I'm back in again. copying my report from lunacy challenge, with a repeat of the same
Chalke and Cheese audax that I kicked off with last year.
I was hoping it would be easier this year
209 km but 75% cross to headwind and flipping heck it was a gusty wind, the sort that jumps you sideways passing a gate, but a tailwind up Cheddar Gorge for the last 40km in the dark back to Warmley. I rode to the start at Warmley on the Bristol Bath Railway Path, leaving before 6am
adding another 18km so 227km, or 139miles.
Riding the B2B in the dark again coping with blinking rear lights and then emerging from the Two Tunnels to the first hint of light was a relief. Cross headwind down to Wilton with some drizzle and the first control at Boyton at just over 50km but more like 70 for me. Even though I had pre-ordered a panini and coffee I should have gone to the counter before the stamp queue, so wasted a good 20+ minutes. I don't usually arrive at controls at the bulge, so I was a little faster. Got to chat with some fellow audaxers. After Wilton (of carpet fame) we head into the wind and the hills proper start to the second control at Broad Chalke and we're still not half way. I only briefly stopped and continued on my own now for the very long 80 km to Wedmore via Shaftesbury and Wells, mainly cross headwind again. A major questioning of my own sanity at this point. The hills round Bruton were tough but I didn't walk but the countryside very distinctively rolling chalk. I sat on someone's step in Bruton and ate an almond butter/marmite roll and carried on, I missed a turn before Wells so toured the cathedral but nothing too serious, a bit of a diversion required in Wookey for extensive road works but I diverted back too quickly and ended up tramping through them anyway but the workers were very amenable.
Unlike last year I made Wedmore at dusk and the shop was still serving tea and with a pain au choc and the public conveniences still being open, this made for a much better launch into the short ride to Cheddar and up the Gorge. I had seen plenty of faster friends at the last control but again rode the whole of the last section in the dark on my own. I was suspicious my rear tyre was a bit soft and checked it so with a lot of hand pumping (too wuss to try a canister) I got enough pressure in and crossed everything I'd make the last 40km.
Cheddar Gorge in the dark and not too many cars, lovely listening to the owls and other wildlife. No fog or rain so visibility was relatively good, although I have to crawl in the dark, especially down West Harptree and around Chew Valley not wanting to hit any more potholes with my iffy tyre. The penultimate horrible Publow Hill out of Pensford was the only one I walked, but still quite a hike back through Keynsham, Bitton and Warmley with a last little kicker at my 225km mark to the arrivée about an hour earlier than last year and a very welcome pint of cider and salted peanuts and lots of chat. My overall speed did drop under 20km/hr overall though which is a bit disappointing but inevitable in the dark.
Unlike most others I was not game for the ride back to base, and called the broomwagon, I wasn't sure if he was available (playing golf and watching Bristol rugby in one day) until that point but mightily relieved he was given the slow puncture that had lost some more pressure but made it.
Major aches today, but I have found offending small spike of metal on inside of tyre and patched puncture, washed bike/chain properly
and I have been allowed special permission to let her dry properly in the house
All ready for next time, must remember to lube it though as my chain squeaked all the way round as it hadn't been cleaned very thoroughly after Festive 500
102.39 miles at a glacial 11.5 mph moving average.
Scariest part of the day was around 11:30am, started a 16% descent into Thixendale & pretty much the whole road was covered in frost/ice 
Hopefully February will be a little warmer 🤔
and he sped off at 360w on his training session, I gave chase for a bit and the gap closed at first but started to widen again 
