On the bike first of all ...
The Haywards Heath Howler came first. A local sportive starting at Ardingly that was too convenient to miss. Early season events are generally a bit shorter and so the girls booked into the 40 and the chaps did the 85. It sounded like I was the only one who had been putting a few miles in over the winter because there was a lot of puffing going on 'behind' me throughout most of the event. It is a tricky little ride with no massive climbs but lots of ups and downs and a nasty finish - making it really hard to get into any sort of rhythm. This set a marker for the remainder of the year as we had a few things going on and we would need to up our game a bit.
Training continued after this with a mix of group-rides with Molly and the coffee drinkers of Group 2, as well as the longer, more serious Group 5 rides. Molly increases the mileage as she has booked into the New Forest 60 miler in late summer.
Leonie, Molly, Laura and Sharon in club training mode ...
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London to Brighton was next and Laura has gone from horse rider to bike goddess in super-quick time after bagging a £250 bargain off a local sales site in preparation for her first sponsored ride (in fact, her first real ride). We fit in some extra training rides, including a nice 'easy' test 50-miler and I am sure we are good to go by the start of June.
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The weekend of the ride I have a slight issue because we attend a friend's 60th birthday in Berkshire the night before the ride and don't get home until about 01:00. I have already decided that it would be good training for me to ride up to Coulsdon to intercept Laura and Bec and then ride down to Brighton with them, so it is a shade less than four hours sleep before I set off on the first 40 miles to meet the girls. I am a few minutes late getting to the RV but the girls are even later, trying to negotiate the route with several thousand others. We get-together by just after 08:00 and are swept south by the unstoppable tide of other riders. A couple of hours later, Laura's family greet us en-route with some extra flapjacks and, further on, husband Ian and the kids are waiting in Ditchling with the support banners.
Laura and Bec being greeted by Harry, Arthur and Alf.
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Luckily, the road has been closed to traffic up Ditchling Beacon especially for the event. We weave in and out of pushers, peddlers, sprinters and moaners and grind our way up to the top of the South Downs. Bec spins quietly past the the thirty-something pushing a £5000 bike on her old commuting-bike complete with slightly rusty chain and rack on the back ! A classic moment. With the major climb out of the way it is an easy and victorious bimble into Brighton. The organizers try to hang a medal round my neck at the finish line - but I hand it back and told the girl that I wasn't on the ride officially and had only joined Laura and Bec just up the road.
A great ride in perfect weather. Molly picks us up afterwards and off for a BBQ to celebrate. A fantastic effort from Laura and Bec raising loads of cash for charity.
I don't quite know how it happened but June arrives and I appear to be 60 all of a sudden. I was caught out at the start of the month by last-minute instructions to be 'ready for pick-up, Saturday 08:00, bring bike'. Simon (right, below) picks me up and we had a birthday breakfast (fry-up)at the Wheatsheaf, followed by two laps of Bedgebury in the sunshine, then beer on the way back. Then a shower ... and more beer ! The celebration had started.
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Me, Martin, Richard, Johnny and Simon enjoying mid-ride latte and cake. Picture courtesy of a random.
A lot of my mates ride but we have different tastes, so i thought we would have a weekend away with bit of something for everyone. Day 1 we are at Bike Park Wales for an uplift day.
Paul, Duncan, Dick, Adrian, Andrew, Brian, Jon, Chris, Simon, Richard and me. The other Andrew had yet to arrive ...
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I am a bit of a tight-arse / bore when it comes to this sort of thing and would rather save £30 and ride up all day but I have to say it's amazing how much fun it is and it did allow us to save the legs for days 2 and 3.
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After finishing off in Merthyr Tydfil, we all leave for two days wild riding in my favourite place - Rhayader. I can bang on about this place at length, but I just love it. Off the beaten track, quiet, rough, wild, tough. We stay with Paul at the Horseshoe and enjoy some excellent food just round the corner at Lamb and Flag. A few of the gravity-lovers will pull a sickie on day 3, so I decide that day 2 should include three of the four signature climbs in the area. We follow the NCR up the old railway, then spin up the tough bridleway to Talwyn Woods, lose most of the height almost immediately in order to drag ourselves up Puke Hill and then later in the afternoon, finish ourselves off with the grassy grind that is Bonk Hill. The rewards is a blast down the golf links and some beer. A classic route that I will never tire of riding round.
The 'other' Andrew, Simon, Duncan, Chris, Brian, Jon, me and Richard about to enjoy the descent at the end of a great day.
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As predicated, day 3 was a less-well attended and the hard-core set off up the golf links for the tough but rewarding climb to the mountain road, through the ford and then across to the equally tough (but short) climb onto Rhydoldog. A remote area, less well trodden by the visitors to the area and, as usual, we saw no-one. A great descent, followed by a detour via the oak wood to finish. We even had time to clean the bikes before we drove home.
The Wealden cycle contingent after the last climb of the weekend. Photo taken by (the other) Andrew - the only other rider to make it.
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September saw our return to the New Forest Sportive and the girls had decided to increase the distance again and opted for the 60 miler. Simon and I decided to ride with them and we had a great day out.
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It was a good training session too because I decided to ride the single-speed mountain bike ! I managed to get up all the hills, although there was only one steep one that was thankfully short. I can sustain 16 mph for several hours, but struggled with the odd bursts of 20+ mph. Thanks for waiting Molly.
Hard on the heels of the New Forest, we are off to northern France for a weekend in the delightful Tournehem sur la Hem. A splendid relaxed weekend with good friends.
Me, Simon, Sue, Mark, Leonie, Richard, Sharon and Molly waiting for the arrival of lunch in the old walled-city of Boulogne sue Mer.
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We re-visited a couple of tough climbs that the girls had struggled on during the last visit (admittedly it was really hot last time) and they cracked them all no problem this time round. About 125 miles over three days and the last 'event' of the year.
Well, almost. We had one more milestone left although I didn't know it was coming. I got a Whatsapp from Molly at work with the gurning faces of her and Sharon at some random roadside on Ashdown Forest. It wasn't until later that I learned that they had been for a quick spin and ridden (all the way) up 'the wall' aka Kidds Hill.
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This is a toughie and included in the top 100 road climbs in the UK and, I reckon, on a par with Ditchling Beacon. Just a mile long from the bridge at the bottom to the very top, but is it pretty relentless. Picture above is the top third. Respect.
There is just one date in the diary, so far, for next year and it is the 60 mile 'Ride-the-Night' event in aid of Breast Cancer. Leonie, Molly and Sharon are enrolled; Richard,Simon and I will provide support. This event is in late Spring, so at this stage we are just thinking about training ...
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