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| Riding in the AVP peloton |
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| AVP'ers and our pink member under the viaduct arches |
Thursday, 25 June 2015
AVP Thursday Climbs & Punishment Social Ride!
Thursday saw me make a return to the AVP fold with a social 25ish mile saunter through the Devon lanes under a brilliant blue sky. Having just returned from my Mont Ventoux adventure, I was expecting to eat up the hills without trouble and I certainly had my fill tonight.
After 2 years of cycling the local roads, there are very few which I've not covered with the AVP; only my poor memory continues to make for an interesting cycle! Thursday's ride, however, saw Tigger leading us down paths we'd not travelled before on a highly enjoyable if not lumpy ride. With over 2k ft of climb, many of the hills in excess of a 10% gradient, I was glad to be riding my Ventoux busting Roubaix, its gearing so very well suited to these hilly and bumpy lanes.
I was not out riding my new Tarmac, not due to the hills, but because I think its bottom bracket bearings have gone! After less than only 600 miles, I am not best pleased to be following in the footsteps of my previous two bikes, in having to return to the Bike Shed for a warranty repair. I'll keep you posted on what they find, indeed I may be wrong and it may be something less major. If a strip down and new bearings are required, I'm tempted to get the FSA components swapped out for a compact Shimano chainset. Specialized have recently been using FSA (Full Speed Ahead) components in place of Shimano on some of their high end bikes, I have no idea why, may be cost. Back in March this year, Mark Cavendish caused a crash in Terrino following his chain slipping off the big cog, something my Tarmac was doing for many of my early rides. May be he too lost confidence in FSA as he was then spotted in May riding with a Shimano chainset!
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Return to Mont Ventoux
I just could not resist a return to Ventoux before heading back home tomorrow. Over the past week, since my first attempt to climb what is commonly called the Beast of Provence, the weather has cooled and the wind has started to blow, so I was not expecting such an easy ride this time.
Having already climbed from Bédoin, I was tempted to head out from one of the other two villages today, or at least if climbing again from Bédoin, to take a different descent. My final decision, however, was to stick to this "most famous and difficult ascent", so as to be able to compare segment times with my last climb.
Coincidentally, I've just reached a page in 'The Rider', my holiday reading, where the author, Tim Krabbé speaks of a similar decision. He says that he always chooses the Bédoin side because the 1958 time trial TdF began there and that way he can compare his times with those of the champions. Charly Gaul came first at 1 hour, 2 minutes, which when Krabbé wrote 'The Rider' was still the record. Gaul was however, taken to his hotel in an ambulance, something I'm not up for copying! The current fastest ever ascent belongs to the Spaniard Iban Mayo, recorded in the 2004 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré at 55 minutes, 51 seconds.
I rose at 6:00 am and was parked up on the outskirts of Bédoin and on my bike for just before 07:00 am. I seemed to be the only one out this morning, no requirement on this occasion for the Good Samaritan. The ride out of Bédoin starts with that faux plat, the road looks level and I'm in the big ring but it's hard work and I have to drop to the smaller ring. My muscles have not warmed up yet and that road is definitely not level!
Climbing through the trees, even without the damp earth, was far cooler than last week and was very glad of the arm warmers. I brought these along for the later down hill section but felt the need of them as soon as I stepped from the car. After an hour, my core temperature had risen sufficiently for the arm warmers to be removed. This was confirmed by the buildup of moisture in my cap and the drips of sweat dropping from its peak onto my arms and the Roubaix's cross bar. I was now climbing into the sun and could see nothing but the ground beneath my front wheel and the rainbow effect of light shining through the drips from my hat.
After an hour and a half, I finally broke through the tree line out onto the moonscape that surrounds the summit. At this point I'd only been passed by one whippet of a cyclist and had passed another who had taken to walking the rest of the way. The mountain was very quite today. At the two hour point, I had yet to stop and was determined now to make it all the way to the top without pulling over for a breather. I had also kept a close eye on my fuel and fluid intake, something I have found critical when covering any distances these days, and was feeling good for what I thought would be another 30 minutes of twisting my way up to the mountain top.
