February metric 100km officially done. so all three challenges have at least one separate ride still. Plus lunacy.
What a glorious weekend, crackers/perfect weather. My 200km this month was the new Gospel Pass/Efenegyl 200 Audax on Saturday from Filton/Bristol (as opposed to the 150km version from Chepstow next weekend that I have done twice before) I had made myself do a DIY 200 two weeks ago so my imperial did have a ride already, so this one is my 100 metric as if the weather had been at all risky, or I had not made it, I would have been down and out of imperial.
The route looped south after the bridge to Caerleon/Usk/Hay on Wye but after having to cross bridge on southbound side due to north side being shut) I managed to get wrong exit at roundabout as pack just about disappeared, thinking Garmin was lagging on it's "off course" statement. Got mostly down the hill to Chepstow/Budgens and realised the trace was the return route. Some other idiot working from paper route followed me. Added 5km/15minutes and 150m extra climbing. Duh!! Basically on my own all day, seeing the same groups at the controls but on my own on the road. Control;s were quite hard to find but the fast lot generally cleared so by riding solo cut faff time, ate enough and was fine up Gospel from Hay and the descent was a dream.
So much better on my new bike, that I have been accused of wearing out too quickly. Chunky 32 touring tyres and disc brakes. However, I also went out for a stretch on Sunday to Bath (just flat 60km) and pumped the tyres up, they were on 40. I think Gospel would have been a tad easier at 80, I had deliberately left them soft but I think a tad too soft, the ascent seemed harder even though ideal conditions but at least I made it in one go!
So everything marvellous and 75% done by Abergavenny left control 16.45 knowing light would run out totally by 6. Raglan then the drag back to Chepstow but a nightmare route hanger left off the main road that was pitch black, vertical, grass/gravel track and no way could I ride it so I hiked the lot. I was fairly sure I could have stayed on the main road long drag hill as per the 150 but not totally sure the route was exactly the same after. so I followed official route, lost a good half hour plus. Heard owls. Absolutely no way could I get this far and give in now.
Eventually back to the Budgens I should not have visited this morning back up t'hill and over bridge, another audax rider caught me and he very kindly stayed with me to the end, I wasn't sure about getting the diversion right and not ending up on the motorway in the dark. Once past the big roundabouts I guided him back to The Swan (8pm/10 hours riding time for me) as his Garmin had failed earlier in the day and he was doing it via paper. I missed a turn and after interminable hills suddenly we were opposite the pub. What a relief. This 200 lark is not getting any easier! I don't get faster hopefully eventually I'll have fewer stupid mistakes!
it was Feb last year I broke my 25 month 100km streak (the bloodied smashed face pics came up on Amazon
), so back to 12 in a row now.
