Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Bigger and faster rides

My last post talked about the first century of the year. Since then I've added to the year's mileage with some other long rides and a few shorter ones. A couple of the longer rides were done in the company of stronger riders which has shown me that I'm a little slower than would like. Something to work on next winter but for now I will just have to accept my limitations.

A wee adventure


Having sorted my mechanical issues out I decided I wanted to see some new roads. I had arranged for some company on this ride but they decided the forecast was better the day before and so I ended up going going out one my own. Considering the forecast I also decided to reduce the route a little. I headed out to Dundee and then on to the climb at Abernyte.  Given my trepidation about this road it went easily enough. I suspect the easterly breeze helped somewhat.
Underneath the impressive hill of Dunsinane I had a problem when my rear mudguard decided to give up the ghost. I managed to repair the split with generous amounts of duct tape. I ride with a god roll of it around my pump. For once I was very pleased to do so. After that the roads were great al the way down towards Perth which I reached via the Stormontfield road which I had only ever ridden on the way out of Perth. It provided a lovely roll into the town.
Just outside Perth I suffered some weather in the guise of a strong hail storm. This was a hint of what was to come. I left the town behind me and started to turn for home. I needed to get back to Fife and decided to look at a little loop near Rhynd that would take me away from the main road. On a nice day this road would be great. However the weather was deteriorating and I was greeted by heavy rain on the road into Fife from Bridge of Earn. And from there, although it stopped raining, I was going to be riding into the wind all the way home.
The cafe at the garage in Newburgh provided a welcome cup of coffee and a tray bake. Lovely. Then it was back on the bike for the push for home. I was delighted to get there. Not a day you would pick to ride on, but one I was delighted to have been riding on.



Weaknesses exposed


I arranged to ride with a couple of Strava acquaintances, Tom and Mike. And I picked the route. I had asked for a nice social ride but it was soon apparent to me that their idea of social and mine were very different. Tom was on a bit of a tight schedule and he set the early pace. With Mike's very welcome help I just about managed to stay with them until we got to Dunning. Here was the challenge of the day in the form of the ride up Dunning Glen.
The boys left me for dead and head off up the hill. I set my bike into the easiest gear and headed upwards. The gradient on this climb changes quite a lot but it was ok. Nowhere really steep but near the end there is a steeper section. The clouds were now dropping some rain on me and at the top I headed passed the boys sheltering under some trees. I assumed they would pop onto their bikes and head after me but when they didn't arrive on my wheel I turned around and rode back to find them coming my way. Then we had a fantastic descent. Time for me to show my only skill - dropping like a stone. Too quickly it was over but we all got down safely.
We then had some flatter roads and some navigation errors before rolling into the services outside Kinross. Tom went in to get water while Mike and I waited with the bikes.
Onward onto Milnathort where Mike decided we should go via the steeper hill to Glenfarg. I wished he hadn't.  I was beginning to suffer under the relentless pace these guys can ride at. For the next few miles I felt they were riding a couple of miles and then having to stop to wait for me. It wasn't great for my self esteem. Around Strathmiglo I made the first suggestion that they should ride on. Eventually, after some more stop start riding for them, I persuaded them to just let me ride at my own pace.
Now looking at 14 miles on my own I was much happier. I could just settle in and suit myself. The occasional wet patch and sight of their tyre tracks allowed me to feel I was still riding with them which was some help. Riding into Peat Inn I saw Tom about ready to drive off as he had left his car there. That was another boost before I rode for home.
I realised at this point that I could still make my 15 mph riding goal, if I could just ride the last 6 miles fast enough. So, with just enough in the tank, I went for it. Passing a rider on the main road into St Andrews I was almost there. As I came into town I realised he'd hung onto my wheel. And at my stop point he came up my left hand side and said "thanks for the lift". 
A tough, tough day for me this one. But interesting to see where I sit in terms of fitness and riding.

More time at the back


Another opportunity to ride with Strava mates ended up with me going out with Will and Mika.  Again the pace was high leaving St Andrews and I knew I was going to toil with these boys. All the way to Collesie I struggled to keep up but the Mika needed to head for home, leaving Will and me to ride on.
This was better with Will riding more at my pace than his but he managed to drop me coming out of Newburgh without noticing. I worked really hard on the road to Abernethy and eventually caught him up, but not without his help.
After Abernethy the day's main challenge was reached. A climb up Abernethy Glen which I had only ever ridden down beckoned. Will stopped at the bottom for something to eat and I rode on. I got about halfway up before I was overtaken by Will. He was sitting down at the top when I got there looking very relaxed. I got to lead down the descent as he claims to be a bit nervous with on downhill sections.
We got together at the bottom and rode on to Falkland with Will doing most of the work. I was just trying to keep up. A quick chat and a decision to stop for coffee was made. However, turning into the main square, Will sorted an old fashioned ice cream seller, complete with bicycle. So we stopped for a one instead. A seat in the sunshine gave us a break while we munched away. Lovely.
Of course I needed to keep this down as we climbed up the steep Cadgers Brae and then Porter's Brae before heading for home along the Cults ridge. The sunshine was great as we headed along to Ceres and then up to Peat Inn. Heading back to St Andrews from there gave me the opportunity to go for a downhill blast near Denhead.  Will followed at a "respectful" distance. We rode into St Andrews and completed a lovely afternoon's ride.
It was still another lesson in how far I need to improve as a cyclist. 

