Day 249 - A Night of Hills

Another evening ride with the AVP tonight saw 14 hardy souls head out of Seaton in the direction of Lyme Regis .. oh yes, this was going to be a night of hills!

Taking Chapter Street out of Axmouth we took the relatively gentle climb up to Dowlands, avoiding on this occasion Stepps Hill, a notoriously steep climb which Andy and I had taken when previously out this way and one which I was in no rush to repeat this early in the ride. Maybe we'll return and use it in our training for next year's Dartmoor Classic but that's a little way off yet.

Taking a breather - glad we'd not taken the Stepps

From Dowlands we proceeded to Rousdon and into Lyme along a side route I'd never taken before. This was Roman Road, a steep decent and apparently a favourite rat run for many before the town planners put a stop to this with strategically placed giant concrete blocks, similar to dragon teeth installed generations before to halt invading tanks. While these provided the decent with challenging chicanes, it was a hidden curb which halted my forward momentum, forcing me to make an unceremonious and hasty exit from the saddle! Luckily, while Handbag was on hand with his first aid kit, this was this week not required. All that was hurt was my pride and a minor battle scar for the bike.

Chris stikes a pose!

We climbed out of Lyme Regis up the 3052 and unconventionally crossed the A35 roundabout for a pleasant roll down through Charmouth and on to Wooton Fitzpaine. It was from here that we started to climb again, ending with a thigh busting 12% assent along the Fitzpaine to Crewkerne Road Strava Section .. which don't tell Andy, but along which I somehow beat him by 20 seconds!

Handbag was on hand with his first aid kit

After a quick dogleg crossing of the A35 we were on the home run along Trinity Hill Road back to Rousdon, Axmouth and into Seaton for 9:30 pm. A late finish and no apres beer and chips for me, I think the hills got the better of us today but would love to do this again come summer, as I am sure in daylight the views would be spectacular!

Stats: 24.7 mi, 2hr 19m, Avg 10.6 mph, Max 30.3 mph, 1417 kcal

Day 89 - Peloton Rides

It was a full on cycling day today. Being unsure that the weather was going to be good enough for an evening ride with the Axe Valley Pedallers, I stuck to my plan to also do a morning circuit. Under cloudy sky we headed out following the same route as yesterday but was very pleased to be also joined by Mike, my neighbour. I'm really starting to enjoy the social side of cycling as well as the drive for fitness.

One new discovery today was that the cafe in Seaton harbour, at the 5 mile marker, not only opens early, but also does a range of cooked breakfasts! Mike and I thought this would be an ideal Friday treat .. watch this space.

Stats: 6.94 mi, 39m 42s, Avg 10.5 mph, Max 31.7 mph, 440 kcal

As 6:30 pm approached, the time that the Axe Valley Pedallers meet, blue sky started to appear from behind heavy grey clouds which had dominated the horizon for most of the afternoon. The evening ride was on!

You may recall, that on last week's ride we lost half of our number on a slippery downhill corner. As the group gathered for this week's journey into the unknown, we were joined by a fellow cyclist in a sling. Yes, this was one of the fallers from last week who had sustained a break to his collar bone! Two of the other fallers were here too, bruised but otherwise up for another circuit. The missing cyclist was the guy now nicknamed recumbent .. hope he's OK.

After twenty minutes of chat, twelve of us headed back in towards the town centre and then out along the estuary into Axmouth. Rather than heading on to Colyford as I would normally have done, we turned off onto the road to Dowlands and made our way up to join the A3052 at Rousden. This is a road I've taken many a time in the car to Lyme Regis and beyond, but I thought, surely we're not heading into Lyme tonight. Anyone familiar with this area and Lyme Regis in particular, will know that this idilic seaside town is surrounded by some of the steepest hills and tonight I found myself descending down one of the most picturesque roads in the country, yes, into Lyme Regis! This is a road that takes your breath away just walking up.

The sky was now clear and the sun was beaming down on us, what a glorious way to spend a Thursday evening. 

Catching the rays in Lyme Regis

There are two main routes in and out of Lyme Regis and both of them are near vertical climbs. Thankfully, the peloton leaders knew another route ... prepare for some off-roading. We climbed out of Lyme across fields, along tracks, following brooks and along narrow lanes, up to meet the A35 at Harcombe Bottom, a village I never knew existed. This was basically four miles of what seemed never ending hills and by far the toughest ride of my life - to date!

Once up on the A35, it was then a more or less 8 mile gentle decent back to Seaton through Rousden and Axmouth, but having some student riders with us tonight, it was far from a gentle ride, maintaing an average of 20 mph for most of this return journey, my legs did not know what had hit them. We regrouped on Seaton's old bridge over the River Axe at the mouth of the estuary before returning to the Kings arms .. and yes, finally that après cycle beer!

Regrouping on Seaton's old bridge

This Lyme Regis circuit earned me three new PBs: a new speed record of 33 mph and that was breaking all the way down into Lyme, and two new Endo PBs: 11.23mi in one hour and 20km in 1hr 09m. What a night!

Stats: 20.61 mi, 2hr 08m, Avg 9.7 mph, Max 33.0 mph, 1,419 kcal

Seaton to Lyme Regis Circuit