It's been a while since I've posted anything as I've been making the most of the brilliant weather we've been having this month.
Completely different from last year - we've been able to sit outside most evenings whereas last year we might have done so just once or twice. Some days it's been too hot: I have been repainting the windows on the house and the paint stripper was evaporating before it could do its work! Also since we are on a private water supply we have to be careful with water usage in times like this, we managed - just - but there were times in the day were the spring overflow stopped running and we just had to keep an eye on it.
I've been doing a lot of biking, nearly 1800km since the Ripon Revolution, a variety of rides from steady training rides to quick efforts along with some that were intended to be one and ended up the other! Above about 25C I begin to struggle so on the really hot days I'd go for an early ride at about 6am, the roads are lovely and quiet at that time of day.
Like many cyclists these days I use Strava, not to be in competition with the young riders (typically I add 50% to the best time for any segment to get my time) but as a means of measuring progress (or decline), the only competition is with myself. One Strava segment I'd been testing myself on is one of the hills heading back home, try as I might I couldn't get under nine minutes - my best time was 9:15, so a target for the year was obvious. Imagine my surprise about a month ago when I logged 8:30 then just two weeks ago logged 8:03 so it looks like sub 8 minutes is on the cards :-) I don't think I'll get anywhere near the best time of 6:50 posted by Tom Moses, a professional rider, though.
Other than that most of the cycling has been a blur, a bit like a long day doing lots of gritstone routes, it's the overall experience that your remember rather than the individual routes. One incident though was unusual - I got stung by some insect one Saturday morning. I remember the sound of something striking my bike helmet then a sharp pain on my forehead just above my eye. Fortunately I'm not allergic to bee/wasp stings so I wasn't overly worried. The rest of the ride my forehead had that slowly subsiding tingling feeling. The following morning however my eyelid had drooped such that that side of my face had an oriental appearance and by Monday morning I struggled to actually open my eye! A trip to the doctor's and a course of anti-histamine and it began to subside but a little worrying at times.
We've got a club trip to the Manchester Velodrome coming up in a week or so (must find out the actual date!). I've never been on a cycle track, I'd missed out on a couple of trips to Manchester over the past few years, so it will be an interesting experience. In fact I've never ridden a fixed wheel bike so it's going to be doubly interesting if not amusing for those watching.
Monday, 29 July 2013
Thursday, 27 June 2013
When Silver isn't good Enough
So, the Ripon Revolution sportive, my second 100 miler of the year. The first of course was the Etape du Dales back in May.
This one promised to be a bit different, not least because I'd now got lots of miles in my legs but also because the hills were all in the first half of the route with the last half being pretty much flat out in the Vale of York. There were quite a few Skipton CC riders entered but only I'd entered the long or (Jeremy Clarkson voice) "EPIC!" route. The first thirty miles or so were shared with the medium route anyway. Given that the route is so close to us, I'd actually ridden very little of it so it was all going to be new to me.
We woke up on Sunday to quite nasty weather though once we were over at Ripon it at least wasn't raining but it was definitely windy. This wouldn't be good on the first climb over to Lofthouse. The nice man at the starting gate reckoned it was going to start raining about 10am and if we wanted we could do the shorter route rather than get cold and wet.
Actually it didn't turn out that bad with just one short shower, not enough to put the jacket on for, on the climb out of Masham. The climb over to Lofthouse wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and the cattle grid marking the summit appeared about two miles before I thought it should have. Down in Pateley Bridge and decision time: bad weather alternative to the left; planned route to the right. Turn right and up Greenhow it was. Again not a bad climb but a definite headwind once the steep bits were over and done with.
The rest of the route went fine, mostly I was on my own though from Summerbridge to about five miles after Kirkby Malzeard I was riding with a guy from Harrogate until I looked round to see him about two hundred metres back, off his bike with cramp. By the time I got to the last food stop I'd been on my own (and passing quite a lot of riders along the way) and also had the feeling that I hadn't been feeling the wind against me for a while. I needed to get in a group for the last bit back in to the wind.
About two miles after the food stop a group went past me, but too fast for me to get on to their wheel, then about a mile later a second group of just three. A couple of miles of real effort got me on to the back of them and then it was just a case of doing my turn on the front. We picked up another rider with about 15Km to go so even easier work wise.
I'd got it in my head that the time limit for the gold standard was 6hr45 which now that I was in a group looked very achievable, I'd guessed that I'd be finishing in around 6hr30. With this in mind at about 10Km to go and seeing Cath up ahead I reckoned that I could roll in with her and still make the gold standard time so I peeled off the group and chatted to her. She'd had a blowout just after the last food stop so had been delayed a bit. At the top of one rise I realised that I'd dropped her so decided to press on.
Before too long I recognised the road as being the one we'd set out on and crossing the River Ure there was the finish. Over the line and stop my clock at 6hr31min37. I'd only just got back to the car and begun to get changed when Cath arrived, so she hadn't been that far behind.
I'd actually felt pretty good for the whole ride and hadn't had a bad patch, in fact I would have been quite happy to do another twenty miles or more: the benefits of dong a lot of miles in the preceding weeks.
It was only when I got home and check that I found that the gold standard time was 6hr34! Was my watch correct? Had it auto-stopped at any point? When the results appeared, it was confirmed: 6hr31min37 Phew! My first sportive gold standard, in fact I'd never even got a silver standard before now so I was really pleased with how things had gone.
I went for a recovery ride the following day and even managed to get a top ten cup on Strava without either trying (I stopped for a comfort break!) or realising. Things are starting to feel good :-)
This one promised to be a bit different, not least because I'd now got lots of miles in my legs but also because the hills were all in the first half of the route with the last half being pretty much flat out in the Vale of York. There were quite a few Skipton CC riders entered but only I'd entered the long or (Jeremy Clarkson voice) "EPIC!" route. The first thirty miles or so were shared with the medium route anyway. Given that the route is so close to us, I'd actually ridden very little of it so it was all going to be new to me.