These last minutes of climb, out of the protection of the trees, from sun and wind, are to me both the most torturous but also most enjoyable. On a clear day, as today, the views are truly incredible. One really does feel on top of the world. The sun was now burning down on me. The strong wind, which had been building over the past few days and was forecasted at 35kph today, however, acted as a cooling fan to my overheating engine. This was appreciated when blowing in from behind or may be as a cross wind, but not as it happened, when I turned north into what can only be described as a wind tunnel. I had to get out of the saddle at these points to keep forward momentum. Fortunately the twisting nature of the mountainous road meant that I was soon receiving wind assistance for the next section of climb or the angle of the rock face sheltered me from any further buffeting until the next bend.
I arrived at the summit just 2 hours, 15 minutes after my depart from Bédoin, and after a short stop for the prerequisite pictures, I slipped back on my arm warmers for the descent. I was a little bit more cautious on the down hill section, memories of my exploding rear tyre still fresh in my mind. 30 minutes later I was rolling into Bédoin feeling great .. where else can you roll for 10 miles at an average speed of 30 mph! No punctures this time, no stops en route and no detours. I completed the round trip 30 minutes quicker than last week and 4 minutes quicker in actual moving time even though I was marginally slower on the descent.
I'll be sad now to leave this area of Provence, the scenery, weather and cycling has been simply amazing. The domineering presence of Mont Ventoux, visible from most of the surrounding towns and villages, has been inspiring and I'm grateful to have been able to climb this Beast of Provence twice in as many weeks. I am hoping I'll have the opportunity to return to Mont Ventoux in the future, but if not, it will have a very special place in my cycling memories, and to be relived every time the TdF grace its slopes.
Having already climbed from Bédoin, I was tempted to head out from one of the other two villages today, or at least if climbing again from Bédoin, to take a different descent. My final decision, however, was to stick to this "most famous and difficult ascent", so as to be able to compare segment times with my last climb.
Coincidentally, I've just reached a page in 'The Rider', my holiday reading, where the author, Tim Krabbé speaks of a similar decision. He says that he always chooses the Bédoin side because the 1958 time trial TdF began there and that way he can compare his times with those of the champions. Charly Gaul came first at 1 hour, 2 minutes, which when Krabbé wrote 'The Rider' was still the record. Gaul was however, taken to his hotel in an ambulance, something I'm not up for copying! The current fastest ever ascent belongs to the Spaniard Iban Mayo, recorded in the 2004 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré at 55 minutes, 51 seconds.
I rose at 6:00 am and was parked up on the outskirts of Bédoin and on my bike for just before 07:00 am. I seemed to be the only one out this morning, no requirement on this occasion for the Good Samaritan. The ride out of Bédoin starts with that faux plat, the road looks level and I'm in the big ring but it's hard work and I have to drop to the smaller ring. My muscles have not warmed up yet and that road is definitely not level!
Climbing through the trees, even without the damp earth, was far cooler than last week and was very glad of the arm warmers. I brought these along for the later down hill section but felt the need of them as soon as I stepped from the car. After an hour, my core temperature had risen sufficiently for the arm warmers to be removed. This was confirmed by the buildup of moisture in my cap and the drips of sweat dropping from its peak onto my arms and the Roubaix's cross bar. I was now climbing into the sun and could see nothing but the ground beneath my front wheel and the rainbow effect of light shining through the drips from my hat.
After an hour and a half, I finally broke through the tree line out onto the moonscape that surrounds the summit. At this point I'd only been passed by one whippet of a cyclist and had passed another who had taken to walking the rest of the way. The mountain was very quite today. At the two hour point, I had yet to stop and was determined now to make it all the way to the top without pulling over for a breather. I had also kept a close eye on my fuel and fluid intake, something I have found critical when covering any distances these days, and was feeling good for what I thought would be another 30 minutes of twisting my way up to the mountain top.
