Why You Should Keep a Tour Log

One of the biggest benefits we had from JR's iPad on our Paris to Venice trip - second only to its help in navigating our way across 1440 km of Europe - was in JR's daily log.

Although many of L'Express' diary entries were phoned through to Tracey, at home in England, some of them were also emailed, and the iPad was a very useful way of collating and storing the daily records.

On a trip as memorable as Paris to Venice, it's hard to imagine you will ever forget the details of each day's pain and pleasure, but as I proved the last time we met, those memories can soon become confused and conflated.

I had a vivid memory of two massive climbs in Austria, following a long day that ended in a bicycle-friendly guest house. I remembered this day particularly because I struggled so much on the first climb that I found myself risking life and limb trying to get a drink from a trickle of water that ran down a slippery, moss-covered rockface.

I remember coming to my senses, dragging muyself onwards and upwards, and then buying two bottles of extortionately priced water just a few hundred metres from the summit. Then I remember the second climb seeming just as hard and us ending the day with a descent to another guest house in a high alpine village.

But apparently my memory is playing tricks. According to JR's memory (and he kept the log, after all), those were on two different days. The day we did two big climbs started with the one into a hanging valley - or was that the second climb of the day?

I do remember my first 'col', because it didn't seem that big, and it was in the Vosges on a quite beautiful and moving morning, near a perfectly-kept first war cemetary. I remember an horrendous thunderstorm that hit us as soon as we crossed the Rhine into Germany, and I remember a thousand other things on the trip, but the exact order in which they happended is becoming less clear - and there are a thousand other things I will have forgotten.

But I'm pleased to say I did keep a journal as well, and I will write it up into a proper account of the trip. Inevitably, I'll dip into JR's as it appears on L'Express blog for details of distances, altitudes and some town names, but my journal will be my memories, my thoughts and my experiences (mainly at the back of the group) from those memorable, but apparently also quite forgettable, two weeks.

And I'll try to do it soon - before I forget what I meant when I wrote it the first time!

Roy

Some More Useful Miles

From now on I'll know exactly how far I've gone, even if I'm not always sure which way I'm going.

Not that I'm that bad a navigator, but the Suffolk lanes can be confusing when an eastward-bound route suddenly seems to snake westwards for a while as I found on Sunday.

Still, my newly fitted cycle computer did tell me how far I'd travelled and how fast I'd got to wherever I happened to be at any particular time.

The computer was a Christmas present but, for various reasons mainly associated with laziness, I only fitted it on the Saturday after Easter. Having fitted it I had to test it, of course, so on Saturday I headed southwards on a route I know (and have measured by car and brother-in-law John's computer).

As I was only planning to ride 'around the block' to test the computer I didn't actually go too far, but I was very pleased that the computer confirmed my impression that, once again, I was much faster riding home than I was on the outbound leg, despite a Northeast wind that should have slowed me coming back. My average speed for the measured 11.4 miles was exactly 15.0mph, which is not quite Tour of Britain pace but is not a bad average on a mountain bike after an idle winter.

So it was on Sunday that I decided, now I could measure distances on less familiar routes, to head eastwards, intentionally taking on a strong headwind component from the strenthening Northeasterly. I wanted to stay south of the A14, so took Rushbrooke Lane east-ish and meandered away from the afternoon sun (mostly) towards Rougham and Bradfield St George.

I was right about the wind: although there was some shelter between the hedges and woods for much of the time, there was always a strongish breeze and occasionally it made itself felt as a strong sidewind, too. At Rougham, after one gusty stretch, I passed a village cricket match that looked idyllic in the early May sunshine. Very soon after this I found myself heading west, so turned around and took a turning towards Bradfield that carried me eastwards again for a while. At around ten miles I decided to turn for home. Average speed to this point was 13.7mph - not bad with that headwind.

The ride back was equally gusty as the wind funnelled down avenues of trees and between hedgerows now in full leaf. When I reached the cricket match again I stopped for a snack and a drink and watched a few overs. There was some decent fast bowling and a good batsman taking advantage of the slower bowler's struggle to bowl line and length against the wind. That must have been a good bat too, as he stroked some very easy looking fours.

After the rest (and a quick check of my average speed - up to 14.7 now) I headed for home, and the wind now gave me the help I expected as I span along at 18-22mph for long stretches. There were still some slower hills, though and some rough and gravelly patches where flat out wouldn't have been a good idea. I was very pleased, then, to get home with an overall average for the 20.3 miles of 15.6 mph. Highest speed was attained a few miles from home at 27.6mph.

