East Anglia Tour Ride - bloody wind!

[GordonB]

Anyone else do the EA Tour Ride yesterday? I'm well used to fairly long rides, Rezillo and I do 60 to 75 mile jaunts regularly and generally average around 17mph, but yesterday was something else. John couldn't make it due to being blatted in the left eye by a large insect at 25mph, left him with insect bits scratching his cornea so no rides for a few days. This meant I did it by myself and for family reasons I had to start late so decided to do the 100km version rather than flog myself on the 200km. That turned out to be a good decision because the wind was blowing from the north west all day at around 15 mph. The exposed nature of the route and the peculiar terrain that involves long uphill slopes followed by a short drop turned this into a 45 mile hill climb that did me no good at all, I came as close to quitting as I've ever done on a long ride. Took me well over 4 sodding hours of riding to do 60 miles and for three of those my thighs were constantly burning.

How those folk on mountain bikes managed to drag all that weight along I do not know, but I passed any number grinding along at about walking pace in a granny gear when under most circumstances they'd be bowling along whistling a merry tune.

John and I are due to ride a similar route from just north of Ipswich to Hunstanton next weekend - but only if there's a southerly blowing!

Gordon

 

[Will1985]

I didn't do the Tour Ride, but I went out for an 80 mile round trip to Holt - 40 miles was enough into that headwind. Flew back at 24mph with the tailwind and saw some of the sportivers just north of Norwich.

I contemplated doing the Tour Ride, but after Dunwich last week I didn't think another 200km was wise! I downloaded the GPX so might consider it in a few weeks.

 

[Gog]

I done the 110km from Diss. Your right wind was a nightmare think there were only a few times when it was behind even then not for very long.
As for the hills thought I it was my imagination that the hills seemed to be going up more then down. Still managed to complete it in 4hr 12min. Think without the wind i may have ducked under 4 hours

 

[steveblowers]

.