Back to the Pyrenees!

David Butler was promoting an Etape du Tour recce earlier this year, set for mid-May.  With my big sportive target this year of the Maratona dles Dolomites, this seemed like a fantastic opportunity to broaden my training from the endless variations of the North Downs that the Uppers & Downers group pursue.
So 15th May saw Alan Caruthers and myself flying to Toulouse to meet up with David and Trevor - who has supported us on several Pyrenees trips,  We were, once again, staying at Pyrenees Pursuits.
We also met up with a pal of David's from his Dalaglio/Flintoff Cycle Slam - Les (extreme distance cyclist) + his wife Pam, who were staying close by.

www.pyreneespursuits.com
a fantastic farm house B&B (and Dinners!) with the charming Dominic and Liz.  This place is set in the foothills of the Pyrenees with excellent access to stunning mountains all around.

Despite the banner of the trip being an Etape Recce, neither Alan nor I were training for this event, so we decided to leave out Tourmalet, and find some new mountains to conquer.

Day 1 - Luz Ardiden
114km,   1800m ascent
Beautiful weather saw us head out through the countryside, to Luz Ardiden about 45km away, then a long climb saw us up to the top - a very out-of-season ski resort with not a soul around.

A healthy lunch of baguette, cheese and ham and a breather before a beautiful descent back down the way we had come.

Snow behind us at the summit!

Day 2 -  Bagnères-de-Luchon - Peyresourde - Col d'Aspin
83km,   1840m ascent

Heading up the Peyresourde

We started with what was billed as a 45 minute drive out to the start of the day's ride, but turned out to be an hour longer!  After sorting out bikes and kit, we set off from a supermarket car park. So much for a warm-up - within 300m we had started the Peyresourde.  The 1st 4km of this was not great, with traffic around us. But then seemingly we lost all of the cars, and were soon left to our own devices. A long hot climb, that got steadily cooler, until I crested the summit obstructed by a small group of goats!

Top of Peyresourde: David, Alan, Gordon, Les

Heading up the Aspin

Nearly at the top of Aspin

Down the other side, and then up the beautiful south side of the Col d'Apin (which I had tackled from the North side 2 years ago). Then a long descent pretty much all the way home.

Day 3 - Hautacam
107km,   1900m ascent

Summit of Hautacam, Trevor, Les, Gordon, Alan, David

View from the Cafe at top of Hautacan

I had done this ascent 2 years ago in horrendous cold, misty rain. This time it was blue skies and hot. Very hot.  Hautacam really is different. The other hills had all been 7-9% steady gradients. This changes pitch - 8% up to 12% in sections, and even some small descents. I have to say I found this very tough. And even tougher, when I got to the supposed summit, only to find that the far side of the car park, there was a further 1.2km UP to the cafe!
A very technical descent down Hautacam was followed by losing out way in Lourdes to find Lac du Lourdes, a fantastic lunch spot.
We then headed out back through the foothills of Orincless - back to Pyrenees Pursuits, and another fantastic 4 course dinner!

SWRC hit Scotland

I arrived in Tyndrum this morning after taking the overnight train from London. I'm here to ride the Highland Trail 550. It's a 550 mile un-supported mountain bike time trial. There are 37 entrants and most are novices like me as it was only run for the first time last year. Follow my progress over the next week here.

http://trackleaders.com/highland14

But who should pop in to The Real Food Cafe but another SWRC rider John McGee. He's off sea Kayaking around the west coast, inlets and locks.
The weather today is sublime so I've got my fingers crossed for more of the same.

Jane rides the soup bowl of death

ride to brighton

peter dewis took a group of uppers & downers regulars on a ride  to brighton.
after an 8:30 start at cobham we made our way to dorking, high beeches and
balcombe, where we had a tea stop. then on to haywards heath and ditchling beacon
for the climb over the downs, and on to brighton.
brighton was packed with everone making the most of the hot weather.
we had lunch in yellowave a cafe recommended by roger jakaman, with its own beach vollyball
courts. peter then took us back out of brighton via hove,shoreham,steyning and
then to partride green , and back on familar roads to tan house farm for tea and then
back to dorking. a great day out 120 miles from door to door and a big thankyou
to peter for the route, leading the ride and also arranging  the hot weather.

Full Circle Fund

Our SWRC volunteers together with the FCF helped to make the May Flyer a great event.

Raleigh Chopper rider reaches summit of Mount Ventoux for charity

This sounded tough.

So who from SWRC is going to be the first to have a go on a single speed?

May Flyer route maps

Short course

Long Course

Tuesday mtb

A nice steady ride around Headley and the Epsom area today. It was Roger's birthday ride today! We had coffee in Bocketts farm and saw a chicken.

club run majorca

                 Gary smith lead a ride to the Orient climb, via Bunyola, on may 1st ,
                 lots of good rides , in hot weather, some of the guys also took part in a
                 mountain time trial on the Lluc climb, won by ex sigma rider Gary Dodd

Have this as your screen saver

http://cyclocosm.tumblr.com/post/84371843067/ok-weve-seen-all-the-theories-pedal-clip-errant