A ride the previous week was at an average nearer 14mph, and was a 20 mile there and back ride including 'my hill' at Hartest. Next time I do that route I'll be able to time it properly!

I'm pretty confident about doing the two fifty mile charity rides next month and tempted to go for the century around Bury. There's also another big ride of up to 200km around Suffolk in July for Alzheimers, called Miles for Memories. Now, 200km is about 124 miles, and that's one mile more than I've ever ridden in a single day. Although that was in the hillier West Country (Taunton to Torquay and back) it was also about 25 years ago!

As yet, we (the Paris to Venice group) don't have a tour of any kind planned for this year but we are hoping to at least do a coast to coast together at some point.

Meanwhile, these sunny days are making Suffolk irresistable!

Roy

Tour of Britain Returns to Bury St Edmunds

Excellent news for all cycling fans and pretty good news for the local economy:

The Tour of Britain will be using Angel Hill, in Bury St Edmunds, for the second consecutive year. Last year, the stage from Bury headed off towards Essex and Colchester. This time the riders will head northwest for a finish at the royal estate in Sandringham, Norfolk.

And, since this year's stage is on a Saturday, 17 September, the town and locations along the route will no doubt hope to maximise their visitors' opportunities to spend money in the area!

Last year's stage is thought to have added a useful £2.5 million to Suffolk's thriving tourist industry, and this year that extra income will be more welcome than ever.

For most locals, though, this is another chance to experience the excitement of an event that, since the UK started doing so well in Olympic and professional cycling, is probably more popular now than it has ever been.

On a more personal note, I have so far managed to miss not one but two opportunities to see the tour. When the race came to Bury last year I was half way across Europe on our Paris to Venice ride. And the previous year we were finishing our second coast to coast ride when we encountered the entourage (but none of the riders) on the ouskirts of Newcastle.

(We were half hoping we'd be swept along in the peleton, but no such luck!)

This year I'm not planning on going anywhere on September 17th, except Angel Hill!

Roy

Just a Quickie

Having decided not to go off road in Thetford Forest this afternoon I had a perfect excuse to get a few miles in on the road.

I didn't think I ought to be out for too long - things to do, visitors coming, etc - and so I opted for my 15 mile there and back ride.

I was very pleased to get to the turn in around 29 minutes, opted not to stop and came back in under 27 minutes, making my total time almost exactly 56 minutes.

That made my average speed 16 mph, which I was very pleased with.

As I said, just a quickie.

Maybe I'll make the Norwich 50 and the St Edmunds Wheel 100? We'll see!

Roy

Today Took Me Right Back...

Today's ride in the gorgeous April sunshine was reminiscent of last September's Paris to Venice ride, not least because 24 miles seemed to have the same effect today as 60 or 70 miles did back then!

But it was wonderful to be out on the quiet lanes and feeling the warm air and sun on my bare skin.

The bike felt heavy, almost as heavy as it did last year with all the luggage, but no matter. I took my usual route south and this time I held it together rather better on Hartest hill. Once at the top I decide to do the extra couple of miles to Stanstead village.

Once there, I decided to give myself one more little test by continuing to the main road. The short climb back to my usual picnic spot is one of those 'between gears' hills - I seem to find a lot of those when I'm unfit!

Even so, and despite feeling very stiff in recent days, I felt suprisingly good at halfway. A short break and a bite to eat and I was ready for the return. It made sense to restart in a lower gear than I have in the past and I was soon in a decent rhythm, if not at a great pace.

As usual, though, the home leg was faster than the outward one, but just by a few minutes this time. Overall, my outward leg was around 14 mph, and the home leg almost exactly 15 mph, which I'm always happy with.

It's just over six weeks to the St Edmunds Wheel...

Roy

Hard Miles Today!

Stepping up from fifteen miles to twenty shouldn't feel this hard!

Whatever the reason for yesterday's ride feeling like such hard work, it was a bit of a shock to find myself going quite so slowly by the time I reached the top of Hartest hill.

I sensed it was going to be tougher than usual on the first couple of gentle gradients. With a stronger headwind than I anticipated, I was riding at least one gear lower than usual and struggling to get into any rhythm at all.

I ploughed on, safe in the knowledge that this must be doing me good and determined to stick to my plan to take on 'my' hill for the first time in months. Well, finding the right gear for Hartest hill proved even more difficult than usual and it never quite happened! Once the gradient eased I was able to pick up quite well and at least it hadn't killed me...

Safe to say the return had to be easier, with a tail wind and a banana assisting my still fairly feeble efforts. Better to the tune of eight minutes, in fact, which is a lot over ten miles.

