Cycling Coffee and Cake

  • Alps Divide Day 5

    Someone once said to me ‘there is no such thing as a bad decision, just a decision made in the context at that moment’. As I reflect on my experience I find it difficult to recollect exactly how I felt and why I decided that when I got to Barcelonette I was going to scratch. There were probably multiple factors. There were people behind me who had already scratched. Martin having lost all his kit, Haico because he was injured, Benjamin because he was on a gravel bike and had fallen hit his head and been vomiting!

    There was the nature of the terrain ahead of me. The weather. The time pressure. I remember, as I set off from the little studio I had slept in even thinking of going back to Isola and extracting myself from there. But as I cycled on, upwards, towards the Col de la Bonette I felt better. I was glad I had decided to do this in daylight. I was enchanted by the views. I was challenged by the climb which fortunately, for a good long section, was on tarmac.

    Ultimately the road did become unpaved but the views did not deteriorate in any way.

    I knew there was an out and back loop to the col itself and I had contemplated missing it out and going straight to the refuge and checkpoint 1. I felt so good and was enjoying the surrounds so much I decided to keep going and was so glad I did. The very last bit was on tarmac and round a corner to make the col.

    The views were breathtaking.

    Even better, someone came over and asked if my bike had a motor!

    Then it was time to circle the summit and head back down the way I had come before turning off to Bayasse.

    Once I had turned off, the path became quite rubbly and technical but I was in such high spirits I descended with little fear and threw myself down to the refuge.

    I was looking forward to a coffee and some food but I had forgotten that we were warned the refuge would be closed on Wednesday.

    Eating another Snicker (I must have consumed twenty to thirty since the start) I set off down the tarmac to Barcelonette alongside a tumbling river. It was downhill all the way 🙂

    Darren’s story.

    Coming off the Col de la Bonette I passed Darren who was on his way up.

    He had experienced a mechanical early on when his hub broke and he had to go all the way back to Menton to get it fixed. He then got a lift back to the spot where he had turned round and continued to race. He arrived at the first refuge, in the rainstorm, around 10pm (I was already asleep) and set off later than the rest of us the next morning. For the last few days he had been hot on my heels, despite losing at least half a day getting his mechanical sorted. We were to get to know each other better as he had also decided to scratch at Barcelonette.

    I arrived at the town and knew I was going no further when I ordered a pichet of wine and lunch.

    In the adjacent bar I recognised another rider, Kris. He also had scratched, since his front suspension had collapsed. I joined him for a post prandial beer and we were soon joined by Darren.

    The day before I had met Benjamin who told me he was getting a bus. “Do they take bikes?” I asked. He said he was told they did. So in Barcelonette I found the Tourist Office and the woman behind the counter rang the bus company and booked two bikes on the bus the next morning to Gap. Operation Extraction had commenced!

    Darren and I booked an apartment, had dinner and retired replete and sanguine about the decision we had made. Especially when we saw this message from Katie, the organiser:

    Snails and steak. A most excellent feast.

    There were 6 escargot- honest!
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  • Alps Divide Day 4

    I found it hard to get out of the sleeping bag and had a later start than previous days. I think I didn’t get going till nearly 6.30pm. I had heard other riders passing by in the night. Not sure if they saw my tent but I heard the crunch of tyre on gravel and lights sweeping the length of the tent as they descended.

    If I remember correctly, and to be honest there is so much that is a blur of time and place now, the track down was quite rough, technical in places and with frequent switchbacks.

    I got to village and saw two men sitting outside a door drinking coffee. I stopped. Inside was a small store and I was able to order a croissant and a pain au chocolat. In the past I would probably have just ordered a croissant or a pain aux chocolat. Experience and coaching has drilled in to me to double my orders! In fact I went in again but they had run out of both (a common theme!!).

