There’s nothing quite like an early season time-trial to recalibrate your skewed cycling self-confidence. After putting in the miles this Winter I was starting to feel like the elusive ‘form’ might be on the near horizon. Unfortunately, as it turns out, not only am I slower than I’ve been for the last couple of years, I’m also slower than two-thirds of the club! Hey ho, it’s not easy getting older and being a parent.
Last weekend I rode the Exmoor Beauty 70 mile sportive. In fine sunny weather and with just one ascent to the top of Exmoor it was a relatively light dose of the usually brutal moors. My personal highlight was Ridge Road, a long and relatively car-free descent from Simonsbath to Dulverton with great views. A new one to me and definitely a route to include the next time I visit Exmoor.
Sunny Exmoor
I’ve been averaging 100 miles a week this year taking advantage of both the mild weather and a regular job in Bristol where I can commute by bike a couple of days a week.
Riding the steely in full pannier-juggernaut mode is one thing, but carrying Little Miss BikeVCar in the Toddler Chariot is becoming ever more of a challenge.
I’ll be off to France soon for a week in the Alps before my family then join me for a holiday in Provence. With this in mind I’ve been trying to increase my cycling for the inevitable back-to-back-to-back days on the bike. Immediately after the Exmoor sportive I commuted to Bristol 3 days in a row and then capped this off with my first time trial of the year.
The time trial went ok. Over a lightly undulating 8 miles around Chew Valley Lake I managed to average 21.5mph. Not my fastest but I gave it 100% and is a good marker. The other day someone gave me some advice: “Ride hard and rest”. Personally I’d add “… and eat”. So after riding 200 miles in the last 4 days, now it’s time to take a short break to recover … and eat.
Well done. Feeling that I need to rest after reading of all your efforts …… and of course something to eat!
Nicely done, brother. It gets easier when they get older. Now that my eldest is old enough to babysit the younger, my wife and I are free again! Well, at least for a couple of hours a day. 100 miles a week is pretty good with a little one.