So, it was probably the headwind and it was probably low energy levels, and it was certainly a lack of miles since those glorious days back in September...

But I will be stronger tomorrow!

Roy

Yes! Another Ride.

ANOTHER RIDE! Yes, only 15 miles but...

It was a lovely afternoon, the job was getting a bit tedious and my legs were getting twitchy. The Suffolk lanes beckoned...

I aimed for 15 miles and hoped to do it in around an hour. That's the kind of pace I was doing comfortably six months ago, when I was fit enough to to Paris to Venice in two weeks.

I say 'aimed' - I didn't really expect to do 15mph after almost no time in the saddle for six months...

Well, the outward leg was every bit as slow as I expected, and the little Suffolk hills and slight headwind made themselves known to my thighs, back and lungs, and I reached the turn in about 33 minutes.

But the homeward leg was much better than I hoped, if still hard work, and it felt really great to be out again. When I finally hit some kind of rhythm I was daydreaming of high mountains and hot sun, with long days in the saddle with good friends.

For a time I was in rural France - or was it Germany or Switzerland?

No, it can't have been France or I would have been looking for an open shop...

Anyway, it was wonderful to be out in the sunshine, hearing the tyres on the tarmac and feeling my legs finally beginning to wake up after their winter hibernation.

I got back in 27 minutes, meaning I actually hit my 15mph target. I do like it when the maths is easy, too!

Roy

Finally, FINALLY!

After a ridiculously long hiaitus, I finally got out three times in eight days and I think I feel better for it!

Two very short runs and one short bike ride is hardly getting back in the groove, but it's been a long winter of busyness, mechanical failure and disinterest - oh, and winter - but I'm still disappointed to have left it so long.

Never mind. Two runs, with the second a little faster than the first, didn't seem to hurt my knees. The short bike ride - only six miles - felt tougher than it should, although the first little hill was ok. I didn't prepare in any way, even to changing into cycling gear, so getting out at all was a treat.

And it finally looks like spring out there!

More soon...

...especially as I had notification of the Bury St Edmunds Wheel yesterday: 50 or 100 miles around Bury St Edmunds in mid June. I'll be there.

Roy

HOW Long????

I can't quite believe it's three months since I posted here, but it does seem like a long time since I was last on the bike!

Probably like you, I spent a part of my Christmas break looking forward to next year and even making a few tentative plans. Having done Paris to Venice in 2010, we won't be doing a really big ride in 2011, but we can still look forward to some good hard riding and an adventure or two.

The first of these should be in early spring, which does mean I'll have to seriously consider getting back into training - and soon.

So far, I've been asked about another Coast to Coast (maybe the new 'Roses' route, which is further south, and therefore longer, but also nearer), Hadrian's Wall (possibly both ways, starting and finishing in Carlisle), and an End to End, possibly starting at John O'Groats.

We also have a standing invitation to revisit the Yorkshire Dales, where we did three training weekends in 2010. Then again, we haven't done much in the west country...

We've done a coast to coast in two of the last three years, and really enjoyed it both times, so I suspect that's one we'll be doing at some point. Le Jog might be asking a bit too much of our loved ones, unless they can join in somehow, so that might happen next year.

One way or another though, I think we'll manage a few hundred hilly miles somewhere in the UK, as well as joining in a few charity rides, spending some pedal time in Jersey and generally looking for any excuse we can to get out there in the fresh air and feel the pain and exhilaration.

Maybe I'll even get a 'better' bike this year, although I have to admit I've grown rather attached to the one that got me safely over the Vosges, the Black Forest and The Alps during 14 marvellous days in September.

Roy

A few Memories While I Gather my Thoughts!

We started training for the trip in earnest sometime in the spring after one of the coldest and iciest winters in years.

That meant none of us had done much cycling for several months. I, for one, felt pretty rusty and lacking strength. The others reported similar feelings, although all these things are relative!

I also set out with the intention of equipping myself with a good touring bike for the trip and ideally for most of my training. It's very difficult to switch bikes just before a big ride and it increases the risk of injury when the pressure is on.

So I was reluctant to get stuck into training on my old mountain bike, but I needed some basic fitness, so I decided I just had to get on with it.

Within a month or so of starting fairly regular rides around my Suffolk home, we arranged a trip to the Yorkshire Dales. This was a big step up. It meant carrying some luggage for the first time and taking on hills bigger than anything I'd seen since our coast to coast last September.

That was a wake up, but I survived. Some of those Yorkshire hills are steeper than anything we would meet in the Alps (or so I was told), but much, much shorter.