We woke up on Sunday to quite nasty weather though once we were over at Ripon it at least wasn't raining but it was definitely windy. This wouldn't be good on the first climb over to Lofthouse. The nice man at the starting gate reckoned it was going to start raining about 10am and if we wanted we could do the shorter route rather than get cold and wet.
Actually it didn't turn out that bad with just one short shower, not enough to put the jacket on for, on the climb out of Masham. The climb over to Lofthouse wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and the cattle grid marking the summit appeared about two miles before I thought it should have. Down in Pateley Bridge and decision time: bad weather alternative to the left; planned route to the right. Turn right and up Greenhow it was. Again not a bad climb but a definite headwind once the steep bits were over and done with.
The rest of the route went fine, mostly I was on my own though from Summerbridge to about five miles after Kirkby Malzeard I was riding with a guy from Harrogate until I looked round to see him about two hundred metres back, off his bike with cramp. By the time I got to the last food stop I'd been on my own (and passing quite a lot of riders along the way) and also had the feeling that I hadn't been feeling the wind against me for a while. I needed to get in a group for the last bit back in to the wind.
About two miles after the food stop a group went past me, but too fast for me to get on to their wheel, then about a mile later a second group of just three. A couple of miles of real effort got me on to the back of them and then it was just a case of doing my turn on the front. We picked up another rider with about 15Km to go so even easier work wise.
I'd got it in my head that the time limit for the gold standard was 6hr45 which now that I was in a group looked very achievable, I'd guessed that I'd be finishing in around 6hr30. With this in mind at about 10Km to go and seeing Cath up ahead I reckoned that I could roll in with her and still make the gold standard time so I peeled off the group and chatted to her. She'd had a blowout just after the last food stop so had been delayed a bit. At the top of one rise I realised that I'd dropped her so decided to press on.
Before too long I recognised the road as being the one we'd set out on and crossing the River Ure there was the finish. Over the line and stop my clock at 6hr31min37. I'd only just got back to the car and begun to get changed when Cath arrived, so she hadn't been that far behind.
I'd actually felt pretty good for the whole ride and hadn't had a bad patch, in fact I would have been quite happy to do another twenty miles or more: the benefits of dong a lot of miles in the preceding weeks.
It was only when I got home and check that I found that the gold standard time was 6hr34! Was my watch correct? Had it auto-stopped at any point? When the results appeared, it was confirmed: 6hr31min37 Phew! My first sportive gold standard, in fact I'd never even got a silver standard before now so I was really pleased with how things had gone.
I went for a recovery ride the following day and even managed to get a top ten cup on Strava without either trying (I stopped for a comfort break!) or realising. Things are starting to feel good :-)
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Some Days are Better than Others
A couple of decent rides at the weekend taking advantage of the warm weather. It's nice to be able to get out without feeling you are dressing for the arctic winter!
On Saturday four of us headed over towards Nidderdale for a "lumpy" ride that took in a few roads (and climbs) that I'd not done before. Here's the Strava trace. For some reason my legs felt heavy and I was hanging off the back for much of the ride, especially the uphill bits. Dunnies Cafe in Otley provided the usual good value fare.
Come Sunday and there was six of us heading out for a slightly less lumpy ride over to Settle then Halton Gill. My legs felt fine and I could blast up the climbs with ease. This was a two cafe stop ride: Halo in Settle and the Kilnsey Trout Farm, well it was Sunday :-)
In a couple of weeks' time there's the Ripon Revolution Sportive and I've signed up for the 102 miler (gulp!) but since most of the climbing is in the first half of the route it won't (or shouldn't) be too bad.
On Saturday four of us headed over towards Nidderdale for a "lumpy" ride that took in a few roads (and climbs) that I'd not done before. Here's the Strava trace. For some reason my legs felt heavy and I was hanging off the back for much of the ride, especially the uphill bits. Dunnies Cafe in Otley provided the usual good value fare.
Come Sunday and there was six of us heading out for a slightly less lumpy ride over to Settle then Halton Gill. My legs felt fine and I could blast up the climbs with ease. This was a two cafe stop ride: Halo in Settle and the Kilnsey Trout Farm, well it was Sunday :-)
In a couple of weeks' time there's the Ripon Revolution Sportive and I've signed up for the 102 miler (gulp!) but since most of the climbing is in the first half of the route it won't (or shouldn't) be too bad.
Monday, 3 June 2013
A Ramsay Round Success
No, not me! Bill Williamson finally succeeded on the Ramsay Round at the weekend.
He'd had several attempts, the first in 2009 when I'd walked in to the eastern end of the Mamores to wait for him and support him over the final section. In the event he'd given up on the descent from Beinn na Lap and I ended up supporting the other two contenders: Alan Lucker and Will Houghton who succeeded becoming the 54th and 55th completers.
Bill had a couple more attempts in somewhat poor weather conditions: constant rain and up to 70mph gusts of wind which didn't go well. Last week I received various emails and texts reckoning that the weather was going to be good for the weekend. By Thursday it was on!
Friday morning saw me getting the train to Appleby where Bill and Jean (his wife) would pick me up. However they had forgotten about Appleby Horse Fair and they got stuck in the traffic of horse drawn carts heading to that event so it there was a slight delay before we began heading north.
Usually Bill had used the Rucksack club's hut at South Ballachulish but it was in use this weekend so the base was a B&B at the foot of Glen Nevis which was actually much handier.
The attempt was fairly lightweight, a total of four pacers on the hill plus Jean and myself as "static" support. Unlike the Bob Graham and Paddy Buckley rounds there's no road crossings on the Ramsay, the nearest road being a kilometre from the Loch Treig dam so Jean was going to meet him there and I was going to walk in to Meanach bothy.
