a large bowl with the run climbing out and around one side, and the ride heading off over the other side.

This season’s team policy has been to start from the back, Malcolm was keen to push the limits of this by staying as long as possible, wrapped up and warm in transition. Tempted to wait here until the others had set off, this appeared to antagonise the marshals, so we wandered out at the last minute and tagged on the back. Staying slow and sensible up the first climb, banking left at the top to follow the crest of the bowl for a while, then dropping down a gulley. This is where my day went wrong, hugging the inside of the corner into the gulley, but finding myself high up the bank as the gulley fell steeply away below, no hesitation, plunged off the bank to land in the soft sand below, taking the impact on my left leg, protecting the damaged knee of the right, all seemed ok until I took my next stride and something clicked in my knee, lighting up the pain as it did so. My first thought was to stop, but what would be the point? Decided to push on and see how it panned out. Turning at the bottom of the slope, to turn and climb back up. Climbing wasn’t so bad, limping as I did so. Malcolm reappeared at my side, slightly dirty, it transpired that he had followed my line into the gulley, but tumbled down, creating mayhem as he did. He responded to my slower pace, noticing my limp and asking how I was doing. If I could complete lap one, then I could do two, the cycling shouldn’t be too bad, and even if I had to walk lap three this would be preferable to scoring a “did not finish”. Pain is temporary, failure lasts forever!

Thankfully the run was on much more gentle terrain than usual, and we were completed the two laps to transition, albeit quite near the back of the pack, oops.

 

Malcolm, as usual, was much quicker through transition than me, and the ride started as usual – Malc screaming off at full tilt, like some crazy coyote, with me resigned to keep him in sight and rein him in in my own time.

As I had hoped, I was more comfortable on the bike, and set about my task of rejoining Malc, but something was wrong, my bike wouldn’t settle on a gear and stay there. The shifting cable was at the end of its life, changing gear at the handlebar seemed to have little or no effect on the derailleur, until a little later, when it would make a half shift, the chain jumping the teeth. The only thing I could do was to minimise my shifting, which of course loaded up the pressure on my legs, and exploit the downhill and more technical sections.

I finally caught Malc and we settled into our ride together. There is a point where one section of the ride circuit touches the course looping back towards home, and here I recognised an oncoming competitor whom we would normally pass on the bikes, I was shocked on reaching this same spot further around my lap just how far ahead he must have been. Despite passing many cyclists, we weren’t doing too well.

Next I lost Malc, he just disappeared off my back wheel. I slowed, kept looking back and trying to see him. He eventually came back, having tumbled down one of the sandy downhill sections, but all ok.

Transitioning back onto foot was painfull, and I did walk quite a lot of that last lap, but we finished. I haven’t even looked at the results to see just where we came, or how long we took. I know I have never having seen so many bikes on the racks at the last transition though, and we only got slower after that.

Thank you Malcolm for sticking by me, I did urge him to run on and leave me, as I knew I would be ridiculously slow, but ever the good team mate, he stayed and helped me through, or enjoyed my suffering.

Next event in this series will be “Tuffman” taking place at Pippingford, on the 4th February. This one is notoriously the revenge of the MTB’er, with a far more technical course, but sadly I have a prior engagement, so look forward to “Trailman” at Eridge Park.

Asics Off Road Series – Mudman

Saturday 3rd December 2011

Format: 8km run, 18km cycle ride, 8km run

Venue: Army Testing Ground, Camberley

Present: Malcolm, Kit and Oli

Malcolm and I started entering these well organised and very popular events back in 2009, and are now contesting our third season. The format is simple, using a suitable off road venue, competitors first run, then cycle, then run again.  Sounds easy enough, but trust me it’s not, the course builders choose and exploit every conceivable hill or mud bank, and if they can, find some water, and send you through it.

Open to all, these events attract some very strong athletes, the top places are coveted and strongly contested, obviously not by me, I feel I’m doing well just to get into the top fifty.

Wet and windy week leading up to the event this year, culminating in a windy night beforehand. But on the day it turned out clear and bright with temperature around 11-12 degrees

This, the second of this winter series, is to me the harshest. Not because of the brutal hill climbs and descents, but because the two running legs are each of 8km – Not being too keen on running, I’m far happier to get the bulk of it over in the first leg, as is the case in the other races of this series, leaving only a shorter run home after the cycling.