Getting the miles in was my biggest problem. John and JR managed to do more, but we all felt we needed more time on the bikes. Our wives didn't necessarily agree...

Most of my rides were 20-30 miles. I added one 60-miler and did the Bury Wheel, a 100 mile circuit around Bury St Edmunds in early Summer, but apart from the training weekends I wasn't managing consecutive days on the bike, let alone big distances.

Anyway, with another two trips to the Dales, one to the Cotswolds and only rolling Suffolk hills to test my legs in the meantime, I joined John and JR in Paris on 4th September.

The plan (mine anyway) was to build our fitness further during the first few 'easy' days as we followed the Seine southeast then eastwards from Notre Dame.

In fact, after the first stop-start day out of Paris to a 'closed' camp site, we then faced two days of strong, persistent headwinds, and then the hills started, JR's gears broke, we ran short of food and the weather took a definite turn for the worse...

And we were beginning to fall behind our very testing schedule.

But more on all that next time!

Roy

Two Weeks on - and Only Seven to Go!

Two weeks after our Dales trip I've finally stolen a few minutes to report on its success!

Now the midge bites have stopped itching and my memories of that horrible couple of hours on Sunday morning have faded, the weekend seems like a great success.

Friday was baking hot - around 30 deg C - when I rode across to meet John just outside Newmarket. That probably took more out of me that I realised at the time, as Sunday morning would reveal.

We did over seventy miles on Saturday, in almost perfect conditions, found all the hills we intended to climb were every bit as steep as expected, and managed to add a few more surprise ones for good measure. One, quite near the end of the day was a real killer, but we all wound our way up it somehow, and reached the hostel sometime around 5.pm.

I borrowed JR's tent and he tested out his bivvy bag. I got the better deal...

We didn't expect quite so many midges in Yorkshire, but they obviously nipped down from Scotland as the headwind died away in the evening, because there were millions of the things that evening and overnight.

Next morning the wind was back to full strength again, rain was on the way and we were headed into both. I struggled, I have to confess. Being fully loaded and battling against that wind on a long climb southwards (actually three climbs before lunch) just about did me in.

Slow progress in the morning meant we decided to cut about ten miles off the planned route.

But it's amazing what some food and drink can do, and the afternoon was fantastic in contrast. There were still some tough climbs, and the final one into Haworth saw me looking very tired as I hit the strong headwind again, but I did it. I know I could have done another twenty miles after another refuel, but we had a long drive home ahead of us.

So we did almost 130 miles in the two days to add to the twenty or so I had done in the sweltering heat on Friday. Not a bad weekend workout!

Roy

Some More Miles Added

I just did a quick twenty miles yesterday, but it was a useful workout and it felt good to get my legs moving. A little stiffness at first was gone after a mile or two and from then on I felt pretty good.

Even my heavy old bike felt lively without the panniers and I felt stronger on the hills than I have for a while - stronger than after the last Yorkshire Dales trip - so things are going in the right direction.

I had a slight tailwind on the outward leg so I didn't get carried away but I climbed Hartest hill, which is usually a reliable test because it's quite sheltered, as well as I have for a long time.

The return ride, mainly against the wind, felt quite tough but I kept my speed up anyway, to average around 15 mph for both directions. The final hill, which usually feels harder than it looks, didn't drag as it so often does.

All in all, a very satisfying 100 minutes, and very different to Sunday's 100 miles!

Roy

PS. Remember, I'm doing this for charity - for two GREAT causes. You can sponsor me for either the MS Society or Make a Wish Foundation - or both - by clicking on the widgets on the right of this page.

Around the St Edmunds Wheel

Successfully navigated 100 miles without a map

Sunday saw the St Edmunds Wheel bike ride, and I stuck to my resolution to do the 100 mile event. I have to admit to a few nerves because I've never ridden that far on my mountain bike, and I knew I'd spend most of the ride on my own (I did the Norwich 100 two years ago on my road bike and with company).

I also fitted the panniers and carried several litres of water plus enough food for the day, my waterproof jacket and the usual few spares and tools. So I was almost fully laden.

The St Edmunds Wheel also raises funds for St Nicholas Hospice, something we're doing with our Fifty Quid Challenge website, so it tied in nicely with our plans.

Arriving at about eight am I couldn't help but notice I was the only person doing the 100 on a mountain bike and I'm sure I was the only one with two panniers. I think I saw two others on tourers and with one pannier each, but everyone else seemed to be on fast road bikes. There were lots of members of West Suffolk Wheelers, all looking very professional in their red jerseys.
So I wasn't surprised to be dropped within about three miles. A few people started late and overtook me in the next ten miles and the sweepers caught me up at the first official refreshment stop at Lavenham, around 26.5 miles.

