France training day 3

Today our little group headed north across Normandy towards the coast. It was up and down all the way and into quite a stiff headwind. Started at 8am. Coffee stop at 10am. Lunch at half distance about 1pm. We found this lovely local restaurant run by these lovely French ladies. We had the set meal. 5 courses cost €12. Unlimited red wine. Of course Nick and myself stuck with the water.
Arrived in Bayeux 100 miles.

French training day 2

Nick and myself were riding through Brittany again today. Each little town had a fantastic church in the middle with various designs of spires. Cafe stop at 10am and 3pm. Another three course lunch in between. Most of the lanes are quiet and covered in smooth fast Tarmac. We still managed 190km before reaching the beautiful ancient town of Vitre.

Training camp France

Nick and myself are having a few days in France with the Portsmouth audaxers. I have joined them before, so invited Nick as we both need to get some miles in. However as it is France we have had a big lunch today. Salad, then a main, then cheese, dessert and coffee.
Day 1 was short at 160 km. Tomorrow is longer.

Steamride 200km audax LOL

The SteamRide audax was my first event since last September, when four of us rode the Wylye and Ebble audax. Then we were all still in shorts and as fit as we possibly could be and we flew around.

Summer riding at the Wylye audax - September 2014

After that the days get short and it's difficult to get out on long rides, especially if there is a likelihood of ice in the lanes. So with clubruns where I have sometimes found it difficult to keep up, it was time to up the milage and get back into the groove.
I entered this Steamride as it is local, starting in Ruislip and I rode it last year. Forecast was for 5'C so I again planned to ride fixed wheel to keep warm and like last year ride to and from the start which makes a 250km day.

Ruislip Lido HQ

It looked extra busy as I arrived at the HQ, seemingly more people wanting to get some qualifying rides in for this years Paris - Brest - Paris. PBP is only every 4 years and it is well worth trying to ride at some stage of your cycling career.
8am and we all left and large groups of riders formed as we headed north out of London and over the Chiltern hills. All much like going over the North Downs because once over them it's all pretty easy going. Through Waddesdon Manor and onto the first control at Quainton. I was on my own when I arrived and had planned not to hang around but there was no queue so I stopped for a cup of tea and an egg bap.

Quanton control

Minutes later and there was a big flood of riders. Time to get on the road and I joined Chris from the Willesden club for the section to Oxford with the wind on our backs. as we passed through Waddesdon again we saw plenty of other riders still making there way to the control but as with all these thing there is plenty of time to complete the course. (A 200km need to be completed in 13hrs).

We arrived in a group of 8 riders at the Oxford control at mid day (4hrs) and half way round with only 10 riders in front of us. We didn't stop but pushed on to the control/ shop a Didcot which was another hour ride. Here we needed to buy something so we have a till receipt to prove proof of passage. I got a coffee to have with some of the food I had in my saddlebag.

My typical food for an audax

This saves time, which in the winter is important, and you know what you like so no hunting around the shop. Then it was off again but this time heading back towards the Chilterns and the last leg of the ride. Here I rode with Newbie (to audax events) Colin and  Thomas from Stratford and Lithuania. We were going well until we reached High Wycombe. First Thomas punctures and we all stopped. I tell newbie Colin we don't usually bother to wait for other riders as the ethos of audax revolves around self sufficiency. However I make an exception this time while I put on my nice new jacket as it has started raining. Puncture fixed and we continue to ride through town until, would you believe it, Colin punctures. It time to get the levers out and fix his wheel. He was a little quicker mainly due to the fact he uses one of those gas cylinders to inflate his tyre. It does seem to work very well. Then on through town but not too far as would you believe it I get a puncture. That's three of us all getting punctures within a couple of miles. Me on my fixed wheel means taking the rear wheel out, and trying not to get my nice new jacket dirty. I wasn't happy. (No photos taken at this point).

So all three of us were cold by now and all hoping for no more punctures and it was full speed to the finish. Me grinding the fixed gear bike up over the last few Chiltern Hills.

Then it was down into the picturesque village of Denham and through the lanes to Ruislip and the last control in the pub at 5;30pm. Even with the punctures, I was happy with my time of 9.5 hours when usually I'm around 10.5hrs for this type of event. After something to eat I ambled back through the London street I was more familiar with. The Garmin finished on 250km, the longest ride for a while but probably won't be the longest I do in 2015.

Tuesday and Thursday rides

I fallen into the retired, unemployed and unemployable bracket recently, after 16 years with my last employer. Well nothing lasts for ever these days. So I was out with 2 different groups this week, the MTB's on Tuesday and Road on Thursday.
The mountain biking can depend so much on if it has rained the previous few days and as it hadn't the trails were lovely, clean and fast. Niall, Roger and myself were out for 5 hrs with a stop at Peaslake as the cafe there caterers for the MTB's.
Thursday was a road ride when I met up with a group at Effingham. Ben Thomas was leading as Dave Jordan was busy helping his daughter move home. We headed over the down to have a tasty lunch in Kirdford. This village shop could probably not cope with a saturday clubrun group but us 5 were able to sit down inside and enjoy our egg & bacon sandwiches.
Climbing back up Coombe bottom.

Will

Ben

Dave

Ian

So if you want to reach the top of the Strava milage board you now know what to do.