The race: First run, 8km. A beast of a course, starting relatively gently but with the promise of the five ascents and descents of the infamous “Heartbreak Ridge” in the middle. Once again the course had been altered, and to me, was preferable to previous years – rather than the latter section being on wide open trails, through the aptly named “Desperation Hollow”, culminating in a long slow pull back up to the transition or finish, we were treated to some new single track footpaths, and, of course, more steep hills! May not sound more appealing as a route, but it just was, I guess it had more interest.

Malcolm and I adopted our team policy and stuck together, chatting as much as we could – this not only passes the time, but does seem to hurt other competitors, wrapped up in their own personal worlds of suffering whilst wondering what we might know that they don’t.

We started from the back of the pack, along with Oli, then slowly worked through as everyone settled into their own pace, all along keeping it gentle with a view to surviving the second, post ride run.

A largely uneventful run saw us transitioning onto the bikes and still feeling good. For me it’s always a delight to change out of the running shoes, don a helmet, get out on the bike and start cutting through the pack, yes, I know some of them will squeeze back passed on the final run, but I enjoy it whilst I can.

The ride entailed three laps, which, of course does mean three ascents of the steepest climb on Heartbreak Ridge. The general view seems to be just walk it, the effort involved in attempting to remain on the bike is too much, but we did stay riding as far as possible, and gained several places in doing so, forever at risk of collecting a roundhouse kick from the rider in front as they swing their leg over the saddle to dismount.

Thanks to our gentle earlier pace, once out on the final run we were still feeling ok, and despite walking many of the climbs, were not passed too often, and could still stand up after crossing the finish line!

Despite crossing the line together, I was placed above Malcolm gaining 50th and 51st respectively. Our overall time was 2:27:16, and broke down as 41:28 for the first run, 54:01 for the ride, and 47:52 for the final run.
Oli , competing on a brand new and untested bike, showed up a little later, recording a time of 2:44:28, placing him 98th. His Ironman training showing through in the consistency of his pace – he didn’t once walk, but kept running throughout.

Gorrick Brass Monkey XC racing

Just back from a great days racing at Hungry Hill Surrey .
3 round of the Gorrick Brass Monkey series .
A tough cross country series run by the great guys from Gorrick MTB .
Should have been racing with Jason but sadly a he was laid up with a nasty bug so it was a truly solo effort thankfully my wife Jo and Team mate Stuart were on hand to offer support and did a fantastic job of popping up around the course to keep me going .
I struggled at Tunnel Hill on the previous round but today it felt good to be out on a bike and working hard .
Having entered the 4 hour option it was always going to be a long ride but the route was great fun to race on with a fantastic mix of big climbs,blind drops and engaging single track.

5 laps completed
45:30 47:15. 50:24. 52:20. 57:20
4:13:15

Winter Training

Note to self: ‘train more, then you will get faster’. With these wise words snaking through my soul, Sunday morning sees me out in the frost running without any direction or purpose. Now, there is something inspiring about a cold winter day. So, head off to Wadhurst, that’s 25 minutes, then hang a left down through Pell Farm to Bewl Water.

the lake aint' lookin so good? who let the water out...

It would be about this deep….

Throw in a set of push-ups every kilometer is a nice way to open the chest and get even more cold air stimulation.

Sinking fast

Look after Neill for me....

Curving back up to Cousley Wood, down to Free Heath,

from Free Heath to Bayham

I finish with a good sprint down to the Farm.

Unfortunately no bike transition, chores need to be done, so the bike has to wait until 6pm, a very cold blast round Wadhurst, Stonegate and Ticehurst to finish off.

Racing 2011 – Mike Challen

22nd January : Iceman off road Duathlon 10km run 18km ride 5km run
114 over all 24th In category finish time 2hrs 32 mins.

5th February :Tuffman off road Duathlon 8km run 13 km ride 4km run
77th over all. 13th In category finish time 2hrs 25mins

13th March : Wiggle rough ride south downs epic 36 miles
4 hrs 5mins silver position

20th March : Hastings half marathon 1129th place 1hr 50 mins

4th June : Hellrider Xc run ride run relay 5km run 8km loops ​
competing as a 3 man team with Dan & Malcolm

Mountain mayhem 24hr Xc Enduro
competing as a 4 man team with Dan, Stuart & Malcolm .
Total of 21 laps

2nd to 5th July ::BHF London to Paris off road challenge .
Bushy Park to Versaille 300km in 3days .