These last minutes of climb, out of the protection of the trees, from sun and wind, are to me both the most torturous but also most enjoyable. On a clear day, as today, the views are truly incredible. One really does feel on top of the world. The sun was now burning down on me. The strong wind, which had been building over the past few days and was forecasted at 35kph today, however, acted as a cooling fan to my overheating engine. This was appreciated when blowing in from behind or may be as a cross wind, but not as it happened, when I turned north into what can only be described as a wind tunnel. I had to get out of the saddle at these points to keep forward momentum. Fortunately the twisting nature of the mountainous road meant that I was soon receiving wind assistance for the next section of climb or the angle of the rock face sheltered me from any further buffeting until the next bend.
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| There seems to be confusion over the height of Mont Ventoux 1912m or 1911m, either way I've climbed both |
I'll be sad now to leave this area of Provence, the scenery, weather and cycling has been simply amazing. The domineering presence of Mont Ventoux, visible from most of the surrounding towns and villages, has been inspiring and I'm grateful to have been able to climb this Beast of Provence twice in as many weeks. I am hoping I'll have the opportunity to return to Mont Ventoux in the future, but if not, it will have a very special place in my cycling memories, and to be relived every time the TdF grace its slopes.
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the Mid Day Sun
We were expecting rain this afternoon and so with a planned visit to a local market being called off at the last minute there was only one thing for it, splash on the sun cream, lycra up and go for a quick spin. The fact that it was just 30 minutes before mid day was not something which even crossed this Englishman's mind.
Caromb seemed a nice little town, made even more welcoming by the presence of a small market. I took the opportunity to buy, for 16c, a single banana, much to the amusement of the fruit seller. Declining the plastic bag, in which my single item of fruit looked decidedly lonely, I slipped the banana into my rear left pocket, the one I use for foodstuffs. The middle pocket always holds my wallet, money and documents, and my right pocket, my phone .. for easy access when a quick picture needs to be captured.
The road to Bédoin follows the line of the mountains east and then turns north towards Mont Ventoux. Today, unlike last Thursday, its summit is shrouded in heavy cloud. I think any rider climbing today will be getting touch of natures' liquid cooling this afternoon, some of which spills down into the valley as I cycle into Bédoin. My first thoughts are whether I need to procure a Ventoux rain cape to partner my gilet, but the precipitation comes to nothing and my wallet is saved another outing.
Having failed to capture the start of my ride on the Garmin, the usual assistance it offers in being able to return me to my starting point is lost. I, therefore, stick to the route I think I know and follow the signs back to Carpentras. Before getting hunkered down to pedal into what is starting to be a brisk head wind, I pause for a selfie at the Bédoin roundabout, upon which is sited the iconic cycling sculpture found on many a Mont Ventoux post card.
The road to Carpentras is a swift one and I would have been back at the Gîte in no time at all, had I not become overly confident in my navigation skills and thinking I was further ahead than I actually was, I took a turn which had me heading back to the mountains! Despite hating to have to retrace my steps, all confidence in any sense of direction was now shattered. I could not risk attempting to cut across country to complete the hypotenuse to the triangular route I would now need to plot, so a u-turn was the only option. Once back to the roundabout at which my erroneous turn occurred, the correct path was clear to see and my inner chimps had a right 'ding dong' over how I could have made such a mistake. I had another crisis within Carpentras, where when travelling in the opposite direction, I found that none of the landmarks and turnings looked familiar. It was with pure relief, therefore, that the final roundabout marking the gateway out of the town and towards home was finally crossed and I was again speeding on familiar, freshly laid tarmac.
The final combined distance was a stone's throw short of 30 miles, how I can have come in under the original distance, with all my detours, is a mystery. That aside, it was great to have had the opportunity for another spin, these French roads are just so bike friendly. With just two more days remaining, ahead of our long drive back to the UK, I am hoping to have another ride up Mont Ventoux, weather and legs permitting, before I bid my final farewell to this wonderful location.
Kitted out in my new Ventoux sleeveless jersey, or summer gilet for when I'm back home, and Ventoux sweat busting cap, it felt great cruising along quiet, smooth French asphalted roads, heading towards the mountains under a full mid day sun.
