Monday 21 November Burton Loop

Like last week I didn't feel great on this ride, not sure if it's time for a rest or just the body is still adjusting to working at silly times of the day/night.  Took a ride to Burton yesterday, old stomping ground for me and some lovely roads around the back of Burton from Barton under Needwood up to Tutbury.

It was a coldish day but not quite cold enough for the bib tights and jacket I had on, just couldn't get my body temperature right and didn't feel at all comfortable throughout the ride.




Followed up yesterdays ride with 48.5k's on the turbo this morning, feeling better today.

Distance = 101 km
Time = 3 hrs 57 mins
Ave Speed = 25.4 kph
Ascent = 834m  (m/km = 8.3)

2011
Road Bike = 4071.4 km
Single Speed = 102.2 km
Fixed = 26 km
Indoor = 323.6 km
Total = 4523.2 km

Monday 14 November Charnwood in the autumn

Not been feeling to clever the past few days, the effects of a stinking cold and too much to eat and drink on Saturday night still with me this morning.  I had planned a 150k ride for today but that just wasn't happening!  I did think of scaling it down to 3 hours, and that's what I should have done.  My enthusiasm got the better of me and I set off on the 'Charnwood in the Spring' route, a local Audax ride.  Missing the first and last few k's this is a nice 100k ride.

About an hour in I knew this wasn't working, I was going along OK but it just didn't feel right, but I ploughed on.  Once through Mount Sorrel I could have cut the route short and took a more direct route home, but no, again I ploughed on desperate to get a 100k ride in.  Again at 6 Hills I could have headed for home but guess what......  Despite not feeling good I was making good time and knowing the last 1/3 of the ride would be wind assisted I was happy to continue at my current pace.  I kept eating and drinking and this was keeping me just about in the zone, albeit at the very bottom of the zone.  The tailwind did its job and lifted my ave speed from 25.5 kph to almost 27 by the time I was home.  As soon as I got off the bike I knew I'd dine too much, feeling light headed and sick I got myself plenty to drink and even more to eat.  I hindsight I should have stuck to a gentle 3 hour ride, maybe I will next time, we'll see......

Despite me not been in good shape today I clocked the 100k in just 1 minute slower than my PB, maybe a sign of how I'm still improving.

A great route in the Autumn as well as the spring under a dull cloudy but dry sky, one to be recommended to you locals or Audax riders. 




Distance = 102 km
Time = 3 hrs 47 mins
Ave Speed = 26.8 kph
Ascent = 827m  (m/km = 8.1)

2011
Road Bike = 3970.4 km
Single Speed = 102.2 km
Fixed = 26 km
Indoor = 192.7 km
Total = 4291.3 km

Sunday 6 November Vale of Belvior dawn raid

Ratcliffe Power Station at sunrise

Got out early yesterday and was treated to a beautiful sunny autumnal morning.  A cold start which didn't really warm up until well into the morning, even the bright sun couldn't warm things up.

I love the sound of the leaves crinkling under your tyres at this time of the year and yesterdays ride gave me plenty of that.  The route starts out on familiar roads out through Sawley and Long Lane to Kegworth, then on towards Cotgrave via Bunny, it's all country lanes bar a mile or so through Bunny on the A60, early on a Sunday morning there's barely any cars around.

Once through Cotgrave and over the A46 it gets even quieter as you head into the Vale of Belvior, the only 'traffic' I encountered in 45 minutes was some cows being escorted back to their field after milking.  This route is as flat as a pancake until you reach Terrace Hill, not the hardest of hills by a long stretch, but worth a mention as it appears in Simon Warrens 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs due to the fact that it the only climb of note in the Vale of Belvior.  Once up the hill I was treated to a lovely circuit around the perimeter of Belvior Castle's grounds, some lovely villages with equally lovely views of the Castle and surrounding countryside.

Long Lane at sunrise

The ride back from Belvior is not quite as spectacular but still a very nice route across country and along the Trent to Radcliffe on Trent and then through Holme Pierpont estate with a little stretch of strade bianche for those Italian classics lovers.  Then the ball ache bit of crossing from East to West Nottingham, my favoured route is through West Bridgeford and over the toll bridge before taking the cycle network to Dunkirk and then a heads down blast for home along University Boulevard and Queens Road.

A very enjoyable jaunt was had and I felt well rewarded for getting up early on a day off, the sunrise was a cracker, as was this ride, looking forward to actually keeping this bike riding up through the autumn and winter for a change.




Distance = 115.5 km
Time = 4 hrs 24 mins
Ave Speed = 26.1 kph
Ascent = 915 m  (m/km =8.2)

2011
Road Bike = 3868.4 km
Single Speed = 102.2 km
Fixed = 26 km
Indoor = 175.2 km
Total = 4171.8 km