Halton Hill Climb on Film

It's been a good month thus far with over 140 miles ridden. I know this is not a big distance for many of my cycling buddies, but it's all relative and I do have another life to live! So, in context, this Sunday's ride was definitely the highpoint of the month so far. Close to 80 miles across flooded terrain and 5,000 feet of climbing.

The ride was also my first of the year to be put to film. Yes, the GoPro was brought back into action to record this epic morning cycle up Halton Hill.

I found working the camera's hidden buttons with winter gloves a little challenging but managed to piece together a few scenes which should give you a flavour of the first half of the ride.

My 2015 Adventure

I've just received an animation of my year with Strava. Some of the figures really surprised me. I knew it had been another good year in the saddle.

I just love it and hope you do too!

My 2015 Tour de Fitness

How quickly a year passes these days! Looking back over the year, while I never ventured into the world of triathlon as I'd hoped, indeed the wet suit never even got an outing, the months have been filled with many a cycling adventure and my Tour de Fitness reached new heights!

January

The year opened with the AVP Monthly Ride and falling on the 10th anniversary of the club's formation it was a very special ride with over 30 Pedallers joining the club peloton.

This was also the month in which, riding with cycling buddies Kelly & Steve, we found quite a bit of ice, something which, with apparent evidence of global warming, we would not see again for the rest of the year! 

February

Work and business trips got in the way of my cycling during February, resulting in me completing a dismal 189 miles. The whole month seemed to literally go in a flash.

February did, however, mark the occasion of two very different cycling related purchases. Firstly,  feeling the lack of miles, I finally made the plunge in sourcing myself a turbo trainer for when the either work or weather prevented me venturing out. The second purchase came from a chat with local artist, Richard Webster, who dropped into 'my' coffee shop, the Broom Wagon, with the suggestion that he paint a canvass of my favourite pro cyclist, Mark Cavendish. I just had to have that commission. It was amazing to see it created before my eyes and now to have it hung on my wall!

March

At the January AGM, it is traditional for AVP members to volunteer to lead one of the Sunday monthly rides. Somehow, I was 'encouraged' to add my name to the list and selected March. This ride would coincide with Red Nose Day with a finish at the Colyton gardens centre who were putting on a bit of a show for the event. The rest of the route was in my hands and not being one who remembers the simplest of circuits, I knew this would be a challenge. As it was, I created a true Queen Stage of a ride with a number of challenging climbs including the notorious Stockland hill. I feel all who completed it felt they'd achieved something special!

I concluded the month with my first century of the year, a ride in horrendous conditions out to Portland Bill with fellow cyclists Rex, Andy & Wesley.

April

While there were a number of good rides in April, the focus was definitely on my first sportive of the year and my second ever closed road event. This one was not being held in Devon nor even London, but over 600 miles away in Inverness, northern Scotland! I had signed up for the the Etape Loch Ness with an old friend, Mike who although having moved to south west Scotland earlier in the year was, like me, surprised as to just how far north Inverness was!

It was a truly amazing ride and such an adventure. So with RideLondon completed in 2014, Etape Loch Ness in 2015 .. perhaps a Welsh event in 2016?

May

May was month for the colour yellow as we took delivery of the club's new supply of kit. This included the very limited edition 10 year anniversary jersey .. if you own one of these, you possess one of only 14 that will ever be made .!

Oh yes .. we did a little cycling too, indeed I rode over 350 miles on various club runs in a month that turned out to be my second best of the year.

June

I entered another sportive in June .. the Ax-pedition. This was a nice local event but not one I enjoyed. Indeed, I was on a real downer after it and even vowed that this would be the last I would enter ... yeh, right!

Anyway, the real event of the month was a holiday in France which took me to within a few miles of one of the most iconic mountain climbs in cycling folklore, Mont Ventoux. This is a 22km climb to an altitude of 1911m and one I had a fantastic time climbing not once but twice during my stay.

July

What could possibly follow the thrill of Mont Ventoux? How about a 3 month short sabbatical! Yes, I now felt I had all the time in the world to pedal when and where ever I wanted. July saw me take full advantage in cycling over 400 miles, my highest monthly mileage for the year.

July's weather was so beautiful and just perfect for my summer wheels, the Specialized Tarmac .. we had such fun, we even made it north for a ride along Hadrian's Wall while spending time with my folks.

August

Being in my second month of sabbatical, I had the time to organise the August AVP club ride for which no leader had stepped forward. This was to be a ride with a difference, it was to be a treasure hunt, a format I think we'll repeat next year. 

Continuing the entertainment theme, the AVP hosted a stand at Seaton's Great Outdoors Festival where I had opportunity to try out a fat bike on the beach .. I just have to get one, one day !

Towards the end of the month, the AVP annual 100 miler saw me return to Portland Bill, but this time the weather was gorgeous. That's not to say that the whole of August was so blessed, indeed one of my other planned rides to watch the Red Arrows over Sidmouth was curtailed due to, what Red 10 coined, the 'South Coast Nemesis', as display after display were cancelled.