    James and Kate arrived. There is an easy camaraderie amongst participants of these events which even transcends national borders. They were riding as a pair. Later the same day I would see James outside a Carrefour changing his brake pads. I learned later they had then failed and he was wondering if he could follow Kate downhill with just one brake working (I reserve judgement on that idea!). Then mysteriously they came across a sign in the middle of nowhere to a bike shop for e-bike rental. Inside James asked the custodian if he might be able to fix his brake. “Mais oui” was the simple reply. He did. I have a theory that if they go back there now that shop will not exist. It was ‘The Miracle of The Alps Divide’.…

    The WhatsApp was filling with messages about the inclement weather ahead. The temperature was forecast to drop to -6c on the tops. I was beginning to wonder about my options. At the pace I was going I couldn’t see myself finishing by the Sunday evening, let alone Saturday. The cut off times for the Control Points had been put back by 12 hours because of the rainstorm that hit us on day two. I was hearing from those in front of of me that some of the climbs ahead were really brutal, including one long hike a bike.

    I have learned that these events are 50% physical and 50% psychological. When I spoke to Niel before the event he had gone through my options. Mainly these focussed on enjoying myself. I was enjoying myself despite the long climbs but I was calculating in my own head how much risk I was prepared to take. All of this influenced my decision making as I continued to ride up and down towards CP1.

    I was coming past Isola which I knew of as a ski resort. There was a cycle path which was fun to ride on although the traffic in France had not been problematic.

    As I started to climb I knew I had the Col del la Bonette ahead of me and then a descent to the refuge at Bayasse which was the first Checkpoint. if I rode through the night I could probably beat the 7am cut off.

    I mulled it over and decided I did not want to ride over the col in the dark. I got the phone out and started searching Booking.com There was a hotel in Auron. A bit off route but I fancied a night of comfort. I had recently also learnt how to drop a pin on Apple Maps and then send it directly to my Garmin which would then route me to that destination. So I did that. Or at least I thought I did. I ended up in St Etienne de Tinee which was still on route. So I cancelled the hotel and stopped at a bar and ordered a hot chocolate. I asked if there was hotel. The woman, who I think ran the bar, gesticulated up the road and a droit. Then she asked me if I wanted an AirBnb for 60 euros. After a call by her to confirm it was available and a search on the app I booked the accommodation which was up the end of the road. I was able to push my bike into a little studio straight off the pavement. There were no towels or soap but I had a dry flannel and there was some washing up liquid and hot water in the shower. There was a ‘kit explosion’ as I dried out my sleeping bag, tent, clothes, charged my devices and changed into some casual attire (I carried one pair of light trousers, pants and a t-shirt for such occasions).

    Then I walked a 100m up the road and ordered a burger and fries before returning to the cosy studio and sleeping on the sofa which may or may not have been a sofa bed…

    I had no regrets about stopping early. I was a bit embarrassed I missed a message from Darren, who was hot on my heels. He camped out a little further back but I would have been happy to share the room with him given the falling temperatures.

    Tomorrow I would make my mind up in Barcelonette what to do about the rest of the route.

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  • Alps Divide – Day 3

    The rustling started early and I could see Jo was packing so I hauled myself out of my sleeping bag around 4am. Previous experience of alpine huts had taught me to ask if they would leave breakfast out if we planned an early start. Sure enough there was hot water, coffee, milk, cereal bread, butter and jam to feast on. It was still dark outside when we set of just before 5am, necessitating lights to see the path but above us the stars in the sky were magnificent. I rarely get to capture them with a phone camera but this was an exception.

    I started the traverse of the salt road and, as the dawn smashed the sky blue, a beautiful day enveloped me surrounded by staggering views..

    I was playing tag with Haico, Jo and Martin. Jo had been bitten by an Alsatian somewhere on the trail and when we met up at the refuge Barbera we were able to have a good look at the wound. Phone calls home elicited that there was no real risk of rabies (confirmed by Niel who is well versed in getting rabies shots having been bitten on another event in Europe). I should have insisted she source some antibiotics as dog bites quickly get infected due to the bacteria inhabiting their mouths. She cleaned and dressed it and was soon ready to carry on.

    The off road finally came to an end and there was a wonderfully sinuous tarmac descent to Tende (I think) where we all stopped at a Carrefour for resupplies. There were other cyclists there, including Stuart. I bought the best food I had sourced at a supermarket since starting – a glass jar of cold rice pudding. My spork was put into action! Then there was another beast of a climb – 26km. Mostly paved but petering out towards the end. Gradually the light faded as we climbed. Tail lights blinked high above me. Gabbi Winck set up camp not far below the col. Her video of the event captures the terrain and scenery brilliantly https://youtu.be/HefS1F8VtvA?si=-Xgr3i9e_AVqsw0g

    I kept moving; slowly. Jo had said she had booked a cabin 80km further on which she and Martin were aiming for. I didn’t feel I could make it that far so, as I descended I started looking for places to pitch the tent.

