Everybody Rides to Skeggy!! 300km AudaxI'd spent a large part of last week removing my SOMA Audax bike from storage and adding new front wheel, cables, bar tape and brake blocks. Then read reports that the roads on parts of the route were in poor condition, crater like potholes, and lots of mud , so put the SOMA back on the hook and took the Mercury!
The alarm going off at 3.45am was a shock, I usually work part nights and that's closer to the time I go to bed than get up, forcing myself out of bed was the toughest part of the day. But out I got and hit the road only half an hour later than planned. The 18 mile route from Derby to the start in Alfreton is mostly a gentle uphill, a good warm up but not fast going, I arrived late with just a couple of stragglers and a friend fixing a puncture still there. I set off with another rider, out through some of the ex coal mining areas of Nottinghamshire that have never really found another role since the mines shut decades ago. Soon out into the countryside and a steady climb to Southwell with its magnificent minster and soon onto the first control at Gannets cafe in Newark on Trent - one of the few cafes I've come across that does decent porridge - though not for me today as I was carrying my current preferred cycling food (Peanut butter and jam sandwiches and some Aldi Hike bars) so just a quick coffee and back on the bike. The gentle climb out of Newark takes you to the lovely Stapelford Wood then along some quiet lanes through charming villages. This otherwise flat area of Lincolnshire has an escarpment known as the Lincoln cliff or Lincoln Edge, whatever you choose to call it we climbed it at Navenby and it was a shock after the flatlands. On through the fens and onto the second control at Woodhall Spa, I didn’t stop here, just got my card stamped and cycled on. More pleasant villages, more country lanes, one climb approaching Spilsby, some B road and soon at Poppies café on the outskirts of Skegness. I had intended to stop here for a coffee and a rest but as I was parking the bike a group including a couple of riders I know were leaving, so I tagged along with them. From here the route follows the coast North to Sutton on Sea, it was the first time in the day where the wind made itself known and I was glad to be getting some shelter in a group, my turns on the front were hard enough it was good not to be riding this section solo. I deviated in Sutton to go and see the sea but couldn’t persuade any in the group to join me – Audax is a broad church which is one of the reasons I like it, but still find it hard to imagine anyone rides 100 miles to the coast and doesn’t spend ten minutes taking it in.
Half way, feeling good, making decent time with a three hour buffer and have only been off the bike for about 40 min. I considered stopping here but didn’t feel the need so carried on. The route inland touches on the Wolds, nothing seriously mountainous but not much flat either. I was joined to a group of six by some invisible elastic they would disappear on the uphills and I’d easily catch them on the down or flat. The next control at Horncastle came soon enough, a stop at the Co Op to top up my drinks and on to Lincoln. This is probably the fastest section of the route, pleasant but not exceptional, other than some gorgeous woodland carpeted with flowers (wood anemone) The route skirts Lincoln through some suburbs, then it’s a bit of a drag through Doddington and on to cross the Trent at Dunham Toll Bridge - this road always puzzles me, I’ve ridden it many times in both directions an swear it’s up hill either way! During the day there’d been a good bit of sunshine and I’d been riding most of it in shorts, now the sun was going down and it was time to put the legwarmers back on. The last section of the route is pretty direct and straightforward, but with a fair bit of up and down. At one point there was a lovely orange moon to my right, I was waiting for the perfect foreground to get a photo but waited too long and it was gone. I was feeling pleased with myself that the climb out of Ollerton wasn’t as hard as I remembered it, but my memory was wrong and came a few miles later… and just as hard as last time! Soon back into the ex mining towns and returned to base in Alfreton at 21.50.
306 km – overall time 15hr 50min (No allowance for starting late)- riding time 13hr 55min – 4hr 10 min spare
After a coffee, a couple of slices of cake and some chat. It was time to face the mostly downhill ride home where a hot shower and cold beer awaited. Total time away from home 19.5 hours and distance for the day 357km (That’s 221 miles in old money)
I’m drawing no conclusions for the debate going on in my head re Merc Vs Audax bike – see other thread. But at no time yesterday did I feel I was on the wrong bike for that ride, and it came as no surprise to pass several riders with punctures. I’ve done this Audax five times, and that’s as fast a total time as I’ve ever had, though the average riding speed was a fair bit slower than some of them.
Whatever – it was a grand day out.
Strava for anyone who follows it
https://www.strava.com/activities/1509287322And a couple more photos here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phbike/albums/72157695673415235
