Re:
My ride, 100k in 5.25 riding time roughly. I dont use strava or computers.
Started oft pleasantly enough, riding along with Coleman. Til I realized I'd left my food in the car :facepalm: tw-t. Leaving me with a Camelbak of water and four or five little gel jelly energy things. No, not jelly babies!
Then as we approached the first check, I realized I'd also left my card with the map provided in the car too! :facepalm: fcukin tw-t..
So having bid farewell to Coleman, I set off on the big one. Felt great to start with, passing everyone I saw - wish I'd had a video for that! - a lot of it on the big ring, as there was a lot of road, far too much IMO. Got to the water ok, I hope that fella got a good shot of me! Then not long after, the food/checkpoint stop at around 55k. Had some coffee cake and flapjack and took a banana along with a Camelbak fill up.
Then my legs turned to sh-t! For around 25k. (By this stage i was asking people with strava/computers how far we had left to go ) Lack of food earlier? Combined with effort? Stopping often gives you stiff legs when starting up again I know. Back was hurting too. It was actually a relief to mend a flat, just so I could stop for a few minutes to mend it. Found the 1/2" thorn that had caused it, so another tube in, pumped up and on my way again, feeling slightly less sh-t, just ropey instead!
Started to feel a bit better, and continued to pass people again. Then we got to the very windy, exposed section at Cleeve hill. Back to being on my knees there!
I was hoping it was a reversal of the start of last years ride, with a long descent into winchcombe, and I wasn't disappointed.
Low points? Too much road, I'd guess around 70%. Feeling crap due to my own bad planning, going onto the granny 24t, just so I could ride the section. It should really have been the 36t, but I was spent at that point. And getting passed by a ten year old on a cx bike on the long downhill road at the end.
Good points? Blatting along before I blew up. Catching/passing cx bikes on the off-road downhill sections. Finishing!
Pleased I'd arranged a b&b for the Sunday night!
Good videos Coleman
and thanks for your company for the first part.
Mike