    Unbeknownst to me Martin had accidentally left his rear bag undone and was in the process of losing his tent and cold weather gear which was an utter disaster for his race!

    I came across an area with the top of a ski lift and some cabins. One of them was lit up so I descended a short way off route to see if I could source some water.

    Inside were half a dozen French people eating their dinner. After the initial shock of seeing this apparition appear out of the dark they made me come in, gave me water, cheese sandwiches, tomatoes and a peach! I found it hard to pack it all into my camelback but felt it would be rude to refuse.

    Back on the route I shortly afterwards found a picnic area which, despite the barking dog in the nearby house, looked perfect. I put up the tent, ate and then squirrelled my way into the sleeping bag. It was nearly midnight but I was pretty pleased with my riding and looking forward to finding a town to have breakfast in tomorrow.

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  • Alps Divide – day 2

    Part 1 and part 2

    There is something quite magical about cycling into the dawn. Slowly the edge of the world lights up, the stars begin to fade and the lights of the towns in the valleys diminish.

    I was climbing quite a lot off road and glad I had a full suspension bike. I met and knew other riders who had brought ‘gravel bikes’ and were complaining vociferously about the discomfort and difficulties they were experiencing. I made it over the climb and down into Pigna.

    A message had come through on the WhatsApp alert that someone had their bike stolen in Pigna during the night! It made me wary as I went into the patisserie and ordered a coffee. I tried to order a croissant, a pain aux chocolat, but they were clean out of them. A horde of cycling locusts had descended before me and swiped the lot! I settled for a slice of blueberry pie 🙂

    Leaving Pigna I wan’t sure what happened but thought it best to restart the route on my Garmin which is why there are two records for the day. the beginning of ultra brain? That fogginess and muddled decision making?

    I was back onto a climb up to the Salt Road.

    https://www.altaviadelsale.com/eng/upper-salt-road

    We had warnings of heavy rain coming our way from about noon. I expected rain but did not expect the torrent of water the sky unleashed! There had been lightning and thunder preceding its arrival. I don’t know if it is valid but I was told, when young, that the gap between the lightning and thunder gave an estimate of how far away it was. If that is true then the closest it got was 3 miles (a 3 second gap). It still felt threatening.

    The rain started. I donned my wet weather gear which turned out to be excellent. A 7 Mesh Skypilot Jacket and Thunderpants. The rain was torrential and heavy and unrelenting.

    I made slow but steady progress but began to wonder if it would be advisable to cycle on as the refuge I was aiming for was some 4-5hours away. Then I came round corner and saw a refuge with a number of bike stacked around the walls. I pulled over and walked in to find Jo, Haico, and Martin grinning and welcoming me as they had been following my dot up the mountain. The decision was made. I was going stay there for the rest of the afternoon and night and set off early the next morning.

    The main room was crowded and full of clothes drying and devices being charged. After a hot shower I ate some potatoes and later a dinner of terrine and lasagne. In retrospect maybe that was why I had such a good day the next day. It was hugely sociable. We were all in a dorm full of bunk beds (and snoring).

    The rain was incessant and suddenly Stuart appeared in the Refuge. He had lost his wallet and passport on the track. Apparently he met some Italians in 4x4s going down the track and asked them to look out for it. They found it and handed it into the Refuge before driving back up and letting him know. So he came all the way back from the top of the climb, in the rain, then turned round and set off up the track again! I found out later he bivvied in one of the deserted buildings beside the track. I couldn’t have done that! Oh, and he was on a gravel bike!! His adventures on this race became legendary.

    I climbed into my sleeping bag and drifted off.

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  • Alps Divide Day 1

    The start had been delayed until 4pm which meant quite a bit of hanging around. Registration had been done and bags were dropped off by 11am to be transported to the finish. At least we could have a good lunch.

    There was a strong wind coming in off the sea as the riders gathered. We had been well briefed by email and become members of the WhatsApp group that would alert us to issues during the race. Something which was going to be of vital importance.