Buachaille Sportive


After having having my cycling deficiencies exposed the next big ride was the Buachaille Sportive which I did last year. This time, though, I was going to attempt the the longer version at 105 miles. For some reason The Stoker decided to come with me which entailed them getting up at the ungodly hour of 4 a.m. in order to drive to Glencoe. 
After changing and registering I started my ride from the ski centre. After being held up by an inconsiderately driven camper van, and overtaken by another cyclist while waiting in a passing place, I spent the next 10 miles chasing down the overtaking cyclist. My descending skills paid off and I caught them just before the turning onto the road taking us to Kinlochleven.  On this section I was passed by Harvey who I had been chatting to at the start. He looked like it was really easy as we headed up a little hill. I caught up the a pair of cyclist not long after and one of them over took me as we came through Kinlochleven.
On the next section of road I caught him up and we rode together for the next wee while, mostly with him behind me, having a chat about all sorts of things. A little bit before the next excursion for the longer route I realised Andy was no longer with me and, although I slowed down a little, he didn't catch me up until the feed station.
Here I realised that my speed was really high. 52 miles in 2 hours and 50 minutes. Some of that was down to the initial descent but the rest was down to riding with someone else and essentially being pushed along.
We left the feed station together but he disappeared from my wheel not long after. He had said that he wouldn't try to keep up if he didn't feel he could so I rode on. For the next 25 miles or so I saw no other cyclists and I struggled in this section. Just before Loch Awe I had started singing to keep my spirits up. Coming to a stop at some traffic lights I let out a big sigh and a "phew" only to get a huge surprise when I heard "Just what I was thinking" from behind me. Two other participants had just caught me up. I hope they didn't suffer the singing.
They left me behind almost immediately the lights went green and I rode to the next feed stop on my own. I had an uncomfortable couple of minutes when the feed stop wasn't where I thought it would be but I was happy to see it just up the road. I spent a longer time here than was strictly necessary but I felt it might be prudent. My earlier companion came in and left while I was still sorting myself out.
After leaving the feed stop I rode up Glen Orchy, starting behind a pair of neatly turned out riders. I overtook them later on and rode out onto the A82.  I could see Andy quite a bit ahead of me but I reeled him in slowly but surely and came up behind him about two thirds of the way up the first climb up from Loch Tulla.  I passed a number of riders here putting paid to my claim to be the slowest rider out there.
I took it easy down to the entrance to the ski centre and my patience paid off as I overtook a number of riders who overtook me at the bottom. Slow and steady won the race up the steep and ever changing gradients of the last half mile! At 6 hours and 40 minutes, including stops, for the full distance blew my best guess for my time out of the water. I can only suppose that riding with those quicker boys had put extra speed in my legs. Fantastic!

A long way for lunch


A week later the bike was loaded up with the big saddle bag and I was prepared for any kind of weather. This time I was out on my own again, riding to Dunblane for lunch with my best man. Being me, though, I wasn't going the direct way and so I headed out over the climb at Abernyte again. Just before this I had ridden to and passed another cyclist who couldn't believe I was going to Dunblane and back.
The ride to Luncarty was pleasant but there was a niggling NW breeze keeping my speed down and the effort up. Riding across to Methven and Muthill kept to the back roads and was harder than expected but I got there nonetheless. 
Here, after 70 miles, was a big hill. Long and initially steep the first part of this road was tough. Then a descent with a really nasty bend, where I nearly lost it, before another climb which just went on and on.
The drop into Braco and the road out were fine until on the back road to Dunblane I managed to mangle my front derailleur.  I managed a roadside bodge and rolled down the hill to Dunblane and lunch.
After an excellent lunch and a quick borrow of a spanner and a pair of pliers to fix (for a while anyway) the derailleur, it was time to be off for the more direct route home. On the climb back back up to Braco it became apparent that the wind had shifted round a little to the north east over lunch. And that meant that I would be riding back home into the wind. So 139 miles against a breeze. Lovely.
The weather forecast had also been a little pessimistic and the showers hadn't occurred.  Leaving me wearing the wrong clothes and lugging some kit I didn't need (like a front light) with me.
The ride to Auchterarder was lovely. On a nice day with a breeze behind it would be fantastic with the views to the Ochils and further on to the Tay valley.  But today was a little tired already and not really ready for the drag home. Out of Auchterarder and down the road to Dunning where I was glad to see that the shop was still open. I popped in for more water and also picked up some or age to dilute in the bottle. With two full bottles I would be good for the last 30-odd miles home.
I rode all right to Abernethy but after that I started to drag and I needed to stop just short of the climb before Cupar. At this point the wind had almost won and I wasn't happy. A short break, a slice of Nutella pizza, a gel and some liquid and I was ready to finish it off. I rode home solidly but not fast; I just got it done. And I rolled in about 12 hours after I'd left. A successful ride.
Looking back I'm not going to say it was easy, it wasn't.  There were times I wondered what I was doing and times I wondered about my sanity. Having said that I'm very proud that I did it and I would do it again. What I would like to do is ride it with some other people. Company is what I missed on this jaunt. There's no doubt they could help during the bad patches, and I could do the same for them. Maybe that's the way to go for these longer rides.