There was one rider I kept seeing - I was stopping every hour or so while he was ploughing on - and I overtook him each time, although we shared the work for a while on the Long Melford to Clare stretch. Three more riders passed me a couple of times but I dropped them for the last time at Stoke by Clare. Everyone else was long gone...

Having lost the map somewhere around the twenty mile mark I was grateful that the route was well signed. I had a mental picture of the map but I would have got lost in the area east of Newmarket, from haverhill northwards, if I'd tried to navigate myself. The route being roughly circular was never too far from Bury but I'm not familiar with the countryside towards Newmarket. It was also hillier than I expected along this stretch, or maybe I was just getting tired after around sixty miles. However, after crossing the A14 there was a very good road almost due north towards Tuddenham and I found a good rhythm along that road partly thanks to a slight tail wind.

Seventy miles actually came up at Tuddenham, where the first bananas were on offer at the refreshment stop. I took two and was grateful for them!

The route then meandered around the area north of Bury. It was tantalising being so close to home and yet still twenty plus miles from the end, but I put it out of my mind as best I could. Another banana/water stop at 83 miles helped...

Just seventeen miles to go. Probably the hardest part of a ride is when you know you've nearly finished, and around three or four miles from home I was very weary and I was using the gears on every incline for a while.

The last two miles was mainly downhill, though, and I finished in eight hours five minutes, with around seven hours of that being actual cycling time. So my average cycling speed was about 14 mph and the overall average about twelve and a half.

I was pushing on as best I could between stops and on a longer trip you can't afford to end a day exhausted or you won't be able to repeat it the next day (unless you're a pro, that is). Ten miles an hour is a decent average for touring, so I was quite happy.

Our next training trip should be Yorkshire again in early July, and we'll probably be camping on the second night (ie, between the two days' cycling), so that will be a new experience, too. Carrying tents and getting a decent sleep betwen two long days will be challenging, I think. But if we can't cope with it for one weekend we'll be in trouble trying to do it for two weeks!

Roy

PS A very special big 'Thank You!' to the organisers of the event and all those who manned the drink stops. And especially to whoever put up all the signs!

I really would have been lost without you.

Some Miles at Last!

Sunday marked the end of the warm settled spell so it was naturally a perfect day to plan my longest solo ride in ages.

Actually, a cloudy day is a lot more comfortable at this time of year and I enjoyed riding out to my old territory on the Suffolk-Essex border. To make the ride more worthwhile I took both panniers, although not fully loaded. That did mean I was able to take all the food and drink I expected to need for a sixty-plus mile trip.

The extra weight was noticeable - it gave me a smoother ride for one thing - but there are no big hills in this part of the world. That said, there are a few steep ones and I included some of those on my planned route.

Heading southeastwards from Bury St Edmunds I was briefly on the main Sudbury road but pretty soon I turned off left and headed along familiar roads towards Rattlesden airfield and Bildeston, near Wattisham, the airfield where I worked for almost eight years.

From there I headed towards Hadleigh, where I lived for a while in my Wattisham days, but took a short detour via Kersey, one of the prettiest villages in Suffolk, famous for its ford and steep hill. That was a good spot to stop for a quick snack. The climb out of Kersey and back towards the Hadleigh road looked daunting but was easy enough after my rest.

There was a cricket match in progress as I entered Hadleigh, but I resisted stopping to watch and bore right at the end of the High Street on my way towards Manningtree. From a tiny street (called The Street) in Hadleigh, this road becomes a little wider, and with a good surface, but quite busy. Drivers were more patient than I expected, though. Many of them held back when they could have squeezed past. Maybe the panniers made me look wider than usual, although the bars on my bike are actually much wider.

Anyway, there were no alarms at all and I reached the outskirts of Manningtree via a short stretch of A137 and the High Street before making for the river and my lunch stop. Very pleasant it was, too. I estimated I'd covered just over thirty miles in about two and a half hours.

I took my time over lunch and savoured the coffee that I'd also brought with me. I ate as much as I could comfortably manage and set off for home. Ten miles later I was in Hadleigh again, although I was disappointed to see the cricket match had finished - I'd planned to spend a few minutes refuelling and enjoying the scene. Instead I carried on after a quick drink and a bite to eat.

After climbing towards Semer (with a large tractor and trailer following me), I turned left to take a look at another place where I used to live. By the time I reached the bungalow it was pouring with rain, the thunder was rumbling around and I was soaked. It was a good time for a toilet stop and the last of my coffee, though, and I took a couple of pictures of the bungalow which looks a lot nicer now than it did when I lived in it!