6th -7th August Sleepless in the saddle 24hr Enduro
competing as a 4 man team with Stuart, Malcolm & Dan
24th Place with 30 laps .

20th August : Brighton Big Dog 6 hour Enduro
competing as a 3 man team with Kit & Stuart
4th Place with 8 laps completed .

11th September :Circuit of Kent 130 km road sportive
finished in 4hrs 52 mins in 64th place with a silver placing

17th September : BHF Insomnia 12 hr Enduro Bedgebury forest
competing as a pair with Tony .
Finished in 2nd place

19th November :Iceman off road Duathlon 10km run 18km ride 5km run
154th overall 26th in category finished in 2:43:59

December : Brass monkey 4 hr XC Enduro Tunnell hill Surrey
42nd place with 4 laps in 4 hrs .

2011 has been a fantastic and varied year for me with plenty of new adventures and challenges .

The year started with my first attempts at the Assics winter duathlons, a mixture of cross country running and mountain bike racing. Definitely an event which favours the strong runner which is not a catagory in which I place myself. A tough series of events but great fun all the same, with some great courses often in locations not normally open to the public.

The first true mountain bike event of the year was the Southern Rough ride at Storrington. An epic sportive type event based on the South Downs, on possibly the dampest foggiest day of the year. Tough, hilly and very very muddy brilliant !!!!! This is home turf for me, long days out off road and I love it!
March came round fast and I had planned to train for the Hastings Half marathon, but never really committed to it. I still managed a personal best around the hilly 13.5 mile course.

Early June we entered, a tough team based Duathlon relay . For me this was one of the toughest events of the year, but the support provided by my team mates really kept me going despite the sore legs and cramp .
Next up was Mountain Mayhem this is always one of the highlights of the year. Racing as a team of four gives you a chance to enjoy the event as a whole and the team support and atmosphere is intoxicating .This year the course was a tough one, run almost in reverse from last year and they had worked all the big hills in as climbs. The first half of the event I suffered on each lap, sore legs, cramp and constantly struggling to breath really made it tough, but around about 15hrs in it all started to come good and I felt like I was finally making some contribution .The closing hours of this event were some of our finest as a team. Working hard to get the extra pre 2pm lap in and supporting those still out racing till the end.

July saw Kit and myself embark on the BHF London to Paris off road challenge. 300 km in 3 days mainly off road . This event was definitely my highlight of the year. We may have pushed the pace a bit, we may have even inadvertently turned it into a bit of a race, but we had so much fun; the riding was only a small part of the adventure. 3 days of ride time in a row is a luxury. Add in a bit of camping, some fine scenery, a few great trails and a bunch of like minded cyclists for company along with a spot of fundraising, and you have a fantastic adventure on your hands.

August was a busy one with two big events and a little holiday time. Sleepless in the Saddle has been a regular event favourite and this years was a good one. It got a little tougher during the night when Dan went tree hugging, but the remaining 3 of us kept it together and once again I found that I my performance was improving in the later stages of the event . Not only is it a great course to race on and a brilliant event format, it’s also very family friendly so we get to race and spend time with the family. It’s a win win and the washing up gets done !
August also saw us at the Brighton big dog event at Stanmer park. Racing as a three man team the race required a mix of Xc sprint and Enduro staying power .I think it’s fare to say that Kit, Stuart and myself will remember this one for a while. The course involved a 3 mile lung busting climb, followed by twisty flowing woodland trails up and around Stanmer Park . It was, without a doubt, a proper race and we raced it hard. Each rider finished the lap spent, handing over and trying to recover before their next transition. Sadly we missed the podium by one place despite our best efforts.

Its road sportive time in September and most of the team plus a few freinds are entered at the Circuit of Kent 130 km event . This was a first for me as my road riding to date has been limited to a few Sunday shop rides on Wildside’s demo bikes .Starting a long way down the pack we set off as a team working through the field of riders. I settled into my ride with Scott for company and benefited from his experience in all things road. Despite the hilly route and the distance, we managed to maintain a good pace whilst still having a sociable time.
Another high point of September was the BHF insomnia event at Bedgebury forest. This year I had a new partner for the pairs category in the form of Tony Woodruffe, a fellow veteran of the London to Paris event. We had a tough night on home soil but were delighted to pick up the trophy for second place .