The route I had planned would first take me out to Caromb and then on to Bédoin before then returning along the same route, some 30+ miles in total. As with every great plan, however, things turned out a little different. I made good time getting to Caromb, following the directions displayed on my Garmin Edge Touring's micro screen, but on exiting the town, as I cycled through the displays to get a distance reading, shock horror, it had never started tracking my ride! So the 'Ride Now' function may start the route guidance software but the folk at Garmin never seemed to think it would be a good idea for this to also start capturing the all important ride statistics .. oh no! there has to be another button you need to press for that .. bah, some technology sucks! "Why get so worked up", I hear you say, well as everyone knows, if it's not on Strava, it never happened! Once home, therefore, I had to recreate the missed route on my computer to ensure my Strava record remained complete.
Caromb seemed a nice little town, made even more welcoming by the presence of a small market. I took the opportunity to buy, for 16c, a single banana, much to the amusement of the fruit seller. Declining the plastic bag, in which my single item of fruit looked decidedly lonely, I slipped the banana into my rear left pocket, the one I use for foodstuffs. The middle pocket always holds my wallet, money and documents, and my right pocket, my phone .. for easy access when a quick picture needs to be captured.
The road to Bédoin follows the line of the mountains east and then turns north towards Mont Ventoux. Today, unlike last Thursday, its summit is shrouded in heavy cloud. I think any rider climbing today will be getting touch of natures' liquid cooling this afternoon, some of which spills down into the valley as I cycle into Bédoin. My first thoughts are whether I need to procure a Ventoux rain cape to partner my gilet, but the precipitation comes to nothing and my wallet is saved another outing.
Having failed to capture the start of my ride on the Garmin, the usual assistance it offers in being able to return me to my starting point is lost. I, therefore, stick to the route I think I know and follow the signs back to Carpentras. Before getting hunkered down to pedal into what is starting to be a brisk head wind, I pause for a selfie at the Bédoin roundabout, upon which is sited the iconic cycling sculpture found on many a Mont Ventoux post card.
The road to Carpentras is a swift one and I would have been back at the Gîte in no time at all, had I not become overly confident in my navigation skills and thinking I was further ahead than I actually was, I took a turn which had me heading back to the mountains! Despite hating to have to retrace my steps, all confidence in any sense of direction was now shattered. I could not risk attempting to cut across country to complete the hypotenuse to the triangular route I would now need to plot, so a u-turn was the only option. Once back to the roundabout at which my erroneous turn occurred, the correct path was clear to see and my inner chimps had a right 'ding dong' over how I could have made such a mistake. I had another crisis within Carpentras, where when travelling in the opposite direction, I found that none of the landmarks and turnings looked familiar. It was with pure relief, therefore, that the final roundabout marking the gateway out of the town and towards home was finally crossed and I was again speeding on familiar, freshly laid tarmac.
The final combined distance was a stone's throw short of 30 miles, how I can have come in under the original distance, with all my detours, is a mystery. That aside, it was great to have had the opportunity for another spin, these French roads are just so bike friendly. With just two more days remaining, ahead of our long drive back to the UK, I am hoping to have another ride up Mont Ventoux, weather and legs permitting, before I bid my final farewell to this wonderful location.
Thursday, 11 June 2015
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux rises to an altitude of 1,911 metres and has become legendary as the scene of one of the most grueling climbs in the Tour de France, which has ascended the mountain fifteen times since 1951.
As I commented on yesterday, it is no coincidence that I find myself in Provence today and just 10 miles from Bédoin, the base of this momentous mountain climb.
As the guides say, Mont Ventoux can be climbed by three routes.
Postscript:
The length and gradient of the descent resulted in some amazing new PBs:
As I commented on yesterday, it is no coincidence that I find myself in Provence today and just 10 miles from Bédoin, the base of this momentous mountain climb.
As the guides say, Mont Ventoux can be climbed by three routes.
