# Glenisla 100km audax ride report



## Noodley (20 Apr 2008)

Having had to wake almost before I went to bed and drive overnight to the North of England for my last audax I was looking forward to a late rise and a short ride to the start of the Glenisla 100km, organised by a member of my club. So after a late Saturday night, involving a few glasses of wine, I retired to bed. 

However, my thoughts of uninterupted sleep and a late rise were hampered by O2 deciding they would send me a series of text messages informing me I now had WAP access and something else which I have never heard of . This would not normally prove too much of a problem for me as I could have merely switched the phone off after the first message; however my phone had been hidden by one of the Noodlettes and I could not work out where it was. I later found in my sock drawer when I was getting dressed to head off to the start! How I laughed…

And so it was following a rather disturbed sleep that I set off to the local Leisure Centre for the start at 9am (or in reality 9am and a wee bit). The sun was shining and the forecast was for this to continue for the duration of the ride . Being an astute kind of chap I also noted the wind was to our backs as we headed out of town and looked forward to an easy first half, during which I decided to take things nice and steady and have a chat with a few club members.

The first 25km or so were relatively flat and we made good time thanks to the wind blowing us along. When the climbing started the wind once again made it bearable and I found myself a bit ahead of the group I had been riding with, also passing a few solo riders. As I came towards the top of a long steady climb I decided it was time to take a photo, and reached into my back pocket for my mobile phone. I unintentionally switched it to the media player fuction and set of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing the theme from “The Big Country”, and decided I should turn the volume up a bit until I crested the climb – I thought it was quite fitting with the snow capped mountians in the distance.







The rather much shorter descent saw me hit a maximum of 67kph, and it was during this I realised I had not tightened my saddle bolts sufficiently last night after I made a few minor adjustments to it . A short break saw this matter resolved, and following a series up “up and down” bits I reached Kirkmichael where we stopped for a coffee. I spent a good while in the café before deciding it was time to head off again into the wind, which was now head-on. Having taken it steady on the way out I decided it was time to remind my legs that they could turn a wee bit faster and it didn’t take long for me to pass a succession of solo and paried up riders as I found, despite the strong wind, I was climbing uncharacteristically well on the many short sharp climbs and not quite so many long drags. The flat bits and downhill bits were good as well.






Before too long I found myself only 5 miles from the finish and decided I should arrive there by taking a longer but much more pleasant route – which also allowed me to cycle past my house. Just as I turned onto the road which leads past my house Mrs Noodley called me on my mobile and asked my whereabouts. On being told I was nearby she said she would send the Noodlettes out to wave to me as I went past. On approaching the road end I spied the Noodlettes running along the grass verge towards me .

I pulled to a stop for a chat with them, finding out what they had been upto in my absence. I discovered Younger Noodlette had spent the morning going for a walk with a couple of neighbours and their dogs, explaining to them how I had wrestled and killed a shark with a hammer during our last holiday and that I had also rescued her from being mauled by a tiger – I bet you never knew just how daring I am , nor that sharks and tigers lived in the far North of Scotland .

And so I cycled the last few miles to the finish, where I ordered two rather tasty sausage rolls and a can of diet coke (one has one’s figure to think about! ) – not quite the food of shark-killing tiger-wrestling heroes, but lovely nonetheless and they sustained me for the short journey home again with the wind at my back. 

All in all a pleasant day out, with 115km total distance covered and my bike doesn't even look tired.


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## WindyRob (20 Apr 2008)

Oh very nice bike.... are you a tall bloke by any chance?


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## Crackle (20 Apr 2008)

Thanks Noodley, I did enjoy reading that.  Seems you're going well at the moment, it was quite windy here today but not as bad as yesterday. Beautiful countryside too, must get my backside around a few more places with the bike. What are those hills, Cairngorms?


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## Noodley (20 Apr 2008)

WindyRob - yes, I am tall. (It helps when dealing with angry wildlife .)

Crackle - yep, them be the Cairngorms. I may be venturing that way next weekend.


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## Renard (20 Apr 2008)

Chapeau


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## longers (20 Apr 2008)

Well written, you should get out more


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## tdr1nka (20 Apr 2008)

Lovely reading Noodly!

The theme from The Big Country is big in our house too!


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## Tetedelacourse (22 Apr 2008)

Good stuff Noodley, sitting at my desk at work it makes me want to chuck it for the day and head out and do similar.

How do you balance time on the bike with time with the wife and kids? Mine are 3 and 1 and as I work 9-5 Mon-Fri, I kind of feel that my weekends are for them. Which leaves very little time for decent rides. Hence I end up just commuting.