October was a quiet month on the riding front. I had planned to head up to Thetford for another stab at Dusk till Dawn, but a hard years racing was starting to take its toll and a bit of recovery time was in order.

November, and it’s time to get into Duathlon mode again ! Really should have kept up with a bit of running over the summer as the Iceman event came as a shock to the body. With hill after hill to run up even the super fit tri guys were calling it tough.

December, and I followed Jason’s lead and entered one of the Gorrick Brass Monkey events. 4 hours of out and out Xc racing ! This one caught me out big time .Its a bit like the Southern Xc events only twice as long. I loved the course which was almost all single track and fairly technical. I just am not fit enough to race like that. Still it’s good to have something to bench mark yourself against and it’s a great series of events.

The year ended in fine style with a New years eve road ride with Stefan, Neil & Stuart out around Ashdown Forest . 40 odd miles of big hills and fast paced group riding. These boys are fit and fast and very experienced in all things road based .I really enjoyed the group training and can see this sort of ride becoming a regular event as the potential benefits for the long endurance type events are huge .

2012 is looking like being another good year with a few new faces on the team and a lot of event options to keep us riding and racing.

My focus for the year is to improve my endurance and speed, which means alot of early season miles both on the road and trail. The key events are Mountain Mayhem as a team entry and Sleepless in the Saddle as a solo, with the potential for an even tougher challenge later in the year all interspersed with a mix of Xc, running and even the odd road Sportive.

On a final note many thanks to Andy and all the staff at Wildside for there support over the last year, Kit,Stuart,Malcom,Dan,Luis,Stefan & Tony for racing with me and my lovely wife Jo for letting me ride and for her help and support at the races this year .

See you on the trails soon
Mike

Sunday morning social

Just back from a very nice Sunday ride The plan was simple !
Meet Stuart at Park Lane, ride at a quick pace for two hours then re group at the car park to meet Jo & Lewis for a more family friendly loop.
So with a couple of hours to play we set off to create a long single lap adding in all the extra little bits of trail we could find. Having made it over to Narnia we headed off round to complete the race track. It’s here we found a new play ground 
The Boars have been building nice little north shore tricks to play on .

So we thought it was only right to stop and play. Continuing on our way we found Jason out training hard for the upcoming endurance events. He was mid way through a 3 hour stint and had plans to ramp it up over the next few weeks. So it looks like he will be on good form by the time Mayhem comes round in June. Finishing our first ride off just before 11 we headed back to the car park and met up with Jo and Lewis for a last gentle lap using some fire trails and a few section of single track just to ease Jo back into the whole cycling thing.
A sucessful ride all round and very nice to get a family lap in as a wind down.

Racing 2011-Stu

Well here it is as requested my year of racing.

Ice man Duathalon       22 Jan

10km run/18km ride/5km run      0:39:41/1:01:08/0:23:13      Total time: 2:05:21

Overall Position: 23      Catergory Position:6

Tuffman Duathalon      5 Feb

8km run/13km ride/4km run       0:34:54/0:55:28/0:20:09       Total Time: 1:53:00 Overall Position: 12       Catergory Position:2

Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon      27 Feb

Time: 1:24:05      Position: 61

Spring Ballbuster      5 March

8mile run/24mile ride/8mile run      0:52:25/1:22:10/1:07:54      Total Time: 3:26:45

Position: 93      Catergory Position: 8

Southern Rough Ride      13 March

Epic route 36 miles Time: 4:03:58

Kingswood Off Road Duathalon      20 March

3km run/14km ride/3km run      Total Time:1:07:40      Overall Position: 3

Hellrider Endurance Duathalon      4th june

5km run/ 8km ride      Position: 4th in catergory competing as a 3 man team with Luis and Kit

Distance:21 laps      Time:8:18:00

Mountain Mayhem      18/19 June

24hr endurance race entered as a team of 4 with Malc, Mike and Dan

Position:      Distance:21 laps      Time:

Rat Race Greenbelter      2 July

2.5km run/15km ride/10km run with 0.5km Kayak      Total Time: 1:39:28

Overall Position:1

Sleepless in the Saddle       6/7 August

24hr endurance race entered as a team of 4 with Malc, Mike and Dan

Catergory Position:24      Distance:30 laps      Time:

Brighton Big Dog       20 August

6hr endurance race entered as a team of three with Mike and Kit

Position:4      Distance:8 laps

Circuit of Kent Road Sportif      11 Sept

Distance:130km      Time:4:24:04 (silver)

Insomnia      17/18 September

12 hr overnight endurance race solo      Distance:       Position:4

Highs and Lows

Highs

Where to start? This has been the first full year of competition for me, and a lot of new experiences so its difficult to pick a moment that was the best. I really enjoyed the 24hr endurance races we took part in, as there was a fantastic team spirit, everybody working to ensure that we can all keep riding and producing the quickest laps possible. Much of the racing i have done is about personal performance, so its great to also take part in the team based races such as the brighton big dog and hellrider. On a personal level the bedgebury rat race stands out for me as it was my first and only out and out victory, but for sense of achievement Insomnia also stands out, this was my first solo endurance race and was great fun, although i couldn’t have done it without a fantastic support crew.

Lows

There have not really been many lows this season, i am fortunate not to have picked up any serious injuries or mechanicals and have completed all of the races entered. I would be a liar if i said that each race doesn’t have its low points, but then again thats what racing is all about, working through those cramps and times when you feel so exhausted you are ready to fall off your bike. The 24hr endurance races by their nature have more than their fair share of these moments, and one that does stick in the mind was during the later stages of sleepless. We had been running as a three man team for most of the night due to Dan’s crash, and i can remember lying back on malc’s camp sofa, not being able feel my limbs, unable to sleep, with my stomach cramping as i was still very much learning about correct nutrition during these events. However with team mates around and the great support given by Jo and Lindsay i was able to keep racing.

Next Season

Next season is all about some 24hr solo action at sleepless. Mike who has done it before has agreed to do it with me which will be fantastic to not only have some company but also to use his experience in order to finish. My focus is really about training for this race, using road sportifs and other races in order to get to the right fitness level. I’m planning to concentrate on increasing the road miles for fitness but with some off road races so i don’t forget and can sharpen my off road skills. Having had a break for a couple of months i’m keen to get fitness levels back up and start competing again.   – Stu

Tour De Calais

One thing I took from doing Paris-Roubaix in 2011 was a desire to do more exploring of the Northern France/Belgium/Holland cycle scene. So this is why you find Kit and I on a scouting mission around Pas-De-Calais on a windy but bright 2nd day of Jan, 2012.

Setting off at 6am to pick up Kit and then head off to Folkstone for an 8am pickup, the plan was to try out the little-known ‘Eurotunnel Cycle Service’. At the grand price of £16 for a Day Return, this turned out to be victor value on a Bank Holiday Monday where the car fare was around £200 and the queues coming back in the evening were 4 hours long. The benefit of a 30 minute Channel crossing is well worth it in winter when the riding day is quite short.

Plenty of space for the rest of you!

We didn’t do a great deal of planning to be honest, I had some prints from Google Maps, and Kit had his usual flexible and enthuastic approach. Guided by our minibus driver Norman (Korean War veteran and otherwise fount of all knowledge regarding the Eurotunnel service) we managed to get out of the Tunnel zone with little effort, and headed due south through Frethun. The first objective was a village called Guines on the edge of the Domaine Opale Forest area. This rolling countryside you don’t notice much on the Autoroute but actually it dominates this area and provides some long and steep climbs, a bit like the South Downs, which I guess is no surprise for anyone with a basic understanding of the geological history of the Channel (which counts most of us out!).

The transition from Motorway to countryside is rapid, as is the pleasure of riding on smooth, soft roads. Full of energy we dropped to the lower bars and started cutting out some mileage. From time to time we took random turns from straight, long roads to windy, steep ones and vice-versa, finally getting to St Omer about 1pm after a long and thrilling speed run from the Forest which saw us spinning at 40Km/h (is that ok Stefan?) having done a decent enough 30 miles.

first stop, the cattle market

Kit wasn't the only victim of the day

St Omer has a typical French square with lots of bars and restaurants. It wasn’t a great plan that the bar we chose was so full we couldn’t see our bikes sitting looking expensive outside, so we decided to sit out front which was cold, I mean real cold. Long-suffering Kit’s hands went white while his steak cooled. Still, a meal for two at 22 euro with some beers seemed a sensible compromise but we needed some heat so went across the road for a pudding in a bar where we could see the bikes.