- South from Bédoin: 1617 m over 21.8 km. This is the most famous and difficult ascent. The road to the summit has an average gradient of 7.43%. Until Saint-Estève, the climb is easy: 3.9% over 5.8 km, but the 16 remaining kilometres have an average gradient of 8.9%. To serve as a comparison, the climb of L'Alpe d'Huez, another made famous by the TdF, is about 13.8 km at an average gradient of 7.9%. The last kilometres are said to have strong, violent winds and the ride should take 1h30m-2h30m for trained amateur rider. Professional riders take 1h-1h15 min. The fastest time so far recorded has been that of Iban Mayo in the individual climbing time trial of the 2004 Dauphiné Libéré: 55' 51".
- Northwest from Malaucène: 1570 m over 21,5 km. About equal in difficulty as the Bédoin ascent, better sheltered against the wind.
- East from Sault: 1210 m over 26 km. The easiest route. After Chalet Reynard (where the "lunar landscape" of the summit starts), the climb is the same as the Bédoin ascent. Average gradient of 4.4%.
A video message from Mont Ventoux
This good Samaritan was finally then on his way, pedalling gently through the town towards the mountain. The sun was up and the sky clear. The air was, however, cool after the previous day's rain providing the perfect conditions for what is renowned as a challenging climb in the oppressive heat of a summer's day. From Bédoin, the climb starts very gently through the villages of Saint Columbe and Saint Steve until the tree line is reached. Here the ascent ramps up to 9% and I can imagine how in the heat, the surrounding trees can become very oppressive as they stifle any cooling mountain breeze . This morning, however, the damp tarmac and surrounding earth provides its own cooling effect and I find the temperature and moist air most refreshing, while the trees provide welcome shade from the rising sun. The regularly placed markers count down the kilometers and give me convenient points to take a quick photo for the album and eat some food, may be a banana, a gel or an energy bar.
The mountain road is considerably quieter at this hour than on Monday's rece. I pass may be 2-3 riders and the same probably pass me. With between 1-2 km from the summit, the trees are replaced by a barren scorched landscape and the distinctive now disused meteorological station with its 50m-high telecommunications mast comes into view. The road continues to twist and climb but frustratingly the summit remains tantalisingly in view but seemingly gets no closer. While this is the shortest stretch of the climb, it seems the most challenging, with the sun burning down and the wind adding weight to your tiring legs now that as the cooling shade and shelter of the trees is lost. The final couple of turns with the strategically placed professional photographers provide a psychological boost to moral. There is then just a short sharp hairpin climb to the summit and you are presented with just the most amazing view and euphoria. Smiles are everywhere as riders line up for photos at the summit marker, to record the completion of a momentous climb.
Having cycled 2 hours to reach the top, the return to Bédoin takes just 20 minutes. I did, however, and most frustratingly, suffer a rear tyre puncture close to the bottom on a 30 mph corner. The air whistled out of the tyre in a couple of seconds following the sound of a starting pistol, as the inner tube was forced through a split in the tyre wall. This did not distract from an amazing ride and one I will remember fondly for some time. I would even say that I'd like to try it again some day, should I ever be back this way.
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| The summit seemingly gets no closer |
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| At the summit .. should have lost the helmet though! |
Postscript:
The length and gradient of the descent resulted in some amazing new PBs:
- 10 mi 18m:42s replaced PB of 27m:49s recorded on 26-Apr-15
- 20 km 23m:48s replaced PB of 35m:34s also recorded on 26-Apr-15
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
My Provence Adventure Begins
Last year, our annual holiday across the Channel to France was sidelined while I completed a number of major sportives, my 2014 cycling goal. This year, we booked our crossing earlier than normal, ensuring the priority was set, trumping any thoughts of signing up for the early summer sportive season .. although if you've read my earlier blog, you'll realise that my interest in such events have somewhat waned in recent months.
In choosing a destination for this year's trip, it should be no surprise that the bike was a big part of the decision making process. Now having the Yeti to transport all of us in style, there was never any doubt that the bike would not be joining us. The chosen cycling challenge for this year was to be Mont Ventoux. Made famous by the Tour de France, the mountain on which Froome battled with Quintana in 2013 for the yellow jersey and Tom Simpson met his tragic end in 1967, it also lies within the beautiful region of Provence, so a win win for both my wife and I.