Reaching Fort William we headed to the supermarket to get some supplies. As we pulled in to the car park we noticed a camper van with a pair of running shoes propped up on the windscreen. " That looks like Ali's (Welsh) van" Sure enough he was inside. Alan Lucker who was the sole support for leg one over Ben Nevis and the Grey Corries tried to persuade him to join him but Ali wasn't keen having been out on the hill already that day.
At the accommodation it was a matter of biding our time until we needed to drive up the glen to the youth hostel in time for Bill's midnight start. Alan was going to set off a few minutes earlier so that he wouldn't be under pressure keeping up with Bill whilst carrying all the supplies. Finally it was time, some synchronisation of various time pieces and he was off.
Not only are there no road crossings on the round there is very little mobile phone coverage so the first we would know how things were going would be when Bill and Alan arrived at Loch Treig, hopefully around 8am.
My cue to walk in to Meanach would be a text from Jean once she got back to the car at Fersit. This actually made things quite tight timewise as it's about a ten minute walk from the dam then from the accommodation it is around fifteen minutes to the head of the glen and then I reckoned it would take me three hours to get to the bothy. Bill would only take four hours or so to complete the three Munros to the east of Loch Treig so there wasn't much leeway.
When the text came through, it was that Bill was about 15 minutes down on schedule but looking strong. In fact he was very strong and was beginning to pick up time on nearly every ascent. Time to go. I was walking in with Jim Mann who has a very quick winter Bob Graham time against his name. Jim had never been on any of the hills in the area so it was all new to him.
We took a good steady pace in the morning sunshine. There were a couple of showers but they were so light that it wasn't worth stopping to put a waterproof on. Three hours later and we arrived at the bothy. Two minutes later Andy Kitchen the fourth pacer arrived having run from Glen Nevis in 90 minutes - he promptly pulled out half a dozen pot noodles from his sack along with a stove! Scottish fell runners' hill food!
We'd only been there about fifteen minutes when Andy shouted out "They're here!" It turned out to be a false alarm - I think it was a couple recceing the round and they didn't come to the bothy but headed straight for the Mamores. However it was only another five minutes before they did come in to view and there were three of them. Ali had decided to help out on this leg.
Once inside we got Bill fed and on his way in fifteen minutes, with such few chances to take a breather and sort things out there's no point in rushing. Bill looked strong and remarkably stress free compared to previous attempts. Even though on this occasion the weather was fine, having the bothy as a stop would be really advantageous in poorer weather. Then it was time to go.
So in less than an hour of arriving at Meanach we were on our way again. This time I'd got Chris (Armour) and Ali, the leg 2 pacers as companions on the walk out. As we set off there was a heavy shower which lasted about forty minutes, though this was the only real shower we had all day. We could see the group of three making their way up the long north east ridge of Sgurr Eilde Mor. The last I saw was them beginning the descent from that summit, our progress, the distance and the terrain meant that we wouldn't be able to see them again.
The walk out was rather hard as my knee was playing up so Chris and Ali had to keep waiting for me. In the end it took 3 1/2 hours to walk out, I'm sure the other two would have done it in 2 1/2 or less. Then it was a waiting game, a long waiting game.
We decided to head up to the finish line at 10pm - it was unlikely that Bill would get there by that time but it would be a bit ironic if we'd found him there twiddling his thumbs! A few walks up the road and back as the night began to draw in then there was a shout and he came in to sight.
Still running he reached the point where he'd set off and stopped his watch: 22hrs 54 minutes. He'd become the 71st person to complete the round.
He'd had several attempts, the first in 2009 when I'd walked in to the eastern end of the Mamores to wait for him and support him over the final section. In the event he'd given up on the descent from Beinn na Lap and I ended up supporting the other two contenders: Alan Lucker and Will Houghton who succeeded becoming the 54th and 55th completers.
 |
| Alan and Will on Binnein Mor. This shot was used as the cover for the Harvey's map for the Ramsay Round. |
Bill had a couple more attempts in somewhat poor weather conditions: constant rain and up to 70mph gusts of wind which didn't go well. Last week I received various emails and texts reckoning that the weather was going to be good for the weekend. By Thursday it was on!
Friday morning saw me getting the train to Appleby where Bill and Jean (his wife) would pick me up. However they had forgotten about Appleby Horse Fair and they got stuck in the traffic of horse drawn carts heading to that event so it there was a slight delay before we began heading north.
Usually Bill had used the Rucksack club's hut at South Ballachulish but it was in use this weekend so the base was a B&B at the foot of Glen Nevis which was actually much handier.
The attempt was fairly lightweight, a total of four pacers on the hill plus Jean and myself as "static" support. Unlike the Bob Graham and Paddy Buckley rounds there's no road crossings on the Ramsay, the nearest road being a kilometre from the Loch Treig dam so Jean was going to meet him there and I was going to walk in to Meanach bothy.
Reaching Fort William we headed to the supermarket to get some supplies. As we pulled in to the car park we noticed a camper van with a pair of running shoes propped up on the windscreen. " That looks like Ali's (Welsh) van" Sure enough he was inside. Alan Lucker who was the sole support for leg one over Ben Nevis and the Grey Corries tried to persuade him to join him but Ali wasn't keen having been out on the hill already that day.
At the accommodation it was a matter of biding our time until we needed to drive up the glen to the youth hostel in time for Bill's midnight start. Alan was going to set off a few minutes earlier so that he wouldn't be under pressure keeping up with Bill whilst carrying all the supplies. Finally it was time, some synchronisation of various time pieces and he was off.
Not only are there no road crossings on the round there is very little mobile phone coverage so the first we would know how things were going would be when Bill and Alan arrived at Loch Treig, hopefully around 8am.