    We gathered just off the main road through Menton and then the police escorted us out of town and onto the first climb. I was quite quickly the lanterne rouge but it didn’t seem to bother the policeman on his scooter. I was also not bothered. I have learnt that too many people surge at the beginning of a race and pay for it later. I knew I would gradually haul others in. I am the tortoise.

    We passed St Agnes the scene of our lunch the day before and still the climb went on. You can see from the map and data above that there was a hefty chunk of ascent before the climb eased off.

    It was warm and the views were wonderful until the sun set and I started riding into the night.

    The only time I knew I had crossed the French Italian border was on day 1. I am not sure if or how many times I subsequently crossed it again.

    I did come across a restaurant and stepped inside to get a coke and water. A woman came over to me and after ascertaining I spoke English said she was American and wanted to know what I was doing. I told her. She insisted on paying for the coke and they gave me the bottle of water for free. People can be quite lovely.

    I hit the bottom of the next climb. It was going to last at least another 20km or so. It was getting late so I started searching for a bivvy spot. I had discussed what to do on the first night with Niel and he recommended not trying to cycle through the night. I always take his advice 😉

    I saw a space with three cars parked in it, each covered in a drape, adjacent to an olive grove and made out that there was a place, behind some trees, flat enough to pitch my new tent. Across the road was a house with spotlights around it so I was a bit worried I might be spotted and clandestinely set up the tent, blew up my sleeping mat, unfurled my sleeping bag and crawled inside. It was so hot I decided to lie on top of the sleeping bag. I couldn’t open the doorway for extra ventilation as I already had one mosquito buzzing around inside.

    People came back to the house and there were barks and noises. Somehow I managed to fall asleep and get some rest. The adventure had begun.

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  • Alps Divide – the prelude

    This year has been full of change. I left permanent employment (aka retired) in May of this year. They say you need to think about 4 things when you retire. What is your purpose? Are you financially ok? What about socialisation? Finally, what about self actualisation? I sort of thought I would be ok but struggled far more than I anticipated. I found the loss of structure and interactions with people really impactful. I tried to get a couple of non-exec jobs and failed. One thing that was an anchor was cycling.

    I did really enjoy doing the Solstice Sprint (1000km loop starting in Warwick and heading through Wales) even though I had to scratch around 700km in because of broken spokes and a buckled wheel. In fact I enjoyed it so much I went back and finished it in one go from where I stopped in Llandudno (320km in one day).

    Not long after that I was entered into the Great British Divide but scratched after just two days mainly because of my mood. I felt low and lost. A simple puncture overwhelmed me. I returned home disconsolate and down. It prompted me to withdraw from the Alps Divide as I felt if I couldn’t do the GBD what hope did I have.

    Linda asked, “So what will you do instead?”. I shrugged and replied I would do something next year. She said, “But you love doing these events and it does you so much good”. Not what I was expecting! I then spoke to Niel Copeland, my coach, and he did a brilliant analysis of my fears, expectations and options with me. I realised I was allowing my mental mood to stop me from doing what I loved. I emailed the organisers and rescued my place on the event.

    Niel also lent me his Evoc bike bag; a serious bit of kit. It made packing the Scott Spark pretty easy (especially with some help from Jim). So on the 4th of September I started the transfer to Menton, on the Côte d’Azur. Trains to Gatwick, a stay in the Premier Inn and then an Easy Jet flight to Nice, a train to Menton and then a short, steep walk up the hill to the La Vallaya Apartment.

    Others began to arrive, Martin, Haico, Paul and Niel by car with Darren arriving later. Jo and JoJo, and Stuart. Only Stuart was staying elsewhere in the old town so it was a very sociable location.

    Niel proposed a warm up ride on the Friday. I had managed to put my bike together (with a bit of help) and was keen to find out what lay ahead.

    (The Evoc bag came with a bike stand that could be taken out as shown!)

    Five of us were prepped and ready by the Friday so rode through Menton, past the start of the race and up the first climb. It was a lovely day and I was soon steaming on the climb. It was sustained, steep and, although I didn’t know it at the time, we only did half of the climb. We stopped at St Agnes for lunch and had platters of meat and cheese and bread and salad – delicious!

    The descent back to Menton was a whizzy delight and that evening Niel cooked dinner for us all and we drank alcohol free beer as the sun started to set over the Med.

