Mountain Biking in the Forest

Went mountain biking yesterday for the first time in my life .. was kind of fun, though will probably work on my off roading skills a little more before trying the red run again; was a bit of white knuckle ride at times! Oh yes, and I need to sort out my MTB wardrobe too, as the local kids did not seem quite ready for what's currently hot on the Paris and Milan trails!

Anyway, I dusted off the video cameras to record the momentous event; also for my club, which has not spoken of MTBing since the 'night of the long forks'. The results of filming can be viewed below. I'm only disappointed that the images do not look as scary as I remember, mainly because those shots were of either closeups of rocks, bushes or just of the blue sky above and so not perhaps as interesting as the calmer pictures of cyclists processing through the forest!

I've used another of Rob Longstaff's great tunes, 'Like Candy', for this video's soundtrack. I am working my way through the tracks on his latest album 'Groovefish' (https://soundcloud.com/robert_longstaff/sets/groovefish), in my view, his best .. so will be looking for more filming options to add further tracks to as the year unfolds.

Saturday Exeter Loop

Okay, so we're just a week away from the Dartmoor Classic, that's a cycle ride of 67 miles and 6,300 ft of climbing across some of the most stunning and inhospitable scenery around. Andy and I covered 50 of these miles on our recce and hill climb training a couple of weeks ago and today we'd planned another long preparatory ride starting out from Seaton at 08:30, before the sun got too hot.

On the Cycle Way from Topsham to Exmouth with Andy, Jason and Kelly

We were pleased to be accompanied on our ride by Jason (my RideLondon buddy - [Note: the RideLondon is now less than 2 months away, so please support me if you can]) and Kelly a new member of AVP who, unable to join our Thursday evening rides, was looking to get some weekend miles in. Our circular route was to take us 60 miles via Exeter, Topsham and Exmouth, Kelly adding a further 10 miles having cycled all the way over from Axminster! Being one of our rides, we had 3 coffee stops, ending the ride, obviously at Glenn's Seaton "Broom Wagon Coffee" shop.

At the Broom Wagon Coffee Shop .. our final stop, with Andy and Jason

We did debate adding a further 7 miles to the route to avoid the climb out of Sidmouth up Salcombe Hill past the Norman Lockyer Observatory, but with 3 of us having not done it before, we thought, 'how bad can it be?' .. now we know!

This was a surprisingly quick ride, even taking 19 minutes off my 3hr:54m 50 mile record attained just a few weeks ago on that Dartmoor hill training circuit. Feeling good :)

Day 350 - SVCC Morning Ride

Next Sunday a group of us from the AVP are doing the Primrose Path Audax, a 100 km non competitive ride across Dorset with 6,400 ft (1,955m) of climbing, but do I feel prepared? .. No, that's a lot of climbing!

I've been working on my hill craft for a good few months and it's not got any easier. This weekend, Andy, Ed and I were hoping to get together for a practice run, but fixing a time was proving difficult for all. Finally, Ed and I thought we'd hook up with the Sid Valley CC for a morning ride out to Exeter .. I last rode with the club back in August in training for the AVP 100 miler, so I found this quite fitting, considering what we've got lined up.

Waiting in the warmth of the unseasonal sunshine

The SVCC had a 40 mile route planned out to Exeter Quays, leaving from the Sidmouth football club at 09:00, returning 13:00. Wanting to add a few extra miles, I thought I'd cycle over from Seaton, just under 10 miles each way and starting with serious climbs at each end. It was a frosty start and I made good time, arriving at the depart 20 minutes ahead of time. The sun, however, was so warm that it was no hardship to wait for Ed and the rest of the riders to arrive.

Ed at our first stop at Tipton Bridge

We made two stops at Tipton Bridge and Tipton Cross to pick up additional riders and then headed north through Rockbeare to Silverton at which point we turned south through Rewe, Stoke Canon, to follow the River Exe into Exeter.

Regrouping at Silverton before turning south to Exeter

The level of the Exe was running so high that the extensive cycle way through Exeter was under water resulting in us having to use the busy city road network, the hairiest bit of this being the multi lane roundabouts!

Ironbridge Runners were hosting their Exeter half marathon

On finally reaching the Quay, we could not believe that we'd picked the day when the Ironbridge Runners were hosting their Exeter half marathon and the whole area was buzzing. There was no way we were going to get a table let alone a piece of cake, so we saddled up and headed on to Topsham and Darts Farm where cake is always in good supply.

Caked up, the return route to Sidmouth was through Woodbury and Otterton and across the common and some really wonderful countryside, and two more tough climbs, Peak and Trow Hill.

This was quite an epic ride of 62 miles and 4,300 feet of climbing .. so, I am now going to have to say  that after this week's rides, I'm now feeling a little more prepared for next week's Primrose Path event .. 85 training miles completed and a whopping 6,600 feet of climbed! Today also saw me achieve  new records for the time to complete 50 miles and distance travelled in1 hour:  3hrs 55mins and 16.07 miles respectively.

Day 42 - Exeter

My bike having completed 140 miles and my car being another year older, both were due a service today, so off to Exeter we travelled. I had planned out my route from car garage to Bike Shed and all looked very straight forward. Famous last words! It is funny how the roads never look as they do on the map and the 2.5 mile direct route became at least a 4 mile zigzaged detour around Exeter. I was not best pleased.

The route back, as in the map below - I won't share the earlier one! - was much more direct, as Marsh Barton even appeared on the cycle route sign posts. The cycle paths were a mixed bunch here. This one is labelled the National Cycle Route 34, covering the Exe Valley .. another one off my list .. and includes marked off sections of the main road, which cars think they have a right to stop in and block, forcing you into the main carriage ways, - my bell has never had such a hammering - shared and marked off sections of wide pathways which pedestrians just ignore and let their kids and dogs on mile long leashes roam aimlessly across and unsurfaced potholed tracks which jar every sinew in your body. I know, another dig at our poor excuse for cycle paths. Some of the route along the river is, however, quite idilic as I hope a couple of snaps I took along the way will show.

Despite all the challenges cycling in this country presents us with, I'm still having a brilliant time. You see so much more from a bike than you ever get to see from a car and I can't wait to get out again next week.

Stats: 5.71 mi, 42m 59s, Avg 8.2 mph, Max 21.4 mph, 433 kcal