My cue to walk in to Meanach would be a text from Jean once she got back to the car at Fersit. This actually made things quite tight timewise as it's about a ten minute walk from the dam then from the accommodation it is around fifteen minutes to the head of the glen and then I reckoned it would take me three hours to get to the bothy. Bill would only take four hours or so to complete the three Munros to the east of Loch Treig so there wasn't much leeway.
When the text came through, it was that Bill was about 15 minutes down on schedule but looking strong. In fact he was very strong and was beginning to pick up time on nearly every ascent. Time to go. I was walking in with Jim Mann who has a very quick winter Bob Graham time against his name. Jim had never been on any of the hills in the area so it was all new to him.
We took a good steady pace in the morning sunshine. There were a couple of showers but they were so light that it wasn't worth stopping to put a waterproof on. Three hours later and we arrived at the bothy. Two minutes later Andy Kitchen the fourth pacer arrived having run from Glen Nevis in 90 minutes - he promptly pulled out half a dozen pot noodles from his sack along with a stove! Scottish fell runners' hill food!
We'd only been there about fifteen minutes when Andy shouted out "They're here!" It turned out to be a false alarm - I think it was a couple recceing the round and they didn't come to the bothy but headed straight for the Mamores. However it was only another five minutes before they did come in to view and there were three of them. Ali had decided to help out on this leg.
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| Bill, Chris and Ali approaching Meanach bothy |
Once inside we got Bill fed and on his way in fifteen minutes, with such few chances to take a breather and sort things out there's no point in rushing. Bill looked strong and remarkably stress free compared to previous attempts. Even though on this occasion the weather was fine, having the bothy as a stop would be really advantageous in poorer weather. Then it was time to go.
 |
| Bill getting replenished in the bothy |
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| Time check and then it's away to the Mamores |
So in less than an hour of arriving at Meanach we were on our way again. This time I'd got Chris (Armour) and Ali, the leg 2 pacers as companions on the walk out. As we set off there was a heavy shower which lasted about forty minutes, though this was the only real shower we had all day. We could see the group of three making their way up the long north east ridge of Sgurr Eilde Mor. The last I saw was them beginning the descent from that summit, our progress, the distance and the terrain meant that we wouldn't be able to see them again.
The walk out was rather hard as my knee was playing up so Chris and Ali had to keep waiting for me. In the end it took 3 1/2 hours to walk out, I'm sure the other two would have done it in 2 1/2 or less. Then it was a waiting game, a long waiting game.
We decided to head up to the finish line at 10pm - it was unlikely that Bill would get there by that time but it would be a bit ironic if we'd found him there twiddling his thumbs! A few walks up the road and back as the night began to draw in then there was a shout and he came in to sight.
Still running he reached the point where he'd set off and stopped his watch: 22hrs 54 minutes. He'd become the 71st person to complete the round.
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| The finish, 22:54 and job well done! |
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Etape du Dales
Some years ago a friend mentioned that she was doing the Etape du Dales. Having not heard of it I looked it up and felt somewhat in awe, basically if there was a big or steep hill in the Dales then you rode over it.
Back to the present and with a year of cycling as my main sport I felt ready to have a go. Except I didn't. Breaking my ankle in January put training back by a couple of months and I didn't feel as if I'd got the miles in my legs. Still I'd entered. My get-out clause of wind and rain failed to materialise so at 6:15am on Sunday morning I turned up at the event HQ at Threshfield Rugby Club. There was a posse from Skipton CC doing the ride but I thought I'd better start off a bit earlier as they were all fitter than me.
My basic plan was to get round, I'd set myself a target time of 9hrs, I'd be ecstatic with 8hrs and a time of 7hrs would lead to a trip to doping control :-) The weather was cool and overcast with no wind, ideal.
Timer attached to bike, there was little to do except get in the next group of ten or so to be let loose on the route. And then we were away, the first objective was to get warmed up before the foot of Fleet Moss so I ended up in a group of about six or seven pedalling away nicely along the back lanes of Wharfedale. Come Fleet Moss there were only a couple at my pace so either I was going OK or they knew something I didn't. Fleet Moss from the south side is relatively straightforward if long and you get a breather after each steep section. (1hr mark: bridge over beck at Yockenthwaite)
The first food stop at Hawes was gained in 1hr40 which I had in my mind as being around 8hr pace. There was just one of the original group with me so we continued over Buttertubs pass together. Now I'd never cycled any of the roads north of the Hawes - Garsdale road so other than looking at the map I didn't really know what to expect. Again, the reality wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, all the steep bits are low down and once you've passed the old mine workings at about quarter distance then it's a pleasant ride so it wasn't long till we reached the summit. (2hr mark: mine workings on Buttertubs ascent)
The drop down to Swaledale was a blast and even the first mile or so along the valley didn't require pedalling. Then it was a bit of roller-coaster road to get to Low Row and the next big climb. This is one of the steeper sections of the route, getting to 25%, plus it's a narrow lane in trees so you can't zig-zag around if you get tired. Then there's a cattle grid! Fortunately it's past the steep stuff. My companion was falling behind - I found out later he'd dropped his chain and his legs were tiring. The section over Reeth Moor is a bit undulating with two big drops, the second is to a ford which can be tricky but it was OK today. Finally there's a great, open, descent down to Arkengarthdale and the start of the next climb - Tan Hill. (3hr mark: Ford on Reeth Moor)
Any conversation about the Etape inevitably turns to the climb to Tan Hill. It's not steep, in fact there are quite a few descents and it only gains 150m in 13Km, but it's open and is in to the prevailing wind. Today with no wind, it was still a grind and by the end I could feel a bit of cramp coming on in my right thigh. Fortunately this started about 100m before the top of the last climb so I was able to drop down to the food stop at the pub and get replenished. 3hrs45 to here.