From there, I turned down a very wet and muddy 11% hill (that I used to run up and down when I lived there) past Semer church and rejoined the main road. Bildeston came up quickly and the road was almost dry by then.

One more refuelling stop on the edge of Rattlesden airfield was enough to get me and my lightened panniers home. I had almost a litre of water and squash, two energy bars and a bag of fruit and nuts to spare. I had eaten six cheese rolls, one energy bar and some fruit and nuts and drunk almost two litres of water and half a litre of coffee. All useful knowledge for bigger tests to come. A few bananas might have reduced my cheese roll consumption!

The total distance, including detours, was about 64 miles. Total cycling time was roughly five hours and fifteen minutes (six hours five minutes door to door). So a bit over 10mph average journey speed and about 13 mph on the bike. I'll be happy if I can do that between Paris and Venice. I suspect it might be tougher, though!

Roy

PS. A few days before this ride I did about half the distance on my thirty plus mile route via Long Melford and Lavenham and felt as weary at the end of that ride as I did after this trip. I'm not sure why that should be but I suspect I've been carrying a low level virus for a week or two and finally shook it off this weekend. Probably, that shorter ride helped my fitness and taking more care to refuel on the longer ride played a part too.

Next Sunday is the Bury St Edmunds Wheel, a 25, 50, 75 or 100 mile organised event. I plan to do the 100. I know I need it!

More Miles Added, and Off-Road, Too

I've had a quiet week since our Cotswolds weekend, but the weekend itself was a great success.

When John wasn't trying to brain himself on various doors and items of door furniture he was impressively strong on Saturday in almost keeping up with John 2, who was on his unladen Trek road bike. Meanwhile, JR was cycling down from Nottingham to join us...

I tagged along behind, as usual, with the usual excuses - heavier bike, fatter tyres, advancing years, lack of training - but not so far behind it was actually any more embarrassing than usual.

Sunday was a little tougher than I expected, although a late night, some beer and a little whisky might have contributed to that. I don't know why, but I didn't anticipate any hills quite as steep as the fourteen percenter we met about a third of the way round. Anyway, we all made it up that one in our various ways, my head had cleared by the time I got to the top and I felt pretty good the rest of the way round.

By riding to the start and back from the finish, John and I added ten miles to the route, while JR added another thirty or so as he headed back to catch a train home.

That made our total for Sunday fifty miles, to add to almost forty the day before, while JR did over 180 miles in two and a half days!

A busy week meant I didn't ride again until yesterday (Saturday), and the same was true for John, although he had been running. A family get-together at High Lodge in Thetford Forest was all the excuse the two of us needed to do something a bit different in the form of the black run. I put the old knobblies on my bike and John switched to his MTB and we set about it.

It's been notably dry lately, even though it's been cold, and the forest trails were all either dusty, sandy or rutted and set like concrete. While my legs felt fine (and much stronger than last time we did the route) my wrists and hands were aching after just a few minutes of this unfamiliar treatment. John has front suspension, so I had my usual extra excuse in place. After a while, though, the aching went away and I was up for a second lap when we got round the course faster than expected. This meant some more runs down 'The Beast', which was fun.

John lost his tool roll at this point and had to go back to retrieve it while I headed for the finish and the food and drink. The two circuits amounted to about fifteen miles. John's extra loop added another three. Probably add about fifty percent to that for the extra effort in riding quite fast off road.

After the drive home I headed out again on the road for another fifteen miles. With the knobbly tyres being quite soft, this was a decent workout, too. I averaged near 16 mph, which isn't bad.

But even allowing extra for the off-road session it still amounts to under forty miles for the weekend. I need more miles, simple as that.

It's the Norwich 100 in two weeks. Will I be doing it on the mountain bike (with road tyres), or not? I'll let you know.

A week after that, Bury St Edmunds has its own event, also with a 100 mile option. Now that's the kind of thing I need to be doing to get my mileage up. Two centuries in two weeks might sound quite tough but remember we'll be stringing together two solid weeks of metric centuries (while crossing at least three mountain ranges) in less than four months' time!

Roy

What Doesn't Kill You...

Just a very quick post for now to say that all four of us survived the Yorkshire Dales in one piece, and we'll all be stronger for it.

Which is more than can be said for one of the bikes, as John H's rear hub gave out on him for the second time.

The good news is this was Sunday, so he'd done a fair few testing miles already over the one and a half days. Those hills are steep! Which is probably a contributing factor to the mechanical failure, but his hub had been creaking the previous day.

