This months qualifying ride done and dusted with the Oasts and Coasts 300k Audax.
Leaving at home at 4am to cycle to the start. Boy it was cold and windy. This was going to be a tough ride. About 100 hardy souls left Meopham at 6am into thankfully a north wind pushing us at a rapid pace south stopping for breakfast at Uckfield. Now heading east the wind made for harder going. To Battle, across the marshes to Hythe, climbing the twin thigh burners of Capel Le Fern at Folkestone and Dover Hill past the impressive castle. Now we were heading north. That's when the headwind hit hardest, making for hard and slower progress. The glorious Key Lime pie at the stop at Deal made up a bit for the hard work the wind was putting us through. But once we got to Minnis Bay we thankfully turned west which made for much easier going. Stopping at Herne Bay at 7pm for more fuelling (A sausage roll and Jam Roly Poly and custard for me and massive feasts of fish and chips for my cycling companions. By this time, Herne bay was treating us to a most stunning of sunsets. Now it was really cold, the temperature had dropped quite a bit. We were all feeling the cold. Through a car busy Whitstable we hit the Graveny marshes. Flat as the proverbial pancake but prone to headwinds. Luckily the winds was with us and we traversed them at a rapid pace. Climbing up the downs in the pitch black we picked up a couple of other fellow Audaxers and we were now 5. Making our way along the Pilgrims Way over the Medway and a few more little lumps before arriving back at base at 11.30pm. I still wasn't finished though as I had another 15 miles back to home. Walking through the door just after 1am.
A long old day on the bike, a cold one, but a great one never the less. A massive thanks to Tom Jackson for the brilliant route and organisation and even bigger thanks to my 2 cycling companions for the day, Tony and Hugh and all the other riders I spoke and rode with.
So, scores on the doors.
220 miles for the day. (354km's for my non UK friends)
Imperial Century Month 161 in a row.
Imperial Century #338
That's France over there
Herne Bay
Reculver
Bluebells
Key Lime Pie at Deal
Leaving at home at 4am to cycle to the start. Boy it was cold and windy. This was going to be a tough ride. About 100 hardy souls left Meopham at 6am into thankfully a north wind pushing us at a rapid pace south stopping for breakfast at Uckfield. Now heading east the wind made for harder going. To Battle, across the marshes to Hythe, climbing the twin thigh burners of Capel Le Fern at Folkestone and Dover Hill past the impressive castle. Now we were heading north. That's when the headwind hit hardest, making for hard and slower progress. The glorious Key Lime pie at the stop at Deal made up a bit for the hard work the wind was putting us through. But once we got to Minnis Bay we thankfully turned west which made for much easier going. Stopping at Herne Bay at 7pm for more fuelling (A sausage roll and Jam Roly Poly and custard for me and massive feasts of fish and chips for my cycling companions. By this time, Herne bay was treating us to a most stunning of sunsets. Now it was really cold, the temperature had dropped quite a bit. We were all feeling the cold. Through a car busy Whitstable we hit the Graveny marshes. Flat as the proverbial pancake but prone to headwinds. Luckily the winds was with us and we traversed them at a rapid pace. Climbing up the downs in the pitch black we picked up a couple of other fellow Audaxers and we were now 5. Making our way along the Pilgrims Way over the Medway and a few more little lumps before arriving back at base at 11.30pm. I still wasn't finished though as I had another 15 miles back to home. Walking through the door just after 1am.
A long old day on the bike, a cold one, but a great one never the less. A massive thanks to Tom Jackson for the brilliant route and organisation and even bigger thanks to my 2 cycling companions for the day, Tony and Hugh and all the other riders I spoke and rode with.
So, scores on the doors.
220 miles for the day. (354km's for my non UK friends)
Imperial Century Month 161 in a row.
Imperial Century #338
That's France over there
Herne Bay
Reculver
Bluebells
Key Lime Pie at Deal
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