Got the Etape C to look forward to next month though, really looking forward to it. I'm doing it with a pal who cycles much less than me, so it wont be a race but just looking forward to racking up the saddle time and some good miles.


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## John the Monkey (22 Apr 2008)

Good read, and lovely pics too - cheers Noodley.


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## Rab (22 Apr 2008)

Good report Noodley, enjoyable reading


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## Noodley (22 Apr 2008)

Tetedelacourse said:


> ...work 9-5 Mon-Fri, I kind of feel that my weekends are for them...



Are you my wife?!!! 

I tend to have to fit it in somehow - going out in the evening and sometimes at night (e.g. heading out at 10pm and getting back after midnight) - to get the miles in my legs. It is quite hard sometimes to get out on the bike and this year has been not very good so far, but I'm managing to pick up the miles a bit now. 

Re balancing bike and family, I cram a lot of family time in when I can - taking kids to dance class, music lessons, pony club, swimming, etc as well as walking the dog, housework, and general "stuff". My wife and kids have loads of interests, especially horse riding and spend a load of time doing that. I find that about as interesting as they find cycling  so it works out fine.

Rides are coming up pretty thick and fast (not me ) in the next few weeks which obviously eats into family time and time off work as well as there are a couple of rides in Wales and others across Scotland. Some of the rides are local to me although there are others a bit further afield, e.g Durness and Wanlockhead.

My wife encourages tolerates my cycling - maybe a bit too much I think


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## Noodley (22 Apr 2008)

Rab said:


> Good report Noodley, enjoyable reading



Hi Rab. 

Deeside Loop 200 is in a few weeks time up Cairn O'Mount and Cairnwell if you are interested


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## Rab (23 Apr 2008)

Hi Noodley

Thanks for the heads up, I might just be interested in that. 

Better speak to Mrs RAB first though. I am in Edinburgh that weekend anyway playing a Hockey playoff on the Saturday, so, not to far to travel.

Better act quick as I see the entry form needs to be in by this weekend B)

As far as the family situation goes, I have similar issues with fitting in time for rides, I generally go out on a Wednesday Evening for a couple of hours and then do a 60 - 70 miler on the Saturday morning. 

I try to get out early on the Saturday i.e 6 - 7am ish so that I am back for late morning. Mrs Rab seems to tolerate this providing I am available for most of the weekend. Again lots of kiddie orientated things for the rest of the weekend ensures family harmony.


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## Noodley (24 Apr 2008)

Rab said:


> Hi Noodley
> 
> Better act quick as I see the entry form needs to be in by this weekend



Does it? No, surely not. Nothing on the AUK calendar with a closing date...I'm sure Alan (the organiser) will accept entries on the day. He'd better, cos if he's not at the pub next Wednesday he'll be getting my entry on the day.


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## Rab (25 Apr 2008)

That's good news as I haven't posted anything off yet. Still to decide 

Here is the link Deeside Loop where I saw the 2 week deadline (last sentence before the line across the page).

Should be good, never covered that distance before


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## Noodley (25 Apr 2008)

Rab said:


> ...(last sentence before the line across the page)...



I'd never noticed that before 

General rule is that if there is a deadline then the date appears in the same line as "Facilities" e.g 30/4 would appear if the deadline was 30th April.

If you are coming I'll let Alan know.

It's a good route, albeit the first control is not very far into the ride and a bit of an embuggerance. I don't think anyone ever stops "properly" until Ballater, and then again at Spittal of Glenshee Hotel (always good for composing onself after the descent - last year a few of the lads I was riding with hit 60mph, although I didn't due to some twat in a car deciding to overtake me then slamming on his brakes when he realised he was not going to make the corner ). 

The end of the route usually takes you down the main Kirriemuir to Forfar road which is an awful road IMO, but I spoke with Alan last year about it and he may have changed the route to take it round a much better quiet road - if not I can always tell you the route before the off.

I'll point out who to expect in the "fast group" to you at the start


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## Rab (28 Apr 2008)

Noodley said:


> I'll point out who to expect in the "fast group" to you at the start




good, so I'll know who to avoid 

Still chewing this one over, shall make a decision this week


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## Rab (30 Apr 2008)

Sorry Noodley, can't make it 

I screwed up with my dates , I thought the Etape Caledonia was on the weekend of the 24th 25th, turns out it is the 18th. Consequently as I am doing the Drumlanrig challenge this weekend, I better give the family some time.


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## Noodley (30 Apr 2008)

Rab said:


> Sorry Noodley, can't make it




No probs Rab, we'll maybe catch up later in the year.


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