I took a good twenty minutes getting in some proper food rather than gels and power bars at Tan Hill before setting off again. The descent back in to Swaledale is open and fast until the last little bit which is a series of tight switchbacks before the turn right to Lamps Moss. (4hrs mark: Crossing the Swale - note this is riding time)
This was one bit of the route I didn't enjoy, basically it was my bad patch and the whole climb just felt hard work and a bit of a drag. The descent though was brilliant! It had been described to me as being alpine, open and fast, you can see round pretty well every bend so there's not much need for braking. All too soon it was over and I was faced with the one bit of road that I didn't really look forward to: the climb up to the Moorcock Inn. I've driven it and it's always felt as if there's more up than there should be.
As it turned out, it wasn't as bad as I'd made it out to be and I got to the Moorcock about ten minutes up on what I was expecting. (5hr mark: Pendragon Castle & 5:33 at the Moorcock) What I knew was coming up was The Coal Road, I'd done this on a recce a few weeks earlier but not with 70 miles in my legs. As you approached the base you could see a long line of cyclists slowly inching their way up the climb. Again, the steepest part is at the bottom so basically once you get past that you know you can do the rest. It's still pretty steep but there are easings to allow you to recover.
The mist was still down for the lumpy road over the top and then you dropped out of the cloud as you pick up speed for the descent in to Dentdale. I thought I was going quickly at about 40mph but a group shot past me. One of them obviously overdid it as I heard a scraping sound on the first sharp bend and he was just picking himself up as I went past. (6hr mark: Dent station)
Typically the sun chose to make an appearance on the most sheltered part of the route, the climb up to Newby Head. I've done this several times so it wasn't too bad as I knew what was coming up. Then another blast, down to Ribblehead and then on down through Horton to the final foodstop at Stainforth (7hr30) I got passed by Sean just before the stop. 7hrs12 to here.
One last climb over to Halton Gill and I was going OK, if slowly. Then it was just the ride down the valley to the finish. Somehow I managed to find some energy in my legs and made good time, even managing some Jens Voigt like "keep going" messages to my legs.
Finally I crossed the line with an official time of 8hrs27, my actual moving time was 7:45.
Surprisingly I didn't feel too bad, certainly not as bad as after the White Rose ride last year which was 30 miles shorter. I'd actually gone out with a drink/food strategy that I pretty much stuck to and this probably made a big difference. Could I have gone faster? Possibly though I might have suffered a bit more during the latter part of the ride.
All in all a good day out, I certainly slept well that night.
Back to the present and with a year of cycling as my main sport I felt ready to have a go. Except I didn't. Breaking my ankle in January put training back by a couple of months and I didn't feel as if I'd got the miles in my legs. Still I'd entered. My get-out clause of wind and rain failed to materialise so at 6:15am on Sunday morning I turned up at the event HQ at Threshfield Rugby Club. There was a posse from Skipton CC doing the ride but I thought I'd better start off a bit earlier as they were all fitter than me.
My basic plan was to get round, I'd set myself a target time of 9hrs, I'd be ecstatic with 8hrs and a time of 7hrs would lead to a trip to doping control :-) The weather was cool and overcast with no wind, ideal.
Timer attached to bike, there was little to do except get in the next group of ten or so to be let loose on the route. And then we were away, the first objective was to get warmed up before the foot of Fleet Moss so I ended up in a group of about six or seven pedalling away nicely along the back lanes of Wharfedale. Come Fleet Moss there were only a couple at my pace so either I was going OK or they knew something I didn't. Fleet Moss from the south side is relatively straightforward if long and you get a breather after each steep section. (1hr mark: bridge over beck at Yockenthwaite)
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| On Fleet Moss, looking fairly happy |
The first food stop at Hawes was gained in 1hr40 which I had in my mind as being around 8hr pace. There was just one of the original group with me so we continued over Buttertubs pass together. Now I'd never cycled any of the roads north of the Hawes - Garsdale road so other than looking at the map I didn't really know what to expect. Again, the reality wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, all the steep bits are low down and once you've passed the old mine workings at about quarter distance then it's a pleasant ride so it wasn't long till we reached the summit. (2hr mark: mine workings on Buttertubs ascent)
The drop down to Swaledale was a blast and even the first mile or so along the valley didn't require pedalling. Then it was a bit of roller-coaster road to get to Low Row and the next big climb. This is one of the steeper sections of the route, getting to 25%, plus it's a narrow lane in trees so you can't zig-zag around if you get tired. Then there's a cattle grid! Fortunately it's past the steep stuff. My companion was falling behind - I found out later he'd dropped his chain and his legs were tiring. The section over Reeth Moor is a bit undulating with two big drops, the second is to a ford which can be tricky but it was OK today. Finally there's a great, open, descent down to Arkengarthdale and the start of the next climb - Tan Hill. (3hr mark: Ford on Reeth Moor)
Any conversation about the Etape inevitably turns to the climb to Tan Hill. It's not steep, in fact there are quite a few descents and it only gains 150m in 13Km, but it's open and is in to the prevailing wind. Today with no wind, it was still a grind and by the end I could feel a bit of cramp coming on in my right thigh. Fortunately this started about 100m before the top of the last climb so I was able to drop down to the food stop at the pub and get replenished. 3hrs45 to here.
I took a good twenty minutes getting in some proper food rather than gels and power bars at Tan Hill before setting off again. The descent back in to Swaledale is open and fast until the last little bit which is a series of tight switchbacks before the turn right to Lamps Moss. (4hrs mark: Crossing the Swale - note this is riding time)
This was one bit of the route I didn't enjoy, basically it was my bad patch and the whole climb just felt hard work and a bit of a drag. The descent though was brilliant! It had been described to me as being alpine, open and fast, you can see round pretty well every bend so there's not much need for braking. All too soon it was over and I was faced with the one bit of road that I didn't really look forward to: the climb up to the Moorcock Inn. I've driven it and it's always felt as if there's more up than there should be.