Rested and refuelled we headed North up a major canal area towards Belgium. This got us warmed up again but it was clear that the journey back would be long and tiring with the headwind now making itself felt. Hanging a left turn back into the Forest area led us to quieter roads and a few guided cycle routes but as the light faded we were starting to tire and chill. Kit put the hammer down and i struggled to keep on his tail for a while.  The last 20 miles back to Calais were tough but necessary, bringing us into enduro territory and all the better for that. In the end we were back 20 minutes early in the semi-darkness where the minibus awaited, having ridden about 6 hours.

Fair to say it was a great day. We got through 77 miles but more to the point it was enervating to ride abroad with so little organisational effort and cost, and deserves repeating. The terrain is pretty and very French-rural away from the Channel zone. Next step is to get more into Belgium, perhaps look at the Liege-Bastogne sportif route, or Flanders. I think this will probably need the car on the France side, on a less-expensive weekend, where the Day Return is £22 for a car and 2 people. Thanks to Kit for giving up his kitchen plumbing to provide support.

Our route:

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The final ride of 2011

New years eve saw Stefan, Neil, Mike and I pop out for a 45.5 mile road ride out into the Ashdown forest and back. I shall make no attempt to describe the route as I’ve not done this one before and would have been completely lost if it was not for Neil’s knowledge. However the ride included several long steady climbs that certainly woke my quads up from the festive laziness, and some fantastic swooping descents. I can’t help feeling that Stefan and Neil did most of the work and it’s definitely one of my new years resolutions to get fitter. I really enjoyed this ride, and it was fantastic to get out as I had missed the previous ride due to a Christmas cold. It struck me part of the way round what a strange pack we were, Mike traditionally an endurance mountain biker, Neil a seasoned road rider and Stefan a triathelete and Ironman competitor, but then again that is what it is all about, a group of guys all with a love of riding out enjoying themselves.

Happy new year everybody and here is to an action packed and successful 2012!

Stu

Sussex road ride

In an effort to burn off some of the Christmas excess the plan was to meet at my house on the outskirts of Hastings for a post Christmas road ride.At this hectic time of year many of the usual culprits were tied up elsware but Malcolm, Andy and Gideon made the trip south on a promice of some fresh areas to explore and a post ride feed at my house.

We set off just before 11am having given Malcolm a chance to recover and re fuel after his 25mile ride to the start. Leaving Hastings we set off along the Ridge and dropped down to Pett Level. From here we took in Winchelsea Beach and Rye before heading out along the coast to Camber and Lydd where we had an impromptue stop at the local Spar shop while Malcolm fixed a flat tyre. Once back on the road we headed inland to Brenzett and then up to Appledor before returning to Rye via the old military road.We had enjoyed a fairly flat and easy ride so far but it was now time to head back and this was going to mean a hill or two to gain some height again.Heading up to Udimore we are treated to the first real climb of the day shortly followed by the slightly sketchy descent of Stubbs Lane ( Still not convinced that steep downhills, road tyres and wet muddy roads mix )we survive but the thrill is short lived as a short respite leads into the steepest climb of the day. Re grouping at the top we drop down hill again heading for Westfield and the last few miles to home. The mileage is taking its toll now and and the prospect of a mug of tea and some food drives us on for the last big climb and then an easy coast home.
Total ride time was just over 3.5 hrs
Total mileage 55 ( 80 for Malcolm )
A very enjoyable ride and nice to be heading out onto home turf for a change.
This was my second outing on my new Cannondale Caad8 105 and I have to say I love this bike more with every ride.I have relented and turned the stem back the right way up ( Gary ok you were right sorry ! )and it’s feels so sorted and natural to ride. I can see me and this bike getting some big miles in over the next few months

Thanks boys for heading south was great to host a ride for a change.
Thanks Jo for the post ride feed the bacon rolls were spot on!

Mike