Day 305 - First Ride of 2014

My first day back in the office and after yesterday's appalling weather, why should I be so surprised to see the sun come out!  Not to be side tracked by work on such a beautiful day, I took the opportunity for a ride out on the Roubaix before heading to the office.

With the Dartmoor Classic just six months away and my hill climbing stamina so lacking, I was driven to hit the hills I dread. The first was Stepps Lane, a 3 mile climb out of Axmouth to Rousden which at its steepest has a gradient of around 14%. I thought I'd made one of my best times on this climb, however, on analysing my stats, it was actually one of my slowest! My best time was done in September when I was accompanied on one of the AVP evening rides. Just shows what a difference it makes being in a group.  

From the top, I would have loved to have turned right towards Lyme Regis but the call of work was too strong, such that I turned left towards Colyford and the thrill of a 40mph decent down Boshill.

Three of my most challenging climbs

I would then normally have turned off into Colyton via Cowhayne Lane, however, the persistent and heavy rain of New Year's Day had submerged it beneath a couple of feet of water. I had to take the main road to get to my next climb.

Flooded Cowhayne Lane

The Old Sidmouth Road, out of Colyton, is a 2 mile climb with a gradient of around 11%. The steepest mile of which is the Strava segment called the Social Club Climb. In contrast to my Stepps climb, I surprisingly achieved a new PB. 

With the thought of still having to get to work on my mind, I did not continue on to Sidmouth but instead crossed over the main road and dropped down into Beer to tackle my last steep climb. This is the short and painful, 16% gradient, Mare Lane Climb up to Pecorama and one that is near impossible not to complete without getting out of the saddle. 

Beer

From the summit I then took a short ride down to the beach. It was hard to look out over the sea as the sun was so low and bright that its reflection was blinding. The view looking back towards the village centre, however, was idilic and the pub beside me so inviting. Work, however, was calling and it was time to return. 

So, just shy of 17 miles covered and 1,600 feet climbed was not bad for my first morning ride of the year. I now plan to take every opportunity the occasional break in the winter weather will afford me, as I do so need to get the training hours in .. This New Year's Resolution - as I have now declared it to be - is going to test my creative planning skills to the limit .. watch this space.

Day 270 - A Night of 4 Punctures

It was great to be back on the road with the AVP for our regular Thursday Evening ride after a 2 week break. 10 of us rode out at 6:45 pm into what are now very dark evenings.

We headed out to Axminster and up the Combe Road climb. Through Rousden, Combyne, Musbury and Wyke we made excellent time with very few stops. It was looking like we'd be back early at the Kings Arms for once. Then, while making a quick dash along the A35 before turning onto Trinity Hill, disaster struck as both Ed and Jolly suffered punctures, Ed one in each tyre! After a frenzied 20 minute activity of replacing inner tubes under combined lighting of streetlamp and high lumin spots, we were back rolling again. Ed taking it very easy as his tyres were quite badly split.

Then, just as we thought we may actually still make the usual time for the meet with mountain pedallers at the Kings Arms, Andy called out that he now also had a flat! Luckily it was a slow puncture which in then end just needed a blast of air to make it back.

Although late, we decided we would stop for a quick apres ride beer and chips, as we needed discuss our plan for a long Saturday ride which we'd though up last Sunday after the successful social ride out to Bridport. More on what we decided later.

Day 266 - The Three Musketeers

Having just returned from a wonderful week away without the bike, I was very keen this weekend to get out on a ride. Saturday afternoon, I managed a 10 mile solo re-run of the Ships in the Night ride that I did with Andy back in October. I had promised the Peco hill a revisit and was so pleased to complete it in one go after my dismal performance last time. Overall, it was a good circuit and I felt well prepared for Sunday's AVP 40 miler.

Sunday, 08:00 am, I rode out to meet up with Clive, Hovis, Kevin, Tim, Ed and Andy; far more than we normally have on this ride. Clive commented that it was turning into a proper club run - it has previously been Clive's regular ride out with whom ever happens to be around and can keep up. Today, I regret, the good feeling that I had the previous day was crushed as we headed out of Seaton up Boshill. There was no way my legs were going to propel me forward with the same velocity as the other guys and it was not long before they had disappeared over the brow of the hill and I was left thinking it was time to go home. For some reason, I just did not have the bhp in this ageing engine of mine and need to keep working on these hills ahead of next year's sportifs!

The Three Musketeers

Once over the brow, I teamed up with Andy and Ed and, like the good pals that they are, they stuck with me as we rode on towards Lyme Regis. Somehow, and thinking back I can't work out how, but we Three Musketeers lost sight of the four ahead, such that when we came to the down hill, high speed junction with Pound Road, it was not clear which way they had gone. We continued on and regrouped at the sea front but the Famous Four were no where to be seen. Climbing back up the hill to seek them out was not an option as, based on past performance, we knew they would be long gone!

  

So, the question was, what to do and more importantly where to go next. We decided, having come this far, we'd continue out of Lyme Regis, on a gentle tour: through Charmouth and on to Whitchurch Canonicorum and a circular route following the NCR2 to Bridport for coffee and festive mince pies.

After 30 minute warming up, headed on our return journey back along the NCR2 through Whitchurch Canonicorum, Wootton Fitzpaine, across the A35 to Rousden and then at speed back down Boshill (a much more pleasurable approach) and into Seaton.

After a painful start and in spite of the lack forecasted sun, the freezing wins, a couple of tumbles (I was having a bad day),  this actually turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and social rides I've had in ages. It reminded me of the Taunton Stop Line ride I did with Mike back in August when we just set out to explore and have a good ride. I can see the Three Musketeers may have hit on a new weekend ride format, so watch this space!