As it turned out, it wasn't as bad as I'd made it out to be and I got to the Moorcock about ten minutes up on what I was expecting. (5hr mark: Pendragon Castle & 5:33 at the Moorcock) What I knew was coming up was The Coal Road, I'd done this on a recce a few weeks earlier but not with 70 miles in my legs. As you approached the base you could see a long line of cyclists slowly inching their way up the climb. Again, the steepest part is at the bottom so basically once you get past that you know you can do the rest. It's still pretty steep but there are easings to allow you to recover.
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| Still looking OK on the Coal Road |
The mist was still down for the lumpy road over the top and then you dropped out of the cloud as you pick up speed for the descent in to Dentdale. I thought I was going quickly at about 40mph but a group shot past me. One of them obviously overdid it as I heard a scraping sound on the first sharp bend and he was just picking himself up as I went past. (6hr mark: Dent station)
Typically the sun chose to make an appearance on the most sheltered part of the route, the climb up to Newby Head. I've done this several times so it wasn't too bad as I knew what was coming up. Then another blast, down to Ribblehead and then on down through Horton to the final foodstop at Stainforth (7hr30) I got passed by Sean just before the stop. 7hrs12 to here.
One last climb over to Halton Gill and I was going OK, if slowly. Then it was just the ride down the valley to the finish. Somehow I managed to find some energy in my legs and made good time, even managing some Jens Voigt like "keep going" messages to my legs.
Finally I crossed the line with an official time of 8hrs27, my actual moving time was 7:45.
Surprisingly I didn't feel too bad, certainly not as bad as after the White Rose ride last year which was 30 miles shorter. I'd actually gone out with a drink/food strategy that I pretty much stuck to and this probably made a big difference. Could I have gone faster? Possibly though I might have suffered a bit more during the latter part of the ride.
All in all a good day out, I certainly slept well that night.
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Mullered!
After last year's trip to the outer isles that finished by crossing Ardnamurchan and Mull we decided to have a week touring round Mull, Iona and head out to the end of the Ardnamurchan peninsular. Rather than B&B it, we decided to camp for the first half of the holiday so packed a Terra Nova Laserlight mountain marathon tent.
Of course since the last few years had been fine weather when we visited, this time the rain started about two minutes after we got off the train at Oban. Due to having to book an earlier train (0615 from Skipton!) because there were no bike places left on the final leg for later trains we were able to get out to the island and camp at Craignure.
The weather was awful and we were soaked by the time we got the tent up. We weren't able to use the astroturf pitches(!) that the site use as the pegs with the Laserlight are, shall we say, light. Think of a five inch nail with all the weight and strength removed and you'll get the idea. Let's just say it wasn't a pleasant night. The following morning was just light drizzle when we set off but after about an hour it was pretty heavy rain. At least the wind was on our backs.
There was another group touring just ahead of us though they had car support so didn't have loaded bikes. Because we were camping we'd gone for panniers - Ortlieb classics to be precise - and they take a bit of getting used to, not so much the extra weight but the general handling of the bike. In my case it was getting on and off the bike that caused most problems, nearly putting my foot through a wheel in one instance. We caught up with the group at a cafe in Penyghael run by a quite eccentric couple. The group were esconsed in the main room so we ended up having our lunch in the kitchen!
The weather was little better when we left and by the time we got to Fionnphort at the end of the road I was ready to find a B&B for the night. A couple of beers sat by the fire in the pub and I felt a bit better so we headed down the road to the campsite at Fidden Farm, reckoned to be one of the best in Scotland.
Here's the route we took.
In better weather I can see it being brilliant but even in the conditions we had it was a lot better than Craignure. We both spent a while in the showers getting warmed up!
The following day we had a wander round the Isle of Iona. I'd last been here in 1978 and Cath had never been so it was fresh for both of us. We managed to bike every bit of tarmac on the island plus a few tracks to beaches.
Apart from Tobermory, Iona is probably the most tourist orientated place on Mull and there are lots of coaches heading to and from the ferry terminal at Fionnphort. With a bit of planning you can get away from things though.
Day three was to be our longest day riding (we'd planned on doing about 10 - 15 miles less each day than last year to accommodate the extra load of the camping kit), of course it was raining again but once again the wind had changed direction so was on our backs once more.
Once again we stopped at the cafe in Pennyghael, still quite bonkers, but it's a cracking little place. It's also decently priced being nearly a third of the cost of what we'd paid on Iona. After an hour we decided it was time to move on and once again headed out in to the mirk.
After a couple of miles we got to the junction where "The Scenic Road" began. We'd intended to come the other way on this road last year but Cath's knee was playing up so cut the ride short. Now we were heading in to the wind and it was decidedly hard work, fortunately the open section didn't last too long and we were soon on the main climb of the day which was nicely sheltered. This couldn't be said for the descent on the other side where at one point I was in bottom gear pedalling to go downhill!
The descent was quite tricky as you couldn't let the bike roll freely as the wind was so gusty. Eventually we got to the bottom where one of the most amazing roads in Britain finds its way between shore and cliffs. The most spectacular part comes at the end (when heading north) where there hardly seems room for a road.