    L-R: JoB, Stuart, Me, JoJo, Paul, Niel, Martin, Haico, Darren. The Turn Cycling crew.

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  • Solstice Sprint – the reprise.

    I was really enjoying my ride on the Solstice Sprint when I broke the spokes, buckled my wheel and had to scratch and make my way home. I had noted that I broke down right opposite a Premier Inn just outside Llandudno. I also found it pretty easy to get home by train. That seeded the thought that maybe I could go back and finish it. There were about 300km left to do.

    So one Saturday found me rolling my bike out of the garage to get to Shireoaks Station and begin the journey back to where I had abruptly stopped on the Solstice Sprint. I was somewhat stressed as I had managed to bugger up the rear derailleur on my new bike that I wanted to use and had had to revert to the one I used for the event originally

    The train trip was pretty uneventful and I got off at Colwyn Bay to ride the last few kilometres to the hotel. I also tried using the new function where you can pin a place you want to get to on Apple Maps and then send it to the Garmin headset which will route you to your destination. It worked!

    Premier Inns are great as they let you take your bike into the room. The only downside can be getting decent food. I went to the Brewer’s Chef and had a rather disconsolate pizza with an alcohol free Guinness (which was pretty good).

    It was going to be an early start so I had bought myself a pot of instant porridge to make up for breakfast and was out the door around just before 5am. It was beginning to get light and as I cycled towards Colwyn Bay the sun began to rise.

    My ambition was to finish the route in one go but I knew I had to break that down into manageable chunks. They came along as 100km, 140km (you only have 160 to do and you have done that before), 160km (well done – more than half way) and 200km (only a 100km to go).

    I listen to podcasts and music using a set of Aftershokz headphones and the hours and kilometres kept passing. I had two food bags on the handlebars stuffed with Snickers, Twix, Nature Valley bars, salted peanuts and jelly babies. Every half hour or so I would be eating, not because I was hungry but to fuel the ride. I stopped fro a bacon roll at a garage but it was disgusting. A bit later I stopped at a Greggs and had a sausage roll and a doughnut. Also if I bought a coffee I would pour it into my water bottle so I didn’t have to hang around to let it cool down.

    I passed Wrexham, Oswestry and then, near Telford, Liam, the event organiser, obviously had a sense of humour as he sent us round the Wrekin!

    It was a completely unnecessary loop in the course but I guess that was the point.

    I had heard other riders, at the finish, talking about Ironbridge and seen some pictures and it was a feeling of accomplishment to roll through and capture a picture of the bridge myself.

    Passing through various villages it appears there are now scarecrow competitions. Some were quite impressive specimens.

    The last few hours and kilometres seemed to drag. I had recorded over 300 km on my Garmin but signs for Warwick were yet to appear. I checked on Google maps and it told me I was about 6km from the Premier Inn I had booked. A last push and I was rolling up to the entrance.

    I rode just shy of 319km which took me nearly 18hrs to complete during which I only stopped for about 90minutes and burnt, according to Strava, 8000calories.

    It was the longest ride I have ever done. The restaurant was shut so I had a beer and some crisps and went to bed…..

    The itch the scratch had caused was cured.

  • Solstice Sprint – Day 3

    Not sure if it was the Red Bull I drank in the afternoon or feeling nervous about sleeping in a church porch but I was awake at 3.00am. I had heard it raining, quite hard, earlier in the night so felt quite pleased with my dry bivvy spot. I checked: dawn was just after 4am. I packed up and set off into the early light.

    Looking at the course I could see that the first 40km were undulating and then there was a long flat stretch from Machynlleth along the coast.

    Then through Barmouth (with a rattly wooden paved bridge across the estuary) until the climb up to the Stwlan Dam. This diversion proved to be a real challenge from the start. There was a locked gate across the road. I had to lift the bike over it. Allegedly there was a smaller gate to one side but I didn’t spot it! It was a pretty steep climb but, I guess, the views were worth it….

    The steep descent had me worrying about my brake pads and rotors over-heating until I reached the flat again and could stop for a cold can of Coca Cola (aka ‘the little red ambulance’).

    Despite the lack of sleep and distance I had covered I was feeling good and decided I could definitely make Ruthin that evening so I deftly opened booking.com on my phone with one hand while cycling and reserved a room at the Castle Hotel and Spa. the thought of a shower, possibly dinner and a bed spurred me on towards Llandudno.

