The Long Good Ride 2012: New Forest Sportive

Sunday 15th April 2012

Distance: 84.42 miles

Top Speed: 36 mph

Average Speed: 18.2 mph

Altitude Gain: 4285 ft
Avg Gain Per Mile: 50.8ft

Weather conditions: Sunny, but windy and quite cold

So here we are, our first major challenge in the diary since beginning training a few months ago. I say here we are but unfortunately it is just myself flying solo - Dangerous Dazza had no choice but to pull out of the ride through illness. But I’m told this was actual illness rather than a case of man flu (though admittedly man flu could easily knock anyone out of action for a month or longer!)…

Today was all about upping the mileage and working out a decent fuelling strategy - sometimes on long rides I get into a rhythm and like to plough on when instead I should really stop briefly to take on some much needed food and drink. Today worked out quite well as I ate actual food (no nasty tasting