September

In my third and final month of sabbatical, I returned north to spend some more time with my folks. Coincidentally, this coincided with the Tour of Britain passing through Cumbria! I had the privilege of cycling out to 3 of the stages and enjoyed meeting up and riding with my old friends from the Rock to Roll CC whom I joined on the ride up to the final stage on Hartside Fell.

Although just 3 months earlier I had vowed never to do another sportive, in a fit of renewed enthusiasm, I had somehow signed myself up for the inaugural Cross Boarder Sportive. Surprisingly I enjoyed the event, and have even now now booked myself a further two big events for 2016! Never say never!

October

As September closed, I made a quick trip to the midlands to both catch up with my ice cycling friend, Steve and to visit the 2015 Cycle Show at the NEC. Each show seems to be better than the last to me, and this was no exception. This year, I got to meet meet Vicky Brown, our British & World Cycle Speedway Champion, hear Lucy Martin being interviewed by Ned Boulting and bought my copy of Mark Fairhurst's excellent book "P is for Peloton" from the author himself.  

Unfortunately, October marked the end of my sabbatical and triggered that inevitable return to work. The Near Naked Man kindly closed up the Broom Wagon to ride with me on my last Friday. I then quickly settled back into the old routine of the Thursday evening and Sunday morning club rides.

November

November saw me take a holiday without the focus of cycling and I recorded my shortest ever time on the road for a month since June 2013. I did, however, get to winterise Roubaix and start to prepare the Tarmac for the 2016 season by converting it to a compact chainset.

While I did not complete many miles cycling, I did discover a new Cycle friendly coffee shop in Sidmouth, for when I do manage to get back out again.

December

In this final month of 2016 we saw my first AVP comic strip and sadly the end of an era with the both the removal of the Pedalabout, the original inspiration for me joining the AVP and the closure of the Broom Wagon my place of solace. 

So, during 2015, I have happily continued my Tour de Fitness journey, traversing over 3000 miles on two wheels. 

2013 was all about getting back on a bike, 

2014 was all about entering my first sportives, 

2015 was all about extending my tour into foreign parts, to north of the border into Scotland and climbing Mont Ventoux in France.

What do I have in plan for 2016?  In May, I'll be extending my tour to include Wales by riding the 2016 Velothon and in June, on my return from another foray into France, I'll be repeating my first real sportive, the Dartmoor Classic in an attempt to come away with the silver medal I missed by just 3 minutes back in 2014. Who then knows what other adventures may also come my way .. !

Happy 2016 to all!

Bathing or Cycling? A Morning Ride With The Near Naked Man!

It's been a week since my last cheeky cycle .. when I took a morning off work for a winter solstice ride. The weather then was a little moist, so when I got a call from the Near Naked Man for another ride today, and not a drop of rain in sight, I could hardly refuse.

We headed out early, following a route in reverse that our old friend and cycling fiend, Clive did back in June. This included a bit of a detour up a farm track parallel to the Axminster cycle path, thinking Clive had discovered a new track and hill to climb, only to realise at the top that it was probably the result of a misplaced click on the map .. Clive obviously not having to follow the route on his Garmin as I was!

Just before Chard we hit a flooded road. This was when it occurred to me that we should have looked out a route previously ridden in winter rather than June! With the Near Naked Man dressed for bathing as well as cycling, he took one for the team and proceeded across the lake while I watched should he disappear down a pot hole!

Near Naked Man takes one for the team!

Having already included an unscheduled mile or so, we decided to miss out the original Charmouth and Lyme loop, favouring a blast through Marshwood and the homeward descent via Rousdon. Still a 60km ride and over 3k ft of climb, so not at all shabby for a Winter, post Christmas feasting ride!

End of an Era .. The Broom Wagon Closes

Nineteen months ago the Broom Wagon, an independent speciality coffee shop surprisingly opened in sleepy old Seaton. On Wednesday this week, I sadly had the honour of being both its first and last customer. Seaton was just not ready for speciality coffee!

It was back in May 2014, that I tasted my first Broom Wagon coffee, since which time the shop has been a source of solace and social intercourse. It's proprietor,  Glenn also known as the Near Naked Man for his support of the male cancer awareness charity, has over these many months, become a valued friend and cycling buddy and long may this continue .. even without the draw of good coffee!

The Broom Wagon has introduced me to more than just a new friend and a better pallet for good coffee. Earlier this year my love of cycling and art were also brought together over a coffee and a chat with local artist, Richard Webster. The Broom Wagon had already a wall adorned with Richard's paintings of Lizzy Armistead & Lucy Garner and he was about to add a third. Not just any cyclist, but Mark Cavendish! Before Richard had even put brush to paint, the commission was sealed!

The painting now adorns my wall .. together with it's 'on loan from me' label, the plan having been that Cav would return to the Broom Wagon during the Tour de France, something which sadly will now not happen.

We don't know as yet what the new owners will do with the Broom Wagon, nor even whether its name will remain. It is doubtful, however, that anyone will ever have Glenn's passion or OCD for barista perfection .. but I'll keep you posted.