    Llandudno Junction is about 7 or 8km from Llandudno and the Great Orme. Liam, the organiser, had yet another of his little loops set up around the Great Orme and I must admit the thought of leaving it out did cross my mind more than once as I rode towards it.

    I was really glad I didn’t. You enter the one way system around the Great Orme through a toll gate. As you climb away from Llandudno the sea and coast line emerge to your right with the cliffs of the Great Orme on your left where climbers were testing their skills.

    I came off the back of the Great Orme feeling exhilarated. Everything was going better than I had anticipated.

    On a short climb out of the town I stood up and shifted gears. The chain dropped between the cassette and the wheel and jammed. I had to balance precariously whilst trying to unclip without falling into the road and before I could complete that manoeuvre I heard the dreaded hiss of a rapidly deflating rear tyre.

    Undaunted I took off the Tailfin and removed the rear wheel. Quicker than anticipated I managed to put a tube in. When I put the wheel back on the bike however it jammed as I tried to rotate it. That was when I discovered the two broken spokes and buckled wheel.

    A day cyclist was coming up the hill.

    “You OK?”

    “No, I’m fucked”

    He stopped. I explained. He tried to see if the bike shop in Llandudno was still open. It wasn’t. It was 5.30pm.

    “Where do you need to get to?”, he asked.

    “Ruthin. I have a hotel booked.”

    “If you can wait an hour I will cycle back to where my car is and it has a bike rack on the roof. I can come back and pick you up and take you there.”

    So I waited. While I waited I discovered Ruthin did not have a rail station. So I planned to travel back to Warwick from Llandudno. The route would take me through Chester. So I checked out how long it would take to get to Sheffield. From where I was it would take much less time to get to Sheffield as it would to Warwick. The wait for an hour proved invaluable as it gave me time to calm down and consider my options. By the time Chris came back I had booked tickets to Sheffield from Llandudno Junction which is where he dropped me off. What a kind man!

    Linda picked me up from Sheffield Station and I was in my own bed by midnight.

    I had ridden 198km with 2,772m of climbing in 11hrs 46m.

    I had only had another 300km to do. I have decided that in the next month I will go back and complete the course as this scratch has left me with an itch!

    PostScript.

    I drove down to Warwick on the Sunday and had a fabulous day at the finish waiting for Alex, Nadine and Niel to roll in. I got to meet and talk to the amazing Annie Dixey who had come in third female on her first ultra race! Nicky Shaw was first female back and Ian To was the first rider home. Despite my misfortune I was buzzing after three days of hard riding and wonderful scenery. I can’t wait to go back to Llandudno and finish what I started.

    Alex Armstrong having just finished

    Annie Dixey showing off her cyclist’s tan.

    Niel Copeland just finished (at ‘party pace’)

    Nadine having ridden through the night….

    Nicky and Niel looking far too fresh!

  • Solstice Sprint – Day 2

    I am listening to Lael Wilcox’s daily podcast on her ride around the world. Each one starts with a recap of where she started, where she gets to, how far it was and what elevation she climbed.

    On day two I started in Devizes and rode to St Harmon which was just under 252km with 3,364m of climbing.

    I got going just before 6am having had about 5hrs of sleep (luxury!). First stop was a garage to get breakfast – a bacon bap and coffee.

    The profile to the Severn Bridge wasn’t too bad and the 80km swept by. I had to faff around when I got there as the route plotted was across a cycle path on the East side of the bridge which was closed and that was also the side the services were on where I wanted to get my second breakfast. I prioritised fuel before heading across the bridge. Ultimately I found the route across on the West side and swept onwards to Wales.

    There was a bit of a climb over to Monmouth but I knew the big test was going to be Gospel Pass, the highest road pass in Wales, before the descent into Hay on Wye. As I hit the steeper section I was contemplating shanks pony when a voice rang out behind me, “You’ve got this!”. Another rider came past and claimed it eased up not far ahead (slightly, I discovered). His exhortation spurred me on to complete the climb despite the pain.

    The descent to Hay on Wye had my disc brakes screaming like Banshees, something I was going to have to get used to with the descents from now on. I checked to see if they were worn out but they still had padding left.

