Getting sorted ready for my ~50 mile charity ride. Really can't decide how to dress as it's a pretty cool feeling ~9 degrees here & overcast. Few breezes around and my weather app says a max of 13 degrees after midday. Probably going for roubaix shorts & Sportful R&D Wind jersey due to colour coding (blue today)...
I changed my mind and went for jersey & recent addition:
arm sleeves. They're fantastic and I can see me using them loads (as avoids me buying any more long sleeve jerseys)! Just as I was leaving I noticed my rear tyre was a little squishy... Fairly odd as I'd fully cleaned and checked pressures the night before. Pumped a bit of air in and headed down to the shop for the charity ride... As I pull up I can feel something isn't quite right from the rear, sure enough pressure felt low so just as everyones getting ready to leave on the 50 mile ride, I'm going against the flow to get to the shop to change my tube! Great start!
https://www.strava.com/activities/575640534/
Sure enough by the time I'd changed my tube (while having a good chat with some of the staff not riding) everyone had gone. Lauren said there was over 200 people turned up, probably closer to 250 and I was ~20 minutes down on the start group (10am start)... Some winds around but fantastic sunshine & a great day for riding. I put in some fairly fast paced efforts on the familiar roads of out town but was aware to hold back a little as I already had ~60-70 miles in my legs from the week. I started 'ticking off' riders as I went, the first couple no longer than 5-6 miles from town. They must've had a very long day!
I quite enjoyed riding solo and passing people, although because I was 15-20 minutes down on most of the club guys I really didn't expect to find anyone of a similar riding ability unless someone punctured (kept that hope alive all ride!). As the day wore on and I was on unknown roads with less people around me I was quite bored I half considered figuring out a shortcut but glancing at my Garmin (and being on unknown roads) meant I just kept going, I'd finished most of my food by 30-ish miles (2 gels left). I realised then I hadn't quite prepared myself and should've carried more than 2 museli bars, 1 bag of haribo and 3 gels... I came a cropper on some
gravel on a dodgy back road junction, thankfully at around 5mph, but I did jolt my shoulder/wrist when I came down. I shouted at a guy descending (while I was picking myself up) before he did the same.
A big climb towards Bromyard totally caught me unawares, as I incorrectly thought the climb on the profile was nearer Pencombe, after Bromyard (which I climb from
the other side). I paced the couple of climbs afterwards easy towards Pencombe, but I was almost
stationary on 1 of them, utterly spent. Semi-bonked and considering going back to Bromyard to find a shop... But had a word with myself once I came to the Pencombe descent as I was back on familiar roads.
Once past Bromyard I found
a good rhythm and was able to push quite hard back towards town, passing a few clusters of riders I should probably have just eased off and rode with. On the outskirts of town I passed the last few riders on my 'tally' while they were negotiating a junction far too slowly.
Got back to the shop and had a good chat with some of the guys still around I knew, my 'tally' of overtaken riders at 95. A couple of those punctures and one large group of 20 stopped for friends after a climb, but mostly in 2's and 3's. Once I'd noshed a couple of cakes and had a sugary coffee I headed home. A good 57 miles down and 122 for the week.
Wife took QOM this afternoon on zwift. She's already kicking my ass. Christ.
She's obviously doing more training than you?
Well done to her though!