Bring on the Festivities!

This weekend marked the start of the season's festivities, with the purchase of a Christmas tree for the Tour de Fitness homestead on Saturday and the AVP Cycling Club's Christmas dinner on Sunday.

Let the seasons festivities commence

Ahead of such festivities what, or so I thought, could be better than a good ride out with the club's Sunday morning speed merchants. I was feeling good after my triumph in the rain on Thursday and what better time to also take on that nagging chimp!

The 'AVP Sunday 8am ride' had a surprisingly good turnout. 10 riders rolled up, more than we've ever had out before on the early morning quick ride. May be the mild dry calm weather and forecasted heavy rain due to return next week provided that unprecedented additional encouragement! We took the first couple of miles out to Colyton at a steady pace and just as I was getting into the groove we came upon a skittish pony requiring us to pass quiet and wide. So what do I do, yes, I attempt to bunny jump the curb only to leave my trailing wheel in the gutter, unceremoniously launching myself to slide along the pavement with all the finesse of a duck landing on an icy pond. Unfortunately for me, there was no ice for an excuse nor to prevent the asphalt induced rash on elbow and hip. Fortunately the kit I was wearing was not as wafer thin as those the pros continue to shred on such occasions, so at least I was able to retain some dignity!

Once back on the road, we made good progress in a steady chaingang over Luppit and Smeatharpe Common. Clive loves a chaingang but I know it is not to everyone's liking, particularly when you just want to have a pedal and a chat. On a chaingang  you are continually changing position as you take turns on the front and rotate like a large chain between two cogs.

No video today, so how about a cartoon strip!

This worked surprisingly well, although with no amazing tailwind today, my heart rate remained entrenched in the anaerobic zone at best. I have more recently only stuck with this group for the first hour for fear of slowing them too much but, today, the determination to silence that chimp was to be my undoing. On the final Stockland climb, as I pulled up to join Ed for a quick food stop, my left thigh cramped up with the worst pain and immobility I have ever had the misfortune to experience. Just working out how to get off the bike took a feat of joint ingenuity. After a few minutes of stretching it miraculously cleared, albeit leaving that feeling that it could return at any time I over stressed it.

Lucky for me, I have two great cycling pals in Ed and Shaun, who returned to see how we were doing. Both stayed with me over the remaining 5-10 miles of gentle pedalling back to Seaton in the spirit of true domestiques.

Once showered it was off to the Christmas party. Sat chatting with friends, beer in hand and the anticipation of a hearty Christmas meal, the pains in arms and legs, shredded skin and aching muscles, were soon forgotten. Such is the power of friendship and laughter .. bring on the festivities!

Another Soggy Thursday Night Ride

Two years ago, Cycling Weekly published a top 40 list of Cycling New Year's Resolutions and I was satisfied in making an early start in ticking off number 20, "Ride in the Rain". It was day 319 of my Tour on which I headed out with Rex. It was a typical AVP evening ride but less typically, on this occasion, there were just the two of us, obviously no one else feeling the need to ride in the rain!

Last night's ride followed a similar script. My weather app said rain would cease at 6pm and I was prepared to believe it. Pedalling over to the Kings Arms through a light drizzle to meet Buster, Handbag and Ed, I was still prepared to believe it. By the prerequisite wait time later, with still only us four in attendance, it was clear that no other Pedaller was, however, prepared to believe it!

Unperturbed, Buster headed off to pick up the hardy MTBs who would never let a little precipitation get in the way of a mud bath. Handbag headed home to prepare to lead the 7:30 ride, should anyone believe the rain would relent, while Ed and I hunkered down and headed north, into the hills.

Agreeing on a strategy of keeping clear of the main roads, cyclists being notoriously difficult to spot in such conditions, we repeated the route of the Sunday Ride, I led back in March. This is the one which took us through Colyton, Whitford, Kilmington, across the A35 along the Yarty to Stockland. Up Stockland Hill we climbed in near zero visibility, rain splattering on my face and glasses and mist steaming them from the inside. There was no light in the sky, the moon being truly masked by the low cloud, and our light beams struggled to pick out any discerning bumps and pits in the road.

For the first time in 3 of my previous rides along this road, we correctly made the left turn off Nothcote into Hutgate Road, negating the need then to have to decide on which climb to make out of Honiton which has, for me, become the recent norm! Instead, we soon found ourselves back across the A35 by the Colourwheel. We gingerly took the Northleigh Hill Road descent, and making a change from the Sunday Ride, crossed over the River Colly into the terrifically named Bonehayne and Purlbridge Road returning us to Colyton.

Colyton Christmas lights

Riding through Colyton, the Christmas lights were stunning, probably made even more spectacular through the kaleidoscope vision of rain splattered glasses. Back at the White Hart, it being an away night, we tried to dry out a little by the fire. We met up with 4 mud splattered MTBers and Handbag who while having not had any takers for the 7:30 ride were joined by Barbunny for the amazing feast of cheesy chips and chicken pieces. Like true athletes, we did not let the mound of food defeat us .. the perfect way to end a soggy good ride!