First off: an apology to anyone who was offended by my rather intemperate language following my front derailleur's poorly timed decision not to shift down before a climb. The walk was unnecessary, but so was the swearing. Sorry.
Second off, it appears that some people need a reminder about this....
Thirdly: Flashing front lights. Please, please, stop that while you're at it. Blinkin' annoying to others, and why would you want to have a decent view of the road only every other second?
I've had the week off, so as a few times previously, weather was OK, I could go for a ride in the morning, or a shorter one in the afternoon...or I could just ride up to HPC and be done with it. So I went with that option. Last year's ride up for this one was a frustrating slog which ended up with having to get a train in for the last stretch and flagging for most of the night. Somewhat determined to avoid that happening again, I set off this time an hour earlier than that one, half two, no route experimentation, just the tried-and-tested Petersfield-Haslemere-Guildford-Ockham-Richmond Park way, and I decided to make a point of eating half way rather than waiting until Guildford. Got to Haslemere at about five (have done it in two hours, but that was in a Hummers-powered peloton with a tailwind), a trip to the Co-op there for a sandwich being rapidly curtailed as there were no sandwiches (!). Up the road I continued, stopping at Milford at half-five, where the Co-op not only had plenty of stock left, it was reduced
Up the road a bit further to Farncombe, and a quick (fifteen minutes or so) stop to eat. Made Guildford by a quarter to seven, then after the A3 bike path (thankfully not overgrown), Ripley and Ockham. Plough Lane, the usual route north from there, was closed but the diversion worked out OK. Managed to take a wrong turn in the Kingston one-way system (not difficult, more road design inspired by H. Bosch & F. Kafka) and ended up entering Richmond Park through Richmond Gate (NW corner) instead of Kingston (southern)- and promptly continued anti-clockwise anyway when I could have gone round to Roehampton clockwise, only realising my mistake when I got back to Kingston Gate. Never mind, miles=good and this was why I allowed more time....
Out of Roehampton Gate and back on course, ended up deciding to continue east rather than go over Putney Bridge as making the correct turn was complicated by traffic. Went over Wandsworth Bridge instead, and reached Victoria at about half-nine. I was, unsurprisingly, the first there, not a problem. 81 miles, rolling average of 13.2 mph for that first stretch. Plenty of time to refuel (extensively) and chinwag with the early arrivals before the short schlep round to HPC.
As for the ride itself, fairly straightforward- certainly more so than last year was. Escape from the smoke, the odd puncture and an accelerating iPhone notwithstanding (there is, I kid you not, a repair place on the Kings Road called iSmash, how fitting was that....) was pretty uneventful. Sutton's exciting nightlife was its usual tottering slurring self. Safety message about Pebblecombe seemed to sink in, thankfully. Newdigate-Rusper stretch as glorious as ever. And then it was Race for the Bread Pudding time. Somehow ended up in the middle batch of arrivals. Not Good. But Mark had made plenty of it. Good. Horrifying reports of portion reduction thankfully overstated. Very Good.
After that...aforementioned derailleur and language fails, cows, almost nodding off standing up at about six (young Dutch lady offered me some caffeine, declined- woke up properly after we got moving again)...arrival at about 8.30, to be greeted by a huge queue.
@Charlotte shot down my (half-joking) suggestion that those who rode up should get priority, 'because you're very silly' (coming from someone who's done the Dun Run on an ordinary, I'll take that as a compliment!). Breakfast at the Lobster Pot was up to its usual exceptional standard. Train home? think not. Took the shorter route options west, and back just after noon, 23 miles in two hours. Afternoon nap not long after that. Total mileage 174, 7250ft or thereabouts of climbing (not a lot, really), moving average 12.5 mph, and a new Second Longest Ride Ever. Stats
here.
And one must not forget the outstanding candidate for Rider of the Night, young Joe Hatler. Chapeau, again!
Next up for me, Flandering in Brussels....
Thanks, one and all!
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