Day 216 - No Legs

What a way to end a week, up at dawn for a 45 mile tour of Dorset. This has been a week when, with the awful weather,  I was thinking that I'd be lucky to get in just a few short rides, but as it was, it has been one of my longest weeks in the saddle and my aching legs are witness to that. This fact is further born out by a set of stats Andy mailed me showing myself at the top of the AVP distance leaderboard!

So, why 'up at the crack of dawn for a 45 mile tour of Dorset'? Clive, our 100 mile ride organiser, let it be know the other week that he does a regular 40+ mile ride every Sunday morning and with the nights drawing in, I'd thought it would be a good idea to move my weekly ride from a Thursday evening to the Sunday morning and step up the mileage at the same time. So, when the weather was forecast to be wall to wall sun, despite having already had my Thursday night ride, it was an opportunity not to be missed. The question is, will the two rides now be the new routine and will my legs keep up?

Pausing for a moment at the carpark below Pilsdon Pen.

Five joined up for the morning ride, Clive, Andy, Chequers, Kevin and myself. This is a far quicker team to ride with than our Thursday group and I found that while I could just about keep up on level ground, after the first 20 miles, my legs were 'running on empty' when it came to the hills, such that it was all that I could do to keep them turning on the smallest cog - my Roubaix is great at that. This was one of the most frustrating group rides that I've ridden, as the realisation that there was no way I could keep up sank in. I have so much more training to do! Luckily, my pace was good enough for Chequers, so at least I was not left out on my own. All credit to the other guys, they waited for us at the summits as in true AVP style, no one is left behind!

Hot on the heels of Chequers, you can't really appreciate the gradient from this pic.

We started out towards Axmouth and our first 10% 3 mile climb up Boshill Hill, I'd forgotten how painful this one is! We turned off the main Lyme Regis road north though Rousden, Uplyme and up another 10+% climb to Marshwood. At Broardwindsor we turned south through Pen Coppice where we had wonderful views over the Dorset countryside, the sun by then was warming us through nicely. There followed a blissful 7 mile drop down through Salwayash and Dottery where at the 25 mile mark we turned west towards home. We returned through Marshwood, Rousden and Axmouth. I've never been so happy to see the welcome to Devon signs and the familiar sights of the Axe estuary which a few days before I'd seen atmospherically illuminated by the lights of Seaton.

A brief stop near Dottery

Looking back, it was a great ride and by next weekend, I'll be equally keen to join Clive and the team on another. For now, I'm strangely enjoying the aching legs .. endorphins I think they call it!

Stats: 44.68 mi, 3hr 03m, Avg 14.6 mph, Max 38.8 mph, 2,517 kcal

Day 185 - Hill Training

This week, so far, I have been focussing on training for next weekend's 100 miler with the AVP. After a fun weekend ride exploring the the Taunton Stop Line, it was back down to some serious hill training with a three interesting evening circuit climbs.

Monday was the Peco Hill Climb dash. Anyone who has walked up to Pecorama in Beer will know the hill I speak of here, it ends with a 12%+ corker of a climb. I last attempted this back on Day 35 in April and had to dismount to make it to the top. Today, I made it in one go and still in the saddle.

Wednesday evening, I managed to squeeze in the Seaton Down Hill circuit between finishing work and before dinner. This is a 10% one mile steady climb, cruelly increasing in severity the closer you get to the Tower at the summit. The enjoyable part of this climb, however, is the 2 mile 40mph drop down into Colyford, naturally, slowing to 30mph to keep within the speed limit at the junction with Harepath Road!

Thursday was my regular 20 mile AVP Evening Ride, which tonight took us out on the hilly Lyme Regis circuit a route I last did on Day 89, on my second outing with the AVP back at the end of May. This time I was so much more prepared for what was to come and fitter too. On the 4 mile climb out of Lyme, the garden wall, I normally stop for a breather at was passed by and the grass verge I've used in the past to take a much needed lie down on, was left undisturbed. It was still a hard ride, averaging over 12 mph over the distance and reaching speeds of 37 mph on some of the drops. And I almost forgot, Andy and I kicked off the circuit with a ride up Stepps Lane, a 2 mile climb out of Axmouth reaching 15% and one which certainly got the heart racing and the lungs screaming for air!

Once in Lyme, we did take a sneaky cycle along the front, past the beach huts and late opening cafes. By the time we turned for home, the sun was setting fast and visibility became a problem with my underpowered lights. Covering our potholed and gravel strewn roads at speed on my skinny tyre Roubaix is a different prospect to being on my almost indestructible Crosstrail, so I can see this probably being my last APV evening ride for the year, unless I switch back to the hybrid.

Back at the pub, for a carb hit of chips and beer, the talk was of next week's 100 miler. The plan is to head out from Seaton next Sunday at 06:30 towards Exmoor, with food stops every 25 miles. We will also be accompanied by a support vehicle, with room for a few bikes in the event of incidents, and which will also carry a supply of water and food just in case. Cafes along the route have also been lined up to expect us. What I now need, is to get in a few more miles training this weekend be be on top of my game and for the weather to be kind for the Grand Tour!

When comparing the stats with my ride in May, I shaved 20 minutes off the total ride time, increased my average speed by 4.5 mph and reached a top speed of 5 mph more; no wonder my legs are crying out for a rest!

Stats: 20.78 mi, 1hr 41m, Avg 12.3 mph, Max 37.7 mph, 1,194 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