It seems to have been an awfully long time since I last mentioned bicycling and that's because it is. In fact I suspect that I've done less miles this month than I have for a long time. It's not that I've not wanted to go playing out, it's just that other things have taken a priority, a situation that's not been helped by February being a short month. The first weekend I had my “Bob the Builder” hat on helping “Kathryn Stinks” with her bathroom, then “The Lurgy” got me and playing bikes was the last thing on my mind, and then last weekend, well I still wasn't 100% and the allotment was in need of some attention before we get back into the growing season, so I didn't get any miles in then either. I suppose then that it's about time that I did something about that lack of miles, and that something started mid week when I had to divert from my normal place of work for a meeting. Now I could have just gone by car, but where's the fun in that, and the fact that my meeting didn't start until 10:00 made the idea of going by bike even more attractive. The question that no one's asked yet though is, where was your meeting? Well, now you've asked it was at Benson, which just happens to be 35 miles from home, and not only is it 35 miles away, it's up a bloody great big hill too! 35 miles is however only 2 and a half hours of leisurely cycling, which meant that to be there for 10:00 I wouldn't even need to get up any earlier than I normally do. Result! So, whilst all my colleagues drove and spent the first 20 minutes complaining about the traffic and bemoaning the 60 pence toll to cross the Thames at Pangbourne. I went by bike, and arrived refreshed, happy and invigorated. Granted I got a bit damp on the way there and got a puncture too, courtesy of a bit of sharp flint, but neither of those things are a problem, and more importantly I added another 70 miles to the years total and had a great time in doing so. Not a bad start to the week then, and all in works time too! Whilst I was messing about playing bikes in works time I had another of my brilliant ideas too. As you'll see in a minute, the main aim this weekend was the Wylye and Ebble Valley Audax on Sunday, which would normally mean getting in some running miles on Saturday. But, in one of my moments of stupidity I thought, why not get a long run in Friday afternoon instead, leaving Saturday free to catch up on an bit of bike maintenance and a few other jobs. Now, I've played this game before and it's rather hard going, but by combining a run into work with a few miles along the canal in the afternoon, followed by getting the train back home from wherever I end up, it's pretty easy to rack up some good miles. So that's exactly what I did. I dragged myself out of bed early on Friday morning, donned my running kit and head torch and set off for the second time that week for work. I've bored you about my work commute before, so there's no point going over that again. But, 10 miles on a cold and frosty morning, leaving home in the dark and running towards the rising sun is always a treat, and even more so now the mornings are starting to draw out and I get to work in the daylight. Brilliant. A bit of a stretch off and a second breakfast and I'm still sat at my desk ready for work before my colleagues get in, not a bad way to start the day by any stretch of the imagination. A few hours at work and having wrapped up everything I need to do, I'm free to escape for the second part of the days adventure. Running gear back on, laptop closed down for the weekend, phone on silent and it's only 2 miles back down the road to pick the Basingstoke Canal back up at Colt Hill Wharf (Odiham), from where I set off bound for Fleet and hopefully beyond. The big positive in following the canal, apart from its dead flat, well surfaced and remarkably pretty, is that the railway line follows the same route, so there's a station every few miles, which means I can just run until I've had enough and then jump on the train to get back home again. Perfect! I'll admit that it wasn't the nicest of afternoons, being overcast with a couple of heavy showers, but the canal was it's normal beautiful self. It's not a busy stretch of water being a dead end, but there were a couple of maintenance boats plodding up and down, the odd Kayaker and Stand Up Paddle Boarder on the water and plenty of wildlife to keep me distracted. The miles passed easily on the flat, smooth surface and within a couple of hours I'd reached the 11 mile point where there's a handy shop. A bottle of water and a pastry for sustenance and I pushed on for another few miles until I reached Ash where the train station brushes the canal side and provides a handy stopping point. Not only is it a handy point for getting the train home but it works well on the mileage front too, being bang on 16 miles from work, which took the days total to 26 miles. An hours monkeying around waiting for trains and a short walk back from the station and I was back home just as “The Emma” was getting up following a night shift and putting the kettle on. Hows that for perfect timing!
And that little lot brings us nicely on to the weekends main event, the Wylye and Ebble Valley 200Km Audax and a timely reminder that I do indeed know how to ride my bike further than a couple of miles, although judging by Sundays performance, some more practice is definitely in order.