I'll tell you about the Mont Ventoux climb later, in the meantime, the first thing I have learned about cycling in Provence is get out early, for as the day moves on, the temperature rises exponentially! Having completed a exploratory 10 mile cycle in the Sunday afternoon after arriving, my next two rides were to start before 7:00 am. At this time, the air is cooler but still pleasant to ride out in shorts and short sleeves.
The scenery is beautiful, particularly when you head into the mountains as I did on Wednesday, to both test out the Roubaix and my legs on a good hill climb, it being at least a week since they had last been tested. Weather permitting, Thursday would be the turn of Mont Ventoux!
In choosing a destination for this year's trip, it should be no surprise that the bike was a big part of the decision making process. Now having the Yeti to transport all of us in style, there was never any doubt that the bike would not be joining us. The chosen cycling challenge for this year was to be Mont Ventoux. Made famous by the Tour de France, the mountain on which Froome battled with Quintana in 2013 for the yellow jersey and Tom Simpson met his tragic end in 1967, it also lies within the beautiful region of Provence, so a win win for both my wife and I.
I'll tell you about the Mont Ventoux climb later, in the meantime, the first thing I have learned about cycling in Provence is get out early, for as the day moves on, the temperature rises exponentially! Having completed a exploratory 10 mile cycle in the Sunday afternoon after arriving, my next two rides were to start before 7:00 am. At this time, the air is cooler but still pleasant to ride out in shorts and short sleeves.
The scenery is beautiful, particularly when you head into the mountains as I did on Wednesday, to both test out the Roubaix and my legs on a good hill climb, it being at least a week since they had last been tested. Weather permitting, Thursday would be the turn of Mont Ventoux!
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Why Bother With Sportives?
I've not posted anything for some 3 weeks now, not because of the lack of cycling going on in my life but because I've been stuck on just how to comment on the event which proceeded my last update, my local Ax-pedition sportive.
You'll be very aware that I got into cycling late in life, having already achieved my early testosterone filled goals on the single venue rallying circuit of the late 1980s and in climbing the greasy pole through a career spanning a bit of banking and IT. Today, the enjoyment of cycling for me, is to feel fit, relish the rarity of travelling miles under one's own steam along quiet scenic roads, taking pleasure in sharing this with likeminded friends and achieving a few goals along the way. I am a task and goal driven man, so this was only natural. My first year's goal was to get fit and fit enough to cycle the equivalent marathon distance for a bike ride, the 100 miler. The second was to enter an organised cycling event, called a sportive (sportif) or etape. Both these annual goals were achieved and 2014 ended on a high.
The challenge for my third year, was selecting another goal while ensuring I did not lose sight of what it is about cycling that I enjoy. In the end, I chose 2 goals. Firstly, doing more of my own bike maintenance. Getting my hands dirty was something I enjoyed in my early years playing with cars but which, as with my cars, I've lapsed into paying someone else to take care of. The second was to combine my annual French vacation with an attempt on an epic climb from the Tour de France, the Mont Ventoux mountain climb. Having now the luxury of a car which can carry the bike and two weeks of holiday clothing with ease and security, the bike was always going to be a factor in holiday destination planning, so why not head for Provence in the beautiful and sunny South of France!
On the Sunday 31 May, four days before we set sail for France, I was in two minds as to whether to participate in a local sportive which was to run over a 100km collection of a number of our frequently cycled routes. I'd been a little under the weather earlier in the week, the Roubaix was all prepared for the France trip and the Tarmac not best geared for 1600m of climb. Also, rain was forecast and riding in the rain was not one of my Yr3 goals .. I covered that in Yr2 on the RideLondon! Waking early on the Sunday morning, weather looking a little better and feeling that a local ride with the AVP crew could be a fun thing to do, I dressed and cycled over for the 8am the start in Axminster.