And fortunately, he was stranded within a hundred yards of a train station. Unfortunately, he had missed a train by five minutes and had three and a half hours to wait for the next one.

So while JR volunteered to cycle back over the mammoth hill we'd just climbed to keep him company, John C and I set off to try to beat the train! (With a three and a half hour head start, that is.)

We kind of managed it. The idea was that John would drive back from the hostel at Haworth, where we'd stayed the first night, to collect JR and John H (and bikes) from Settle. In fact, there is a steam train service from Settle to Haworth, and the two stragglers used that to get to Haworth about five minutes after we did. John just drove down the hill to collect John H and his stricken bike, while JR rode the last half mile or so up to the hostel.

Trying to hurry back while climbing those monster hills was a test, as was racing along the dual-carriageway from Ilkley to to Keighley in the pouring rain. But it was certainly a good workout at the end of a 150 plus miles weekend of fierce climbs and thrilling decents.

I'll post some more pictures soon, but here's one to be going on with:

Roy

Two More Rides in the Sun!

Thursday was a pleasant if rather cool day, which made it almost perfect for cycling, so I headed off in the usual southerly direction from Bury St Edmunds, via 'my hill' at Hartest, and on to Stanstead.

I didn't stop at my usual rest point in Stanstead - shown here - but turned back at the bottom of the village.

I've been testing a theory put forward by fellow cyclist and nutritional expert Graeme Street that you shouldn't eat carbs in the two hours before a ride. The idea is to smooth out the sugar highs and lows, and to reduce the amount of insulin in your bloodstream. Insulin apparently also suppresses the function of growth hormone, which you need to grow and heal hard-worked muscles.

So, for the second time, I followed his advice and I have to say I felt stronger for longer. I was actually slightly hungry when I set off but my legs were fine. So I rode for fifteen miles before I ate anything at all - a banana - and finished the ride feeling quite fresh and strong, having pushed myself pretty hard for the whole 25 miles.

Of course, I am building my fitness, so this one ride probably isn't strictly comparable with a week or two earlier.

The second ride, on an even more beautiful Saturday afternoon, was even better. There was a little stiffness in my thighs from the hardish riding of a couple of days earlier, but that soon disappeared. I planned a longer ride, so I set of at a slightly gentler pace. This time it was probably only an hour since I'd eaten. I still took very little food but added an extra bottle of water, just in case.

I rode for exactly 90 minutes before I stopped for a snack, covering about 23 miles in that time. Coincidentally, this brought me to the end of the road on the outskirts of Thorpe Morieux, where I lived for a while about seven or eight years ago, so I took a couple of pictures for posterity. With no planes flying, due to the Iceland volcano, the sky was a totally clear and silent blue.

I tend to ride too fast to hear the birds singing, but they were in full voice when I stopped.

On the way, I'd passed through Hartest and Stanstead as usual, and the popular tourist spots of Long Melford and Lavenham, both of which were quite busy, although the Suffolk lanes were as quiet and pleasant as ever.

A banana, a small piece of cheese and some of the extra water was just enough to get me home, cycling quite strongly, having covered about 35 miles in 128 minutes of cycling, plus 11 minutes R&P (rest and photography).

And I'm still riding my old mountain bike.

Next week we step up a few levels, with our 158 mile weekend in the Yorkshire Dales. It is going to hurt!

Roy

Paris to Venice Progress Report

A couple more training rides since I last updated this blog have both been pretty good, although I'm getting seriously worried about the lack of miles I'm putting into my legs. Our training weekend in the Yorkshire Dales is now less than two weeks away and I think it's going to come as a shock to my legs and lungs.

I had the chance to spend some time in the Lancashire Pennines last week, when business took me to Bury, north of Manchester. I stayed overnight with my son and his girlfriend and could easily have 'stolen' some cycling time - except that I didn't think to take my bike...

Meanwhile, back in Suffolk, a fairly strenuous 20-miler south from Bury St Edmunds, in dry but breezy weather last week, gave me an average speed close to 15 mph. Once again, it was slowest on the outward leg, into the breeze. I did most of Hartest hill in a higher gear than usual, standing on the pedals, just to give myself a worthwhile workout. I felt good at the end, too.

I did that entire hill in the higher gear the next time I rode, a couple of days ago. It's not a great way to treat your knees, when you're turning the pedals relatively slowly, but my knees actually feel fine at the moment - at least better than they have for quite a while. I've even considered doing a bit of running again.