As per usual I took the van down to Denmead on Saturday evening after dropping “The Emma” off at the train station on-route to a leaving party for one of her work colleagues and had a quiet and uneventful night. Sunday morning dawned with a fairly considerable overnight temperature drop and a light frost, which the van heater soon dissipated whilst I sat in bed and had a pre breakfast brew, and by the time I ventured out ready for the days start the sun was shining down from a cloudless sky on a crisp and chilly morning. The lighter mornings made for a very agreeable 07:30 start to the days proceedings and it was nice to be actually starting a ride (and likely to finish it) in daylight for the first time in what seems like ages. Brevet card collected and after the normal stand and stare at each other until some brave soul sets off and everyone else follows we were on our way at bang on 07:30, heading for Winchester via a few lumpy miles through the South Downs National Park. Pretty lumpy those first few miles were too, which set the theme for the day, nothing too steep or long, just endless ups and downs as we made our way through the rolling countryside with the early morning sun slowly burning the frost from the fields and hedgerows and the early morning traffic giving us a wide berth as the early large group of riders slowly broke up as we each settled into our own rhythm and pace. The long steady climb up through the outskirts of Winchester, coupled with the low winter sun soon ensured I’d warmed up nicely and I paused briefly at the top of the climb to shed a few layers, which obviously meant that I was cold again as soon as I set off, but it’s often better (and more pleasant) to be a touch on the chilly side than sweating your bits off! Anyway, I wasn’t going to be cold for long as the rolling terrain continued as I made my way towards the first stop of the day at Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm via Stockbridge. With just over 40 miles done Cholderton seemed like an ideal place to grab a cup of tea along with the required proof of passage stamp and I joined the short queue of fellow cyclists who had arrived shortly before me. 10 minutes later I’d moved one place further down the queue whilst those in front ordered weird and wonderful coffee’s, at which point I gave up, stamped my own card and moved on. I’m not normally impatient but all I want is some hot water with a tea bag in it, not the moon on a stick!
Pushing on, the rolling terrain continued as I made my way along familiar roads to the North of Salisbury before picking up the flatter and faster stretch of road that runs alongside the River Wylye. At Wylye itself we turned left to head out of the valley and that’s where the climbing really seemed to start for the day. Some nice railway workers, busy replacing a level crossing, took pity on me and allowed me through their worksite instead of following the signed diversion but I soon started to wish that maybe they hadn’t as the road climbed endlessly steeply upwards.
Lowest gear and keep spinning the pedals, it’ll be worth the effort for the view from the top! Slowly and surely the top arrived, to be followed instantly by a steep descent, and another climb, and another steep descent, and, well I’m sure you get the idea. The next few miles were a bit of a slog as I made my way through the pretty sounding and beautiful villages of Dinton, Bowerchalke and Sixpenny Handley, before eventually arriving, tired, hot and sweaty at the next control at Cranborne garden centre where a much needed brew and slice of amazing cake provided the opportunity to rest sore muscles for a few minutes and some much needed sustenance. With mixed emotions I left Cranbourne and headed towards the New Forest. Mixed emotions because I knew what was still to come, a real slog of a climb, with associated headwind on the way out of Fordingbridge across open moorland, but at the same time, open views, wild ponies, well surfaced roads and the beauty of both the open areas and quiet forested roads. If it was easy everyone would be doing it, but the last leg was a real struggle, both mentally and physically as I pushed slowly back towards the start. The headwind across the endless uphill slog from Fordingbridge towards Bramshaw was as tiring as expected, but on the same hand the endless views across the open moor’s were as picturesque as I remembered from my last excursion into this area. The roads through the forest were as undulating as I remembered, but the wild ponies and cattle which inhabit this area provided more than enough of a diversion for my tired mind and legs. Leaving the New Forest behind it became a case of mind over matter as the route endlessly rolled along for the final miles. Never steep enough to cause major problems, but at the same time never flat enough for easy miles. By 16:00 with the afternoon drawing on the temperature had dropped significantly, and I paused my progress to put back on those layers that I had shed earlier in the day and grab a sandwich from my saddle bag. Layers which were still damp and clammy from the morning’s exertions, which initially did little to warm me back up. A situation which was soon remedied once I got moving again. Warm and revived by that sandwich (and maybe a chocolate bar too) it was just a case of pushing out those final few miles back to the finish. Miles which came slowly and required more effort than they should have on tired legs. But miles which none the less were eventually dispatched, and as hoped for I got back to the van before darkness descended. 129 miles to add to the years tally in pretty much exactly 10 hours. I’ll happily admit though that it was a hard day out, significantly harder than I thought it should have been. The endless ups and downs played havoc with my mind, the steep climbs sapped the strength from my legs and the cold wind drained my spirit through the New Forest. But, I’m not complaining as I still had a great day out, and it’s a route that I’ll happily come back and do again, although maybe I’ll wait until it warms up a bit first!
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Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
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