We had a large contingent at the start, a number of yellow jerseys were on display but with the damp and cool conditions many, me included, were starting in a mixed bag of rain capes (one for the kit master to fix for next year). My hopes of us all riding off in an AVP peloton were soon to be dashed. It was more like animals into the Arc as we progressed along the lanes two by two. Again, as I agonised over on my Portland Century, the art of group cycling is something not appreciated by all. So, while I cycled with Kelly for most of the ride, spending many of the hill climbs alone, I do wonder why I should bother with Sportives any more.
I enjoy the marked routes, the well organised feed stations and marshals on hand to ensure we get to the finish, but before I entertain doing another, I need to forgo one of the things I love about cycling and this is the enjoyment of riding with likeminded friends. When out on our AVP rides, we tend to split onto groups, quick riders may break away, but we all regroup at regular intervals. On a sportive this is not so feasible, the adrenalin kicks in, the longer distances mean too many stops for the quick ones and the competitiveness driven by Strava segments and official timings means that personal gains outweigh those of the group. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand this and confess even on our AVP rides to being guilty of racing ahead .. but a lonely 4 - 8 hour sportive is not my idea fun, so if I ever think of putting myself forward for one of these in the future, you have my permission to slap me with a wet fish! Unless, that is, I sign up knowing I'll be riding alone for the duration and remember to pack my iPod to keep me company.
You'll be very aware that I got into cycling late in life, having already achieved my early testosterone filled goals on the single venue rallying circuit of the late 1980s and in climbing the greasy pole through a career spanning a bit of banking and IT. Today, the enjoyment of cycling for me, is to feel fit, relish the rarity of travelling miles under one's own steam along quiet scenic roads, taking pleasure in sharing this with likeminded friends and achieving a few goals along the way. I am a task and goal driven man, so this was only natural. My first year's goal was to get fit and fit enough to cycle the equivalent marathon distance for a bike ride, the 100 miler. The second was to enter an organised cycling event, called a sportive (sportif) or etape. Both these annual goals were achieved and 2014 ended on a high.
The challenge for my third year, was selecting another goal while ensuring I did not lose sight of what it is about cycling that I enjoy. In the end, I chose 2 goals. Firstly, doing more of my own bike maintenance. Getting my hands dirty was something I enjoyed in my early years playing with cars but which, as with my cars, I've lapsed into paying someone else to take care of. The second was to combine my annual French vacation with an attempt on an epic climb from the Tour de France, the Mont Ventoux mountain climb. Having now the luxury of a car which can carry the bike and two weeks of holiday clothing with ease and security, the bike was always going to be a factor in holiday destination planning, so why not head for Provence in the beautiful and sunny South of France!
On the Sunday 31 May, four days before we set sail for France, I was in two minds as to whether to participate in a local sportive which was to run over a 100km collection of a number of our frequently cycled routes. I'd been a little under the weather earlier in the week, the Roubaix was all prepared for the France trip and the Tarmac not best geared for 1600m of climb. Also, rain was forecast and riding in the rain was not one of my Yr3 goals .. I covered that in Yr2 on the RideLondon! Waking early on the Sunday morning, weather looking a little better and feeling that a local ride with the AVP crew could be a fun thing to do, I dressed and cycled over for the 8am the start in Axminster.
 |
| Early in the ride .. 2 by 2 |
I enjoy the marked routes, the well organised feed stations and marshals on hand to ensure we get to the finish, but before I entertain doing another, I need to forgo one of the things I love about cycling and this is the enjoyment of riding with likeminded friends. When out on our AVP rides, we tend to split onto groups, quick riders may break away, but we all regroup at regular intervals. On a sportive this is not so feasible, the adrenalin kicks in, the longer distances mean too many stops for the quick ones and the competitiveness driven by Strava segments and official timings means that personal gains outweigh those of the group. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand this and confess even on our AVP rides to being guilty of racing ahead .. but a lonely 4 - 8 hour sportive is not my idea fun, so if I ever think of putting myself forward for one of these in the future, you have my permission to slap me with a wet fish! Unless, that is, I sign up knowing I'll be riding alone for the duration and remember to pack my iPod to keep me company.
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