Anyway, this time I added a few miles and continued on to Stanstead village (no, not near Stansted Airport - different spelling). With much lighter winds, and mainly northeasterly, I didn't have to work quite so hard on the outward leg. Still, it was a good, fastish ride on a truly fabulous afternoon.

I stopped to enjoy the scenery at Stanstead, but didn't really need a rest or even, dare I say it, the snack that I persuaded myself to eat. I probably could have drunk a little more, though.

My ride home was an enjoyable run, too. The headwind was apparent at times, but mostly didn't affect me and I felt strong. The average speed was again near 15 mph in both directions.

So I feel that I'm riding quite well, just not far enough or often enough! I'll find out soon whether my fears are well founded. Meanwhile, let's get some miles in.

Roy

Where Did That Come From?

Sometimes, life brings you a pleasant surprise.

A long, cold and somewhat depressing winter should have left me seriously undertrained. In terms of hours on the bike - approximately nil from late November to mid February - I was.

But just a few rides in the last four or five weeks and I feel much the same, fitness and strength-wise, as I did last autumn. Another 24-25 miler at the weekend was just as encouraging as my ride the week before.

I haven't done any big mileages yet, but I have done two hardish rides back-to-back and was better on day two than day one. Really, I'm quite optimistic for this spring and summer and for September's awfully big adventure.

The Yorkshire Dales trip next month might put me in my place, mind you - 154 planned miles in hillier country than I've ridden since last September will be a test, that's for sure. But I'm up for it!

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UPDATE: I rode again on Thursday, but only twenty miles this time. Feeling a bit jaded and with the hint of a sore throat, I took things a little easier on the outward leg - into the wind again. Once I turned for home though, and properly warmed up now, I again made good time, averaging around 17 mph for the ten miles back to my front door.

I wasn't actually that slow on the outward leg, although I didn't keep an accurate time, but it was probably around 14 mph or thereabouts. So I'm quite happy with a 15-16 mph average speed.

I do need a longer ride soon. Writing this on Sunday, and with a slight hangover, that will probably be tomorrow!

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Now, all I need is a farsighted sponsor or two to cash in on my impending fame and glory for their own selfish ends!

In case you're unclear I NEED A BIKE to do the expedition itself that will carry me and all my kit roughly a thousand miles across France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland and into Italy, via the Alps.

Le Havre to Venice is a long way on the wrong bike - even for two great causes like MS Society and Make a Wish Foundation.

It's easily far enough for a sponsored ride. Nine months' publicity before, during and after (including the Christmas season) is plenty of time to promote the hell out of any business that wants it and isn't either illegal or immoral.

I'll do it. Who's going to help?

Roy

PS Links to the two Just Giving pages are just over there >>

Stronger Today

Hello again

Just a very quick post today to record the weekend's training rides. Despite the sunshine, the weekend was raw and cold, but at least the roads are largely dry again.

On Saturday I headed south as usual, to 'my' hill at Hartest, then carried on to Long Melford. At this point I was feeling quite good, although I reminded myself (this time) that I'd enjoyed a slight tailwind.

Turning east towards Lavenham meant running into the northeasterly wind more, and the slight climb over the next few miles was tougher than I would have liked. Still, I knew that hard work today would make me stronger tomorrow - even though I was planning to rest on Sunday. At Lavenham church, which dominates the small town below it, I refuelled myself and decided, belatedly, to pump some more air into the tyres. About 150 squirts later, the tyres were somewhere near their correct pressures...

So, running northwards, almost into the wind, should have felt easier than it did! Still, despite at one point feeling too weary to reach into my back pocket for my last banana, I got home after about 35 miles in a little under 3 hours. Not great speed but a hard enough work out to be going on with.

Then brother-in-law John phoned and suddenly I would be riding again next day...

But it's true what they say: 'Ride harder today and you'll be stronger tomorrow.'

Sunday's ride was in the opposite direction and a whole lot easier and faster. Heading north from Elmswell, we made reasonable speed into the still brisk (and colder) northeasterly as far as England's only (I think) Scottish wisky distillery. Over 18 miles in roughly 75 minutes.

At this point, John headed north for home and I turned back southwards, then southwestwards to Bury St Edmunds. It's roughly 22 miles home from there, via the lanes to Ixworth then the main A143 to Bury, so the day's ride gave me a round trip of about 40 miles. John probably did 5 or 10 miles more.

Again, I was home in around 2 hours 45 minutes, for an average of close to 15 mph. Which is not bad at all on my old mountain bike.

Today I have a few minor aches and pains but I'll be ready to go again in a day or two.

But it feels great to be making progress again after months of moving inexorably backwards!

Roy