Another excellent GWR 211km audax yesterday in blazing sunshine and a stiff Easterly means September is in the bag,
Plains Trains and no more Automobiles from Warmley on the Bristol/Bath Railway path to Blunsdon/Swindon then Stonehenge then Radstock and back to Warmley. I pushed myself and rode from home so it was my longest ride ever by 15km at 254km although not lumpiest ever it was a not too unethically flat 2440m. The worst bit by far, getting up at 5am and trying to leave by 5.45, ended up leaving at 6am. Then I tried to wing it in Bristol on empty roads (rather than slower known bike routes) and got totally up the spout lost, eventually google mapped myself onto the railway path, and arrived 15 minutes after the start. duh. No time for planned coffee. Luckily I still got my brevet card as organiser dashed off to chase the bunch. downed a banana and off I go into the headwind on my own. At 70+km the latte and sausage sandwich were very welcome at The Whistlestop Cafe. still a few stragglers here so some sign of the around 90 that supposedly started. Rode with a couple of friends for a bit south through Wootton Basett and onto Avebury, which is far nicer than Stonehenge. I carried on making sure to keep eating and drinking as 80+km to next control.
Really hot and the wind a side/headwind so a lot easier. I was trying to keep my pace up, trying not to lose face. Came across a PO and a handfull of audaxers propping up the bin outside, so I joined them with a cold drink and ate a roll I had packed. Eeking water out on this section. On down to Woodhenge which was new to me, but I failed miserably at photos. then headed east to Stonehenge on the gravel public access track that doesn't require payment. I didn't realise yesterday that the high number of trailers/tents/camper vans of varying age and durability were obviously there for Equinox! Every single group/family cheerily waved and helloed in response to my greeting, they had already had 85 others go past! Past the old relics (stones not hippie vans!) and back onto the main road and a busy section west. this was my first 200km audax 2 years ago and there was a stinker of a westerly that day, this time a tailwind. The rolling lumps were still quite sapping and I was relieved to turn off onto the lanes and the fabulous Ginnys Cafe at Boyton. Highly recommended. The owner is the best, she remembered me from other audax visits when I am always knackered as a long way from home. Fabulous tea and ice cream today, still munching on my almond butter and marmite rolls too. I was at about 75% of official audax now and finally less than 100km to home, 14.30. So hot, I washed my face applied more factor 50, and off I went rolling all the way to Cranmore and then north to Radstock. The hills into Radstock, out of Radstock and into Radford are all known and sapping but thankfully beginning to cool off now. I even overtook a bunch so I'm not going to be Lanterne Rouge as at least 6 behind me. Result.
A main road downhill blast into Keynsham for a fair few kilometres and the last drag up to Warmley, where I hit the wall last time as I'd not eaten at 20km to go, No rookie food errors today. Back to the arrivée at the Holybush pub at 18.45, there were (majority of) the other 80 I hadn't seen riding! Getting dusky so I filled my bottles and headed back to Bristol on a very scary and slow ride with pedestrians all in dark clothes with dogs and majority of bikes had no lights on. Then I got in a snarl trying to negotiate the station roadworks and walked a lot and finally got home after 20.00 14 hours out, not too bad overall speed at 21.5kmh but speed really wrecked (about 1kmph I reckon) by the to fro shenanigans in Bristol. It wasn't easy but pretty pleased given the bad start and then pushing myself.
I'm still learning so much about longer rides, I had thought about extending this one to 300km earlier this month, but I abandoned that idea to keep for next year when daylight is longer.
Moving average 11.5mph making it my slowest of the year so far.
The ride write up is here for those who are interested: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/post-5740191