    In Hay on Wye I grabbed some resupplies, including a Red Bull. Dusk was approaching but so was the Elan valley, a loop on the route that took us through some exquisite scenery and thigh testing climbs.

    Then I was in Rhayader. I popped into a couple of hotels but there was no room at the Inn – the other riders, sat having meals, looked on sympathetically as I headed back out into the night. I checked the route and realised that if I pushed on just a little further I would be at the end of this particular route segment and would have hit the half way mark.

    On Instagram I had seen one rider doing All Points North bivvy in a church porch. It had started raining in the late afternoon requiring full wet weather gear. By late evening it was dry but threatened more rain. As I pulled into St harmon I spotted a church and went to investigate. It had the perfect porch: clean, large enough and far enough back from the road to be private. it also had an automatic light triggered by movement. I settled down for the night.

    I felt really pleased with my progress and looked forward to cracking on the next day. I had ridden for 14.5 hours.

  • Solstice Sprint 2024 – Day 1

    19th June

    I am disappointed that other train booking apps haven’t incorporated being able to book your bicycle onto a train like Trainline does. I printed off all the tickets required (there is this wheeze now where they split the tourney to reduce the price so I ended up with a sheaf of tickets) and set off from Shireoaks, to Sheffield, to Birmingham New Street, walked to Moor Street and ended up in Warwick. I met Nicky Shaw en route who I first met on the Dales Divide in 2022. Unassuming and delightful company she is a phenomenon on the bike.

    The set up for the start was in a great location – the pavilion for a tennis and cricket club. I got my tracker, cap (designed by Nicky!) and set off the locate my hotel. I asked if I could keep my bike in my room and they said yes as someone else had already done so. I think, in retrospect, the locked shed down the garden would have been fine as the staircase up to the second floor was narrow and steep and awkward.

    I then went off to search for Niel, Nadine and others who were camping on the race course. Niel’s van is a super neat conversion and basecamp looked very comfortable.

    We all met up for dinner a Giggling Squid restaurant and I had the good fortune to sit next to Ian To. He and his partner Ingerbord are behind Via. He completely understood why I had to withdraw this year (he has two smashing daughters) and I listened into the chat around the table feeling a bit daunted by the comparative watts people were talking about. An alcohol free evening ended with a stroll back to the hotel through the streets of Warwick.

    20th June

    The start was at the most civilised time of 10am. This meant I could thoroughly enjoy the hotel breakfast. A highlight was the eggs Florentine: two poached eggs on toasted muffin with spinach and hollandaise sauce. The sauce was delicious and the waitress told me when I complimented it that it was ‘homemade’.

    I got my photograph taken with and without my bike. The gang all gathered including the two Simon’s, Alex and Annie Dixey – a junior doctor from Salisbury.

    Then I was lined up in the 50-60 cap number group. We were set off in waves so ours left at 10.10am. the road meandered out of Warwick and there were roadworks to hold us up and let some of the speedy ones pass us. Niel overtook me early on and I was interested to see how he ‘spun’ up the hills.

    I settled into a rhythm and ignored the steady stream of people overtaking me. The route headed South to start with through the Cotswolds with the ubiquitous stop for coffee and a snack at a petrol station.

    The weather remained perfect the whole day. I heard later some found it too hot but maybe that was the pace they were setting? It was undulating and tougher than I expected from looking at the profile beforehand but I was making pretty steady progress. I began to believe I could make Devizes which would be about 250km for the first day. I knew there was a Travelodge there.

    Having just crested a punchy, steep climb and getting my breath back (while listening to a flow murmur!) I heard “Gotcha” as Nadine crested the climb. She was ever so pleased!

    We both planned to eat in Marlborough and as I swept into the town round a corner I found her sitting outside a pizzeria. The pizza I ordered ended up being tea, dinner and breakfast.

    It was actually the Solstice today and as I headed further south I crested a hill to be met by Ingerbord, Ian’s partner, who was on her bike (another great rider!). She told me the Solstice celebrants were out in force at Avebury which I made just after the sun had set to find crowds milling round the stones and partying.

    I made the Travelodge in Devizes just as another cyclist was booking in. I was hugely satisfied with the day’s riding and that I had a shower, some cold pizza and a bed to look forward to before an early start tomorrow.

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