We were intending to camp at Killiecronan but it's really exposed to south westerlies and when I pulled on to the site I was pedalling but not moving forward! We made an instant executive decision to bale to Salen on the other side of the island (only about two miles at this point) and find a B&B. In the end we stopped at the Salen Hotel which has seen better days. We did eat very well that night at a mediterranean restaurant. Here's the Strava trace: http://app.strava.com/activities/53290512
Next day was again dank and dull. We'd only to get to Tobermory so rather than take the main road along the coast which is only nine miles or so we headed inland to Dervaig. There's no real difference between the main roads on Mull and the minor ones: they are almost all single track with passing places, it's just that the main roads link larger settlements or the ferries. At Dervaig we decided to visit the heritage museum which was rather sad to be honest, it must be hard in places like this to make a living so they are making an effort. We were the only customers when we visited. Here's the trace: http://app.strava.com/activities/53290494
We'd got two nights booked at the Tobermory youth hostel. This meant that we could head over to Ardnamurchan without the panniers - yippee! Last year we'd got to Kilchoan just as the ferry was coming in to dock so we hadn't gone out to the lighthouse on the western tip (this is actually the westernmost point on the British mainland). Our aim this year was to remedy this and do a bit of exploring. Fortunately we had fine sunny weather (it was the only fine day of the holiday as it turned out), so once we'd got off the ferry it was just a case of following the signs for the lighthouse. A bit of a hilly road so the six miles wasn't completely easy.
After the tour of the lighthouse and a bite to eat at the cafe we headed back to Kilchoan and then took the road to Sanna. This passes through the other claim to faim for Ardnamurchan - the ring complex - a series of collapsed volcanic cones. They aren't too obvious on the ground but aerial and satellite photos - look on Google maps - show them well.
The beaches at Sanna are gorgeous, usual temperature warnings apply though. Then it was back to Kilchoan again, just missing the ferry so another cafe visit ensued whilst we waited for the next one. Here's the Strava trace: http://app.strava.com/activities/53290492
Our last day started with a trip round the Tobermory distillery - producers of one of my favourite malts: Ledaig (pronounced something like letchik) - there was a tasting session, only one dram mind. Once again the wind had changed direction, this time it was against us and the ride to Craignure was hard work. In fact Cath got blown off her bike at one point it was that gusty. Fortunately by the time we got to Salen we had a bit more shelter, plus the road was flatter. Once again we just missed the ferry so had to wait two hours for the next one. A night in the youth hostel at Oban followed by an early start saw us home by tea time the following day.
Now we've just got to get everything dry!
Of course since the last few years had been fine weather when we visited, this time the rain started about two minutes after we got off the train at Oban. Due to having to book an earlier train (0615 from Skipton!) because there were no bike places left on the final leg for later trains we were able to get out to the island and camp at Craignure.
The weather was awful and we were soaked by the time we got the tent up. We weren't able to use the astroturf pitches(!) that the site use as the pegs with the Laserlight are, shall we say, light. Think of a five inch nail with all the weight and strength removed and you'll get the idea. Let's just say it wasn't a pleasant night. The following morning was just light drizzle when we set off but after about an hour it was pretty heavy rain. At least the wind was on our backs.
There was another group touring just ahead of us though they had car support so didn't have loaded bikes. Because we were camping we'd gone for panniers - Ortlieb classics to be precise - and they take a bit of getting used to, not so much the extra weight but the general handling of the bike. In my case it was getting on and off the bike that caused most problems, nearly putting my foot through a wheel in one instance. We caught up with the group at a cafe in Penyghael run by a quite eccentric couple. The group were esconsed in the main room so we ended up having our lunch in the kitchen!
The weather was little better when we left and by the time we got to Fionnphort at the end of the road I was ready to find a B&B for the night. A couple of beers sat by the fire in the pub and I felt a bit better so we headed down the road to the campsite at Fidden Farm, reckoned to be one of the best in Scotland.
Here's the route we took.
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| Cath and our expansive tent at Fidden Farm campsite. |
In better weather I can see it being brilliant but even in the conditions we had it was a lot better than Craignure. We both spent a while in the showers getting warmed up!
The following day we had a wander round the Isle of Iona. I'd last been here in 1978 and Cath had never been so it was fresh for both of us. We managed to bike every bit of tarmac on the island plus a few tracks to beaches.
 |
| Heading down to a beach past the golf course. |
Apart from Tobermory, Iona is probably the most tourist orientated place on Mull and there are lots of coaches heading to and from the ferry terminal at Fionnphort. With a bit of planning you can get away from things though.
Day three was to be our longest day riding (we'd planned on doing about 10 - 15 miles less each day than last year to accommodate the extra load of the camping kit), of course it was raining again but once again the wind had changed direction so was on our backs once more.
 |
| Heading back from Fionnphort on the main road. |
After a couple of miles we got to the junction where "The Scenic Road" began. We'd intended to come the other way on this road last year but Cath's knee was playing up so cut the ride short. Now we were heading in to the wind and it was decidedly hard work, fortunately the open section didn't last too long and we were soon on the main climb of the day which was nicely sheltered. This couldn't be said for the descent on the other side where at one point I was in bottom gear pedalling to go downhill!
 |
| The southern end of the coastal section is dominated by waterfalls. |
The descent was quite tricky as you couldn't let the bike roll freely as the wind was so gusty. Eventually we got to the bottom where one of the most amazing roads in Britain finds its way between shore and cliffs. The most spectacular part comes at the end (when heading north) where there hardly seems room for a road.
 |
| Nearing the end of the section below Creag Mhor |
We were intending to camp at Killiecronan but it's really exposed to south westerlies and when I pulled on to the site I was pedalling but not moving forward! We made an instant executive decision to bale to Salen on the other side of the island (only about two miles at this point) and find a B&B. In the end we stopped at the Salen Hotel which has seen better days. We did eat very well that night at a mediterranean restaurant. Here's the Strava trace: http://app.strava.com/activities/53290512
Next day was again dank and dull. We'd only to get to Tobermory so rather than take the main road along the coast which is only nine miles or so we headed inland to Dervaig. There's no real difference between the main roads on Mull and the minor ones: they are almost all single track with passing places, it's just that the main roads link larger settlements or the ferries. At Dervaig we decided to visit the heritage museum which was rather sad to be honest, it must be hard in places like this to make a living so they are making an effort. We were the only customers when we visited. Here's the trace: http://app.strava.com/activities/53290494
We'd got two nights booked at the Tobermory youth hostel. This meant that we could head over to Ardnamurchan without the panniers - yippee! Last year we'd got to Kilchoan just as the ferry was coming in to dock so we hadn't gone out to the lighthouse on the western tip (this is actually the westernmost point on the British mainland). Our aim this year was to remedy this and do a bit of exploring. Fortunately we had fine sunny weather (it was the only fine day of the holiday as it turned out), so once we'd got off the ferry it was just a case of following the signs for the lighthouse. A bit of a hilly road so the six miles wasn't completely easy.
