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 336 - Joining the Kask club

In spite of the seemingly non cycling weather we've had recently, the 232 miles covered so far in 2014 have been far better than expected for this 'veteran' pedaller.

Today, I continued in this trend completing another 40 miler with my AVP pals, Andy, Ed, Rex and Richard. The plan was to do a repeat of the proven route Andy, Ed and I cycled two weeks ago. We met at 08:30 at the Seaton TIC and headed out up Castle Hill towards Beer and on to Sidmouth sea front for the obligatory photo shoot. With the seasonal high tide and strong winds, the storm gates were closed, and rightly so, as the waves were spectacularly crashing over the sea wall.

Richard, Andy, Jonathan & Ed

Take 5 on Sidmouth sea front

On this ride I was proud to be wearing a new light weight Kask helmet with, of course, the colours Union flag emblazoned across the top. It was a close run decision between this and an the Specialized S-works model, but the red, white and blue motif won my heart. A pose for a shot with Rex, also a Kask owner, was required .. 'Jonathan joins the Kask klub' !

Jonathan joins the Kask klub

From Sidmouth we climbed via Tipton St John through Ottery St Mary and on to our tea and cake stop in Honiton. From Honiton we took Northcote Hill to the junction with the Stockland straight where, I had visualised the closing 10 miles, a gentle down hill return to Seaton. Rex, however, suggested an alternative route, through Stockland, Kilmington and Musbury. No there were no more hills, he said, just a few lumpy bits. I see a need to define a hill v a lump .. as my legs were not prepared for the climbing which followed, particularly not after my all time best ride up Northcote, on which I had secured PRs for 5 of the 6 Strava segments for this climb!

Ride profile

Although exhausting, it is often good to be challenged. Richard and Rex noticeably drove up the pace, and while I wished I had the engine to keep up with the pace set, I have to constantly remind myself of what I was doing only a year ago, when I would never in my wildest dreams have considered it even possible to cycle 40 miles in a morning! I've just got to keep at it, drive through the pain and hopefully this training will see me right for the Dartmoor Classic sportif I have in June, a 100 mile ride which after today's experience, is seeming ever more daunting! 

In all, I achieved 15 Strava segment PRs and for the second time in as many weeks, broke my previous record for miles ridden in 1 hour (15.94 miles). It is amazing what one can do when pushed!