 |
| Nearing the lighthouse on Ardnamurchan. |
After the tour of the lighthouse and a bite to eat at the cafe we headed back to Kilchoan and then took the road to Sanna. This passes through the other claim to faim for Ardnamurchan - the ring complex - a series of collapsed volcanic cones. They aren't too obvious on the ground but aerial and satellite photos - look on Google maps - show them well.
 |
| Dropping in to the ring complex from the Sanna end of the road. |
Our last day started with a trip round the Tobermory distillery - producers of one of my favourite malts: Ledaig (pronounced something like letchik) - there was a tasting session, only one dram mind. Once again the wind had changed direction, this time it was against us and the ride to Craignure was hard work. In fact Cath got blown off her bike at one point it was that gusty. Fortunately by the time we got to Salen we had a bit more shelter, plus the road was flatter. Once again we just missed the ferry so had to wait two hours for the next one. A night in the youth hostel at Oban followed by an early start saw us home by tea time the following day.
Now we've just got to get everything dry!
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
A bit more like it!
For once it looked like we might have decent weather at the weekend so I planned to do the bottom half of the Etape du Dales route. This includes one bit of road that I've only ever driven over once before and felt it was quite steep even in the car - The Coal Road. In fact up until a week or so ago it was still blocked by snow, at least for cars.
Well the weather may have been fine but there was a strong headwind all the way up Wharfedale and for most of Fleet Moss, really quite depressing when you have to pedal the downhills! However I didn't need to get in to bottom gear for the climb so feel as if I'm getting stronger. On top of Fleet Moss the checkpoint for The Fellsman was being erected so I had a quick chat with the guys before the descent to Hawes. Normally you can let things fly but today there was a cross wind and you needed your wits about you.
Tea stop at Hawes - it was actually colder in the cafe than sitting outside! - then rather than head over Buttertubs (never biked this yet) I rode straight to Garsdale Head and the start of The Coal Road. All the way down the gears and under the railway then hit the first bit which is the steepest part. Once round the corner the worst is over and I was able to sit down and pedal the rest. Not as bad as I thought it would be. We'll see what it's like with 70 miles in my legs rather than 35.
The descent in to Dentdale is not one where you want brake failure, there's a lot of it and the road surface isn't the best. Dentdale itself was out of the wind and really warm. The lead runners in the Fellsman hadn't reached the checkpoint at Stonehouses when I past so I didn't get to see any go through. So it was on up past Newby Head and then down to Ribblehead and then Horton and another cafe stop - I was taking things steady rather than pushing.
Rather than head up over Halton Gill and back in to the wind I decided to head down to Settle and back via the roads to the south of the A65. By the time I got back to Skipton I'd done 78 miles which is my longest ride of the year so far. A bit on the tired side but things will get better.
Yesterday was both fine and still so took the opportunity for a ride over in to Lancashire (yay!). My strength is getting better as I got a few PRs on Strava, most by a good margin. I also seemed to be keeping bigger gears going which is good. I did have a bit of a worrying moment dropping in to Colne when my front wheel began to shake from side to side. Don't know what was going on as it wasn't loose or out of alignment but not the sort of thing you want to happen at 37mph! I got home feeling quite fresh which makes a change.
Just over two weeks to go until the Etape, let's hope I can improve a bit more in the interim.
Well the weather may have been fine but there was a strong headwind all the way up Wharfedale and for most of Fleet Moss, really quite depressing when you have to pedal the downhills! However I didn't need to get in to bottom gear for the climb so feel as if I'm getting stronger. On top of Fleet Moss the checkpoint for The Fellsman was being erected so I had a quick chat with the guys before the descent to Hawes. Normally you can let things fly but today there was a cross wind and you needed your wits about you.
Tea stop at Hawes - it was actually colder in the cafe than sitting outside! - then rather than head over Buttertubs (never biked this yet) I rode straight to Garsdale Head and the start of The Coal Road. All the way down the gears and under the railway then hit the first bit which is the steepest part. Once round the corner the worst is over and I was able to sit down and pedal the rest. Not as bad as I thought it would be. We'll see what it's like with 70 miles in my legs rather than 35.
The descent in to Dentdale is not one where you want brake failure, there's a lot of it and the road surface isn't the best. Dentdale itself was out of the wind and really warm. The lead runners in the Fellsman hadn't reached the checkpoint at Stonehouses when I past so I didn't get to see any go through. So it was on up past Newby Head and then down to Ribblehead and then Horton and another cafe stop - I was taking things steady rather than pushing.
Rather than head up over Halton Gill and back in to the wind I decided to head down to Settle and back via the roads to the south of the A65. By the time I got back to Skipton I'd done 78 miles which is my longest ride of the year so far. A bit on the tired side but things will get better.
Yesterday was both fine and still so took the opportunity for a ride over in to Lancashire (yay!). My strength is getting better as I got a few PRs on Strava, most by a good margin. I also seemed to be keeping bigger gears going which is good. I did have a bit of a worrying moment dropping in to Colne when my front wheel began to shake from side to side. Don't know what was going on as it wasn't loose or out of alignment but not the sort of thing you want to happen at 37mph! I got home feeling quite fresh which makes a change.
Just over two weeks to go until the Etape, let's hope I can improve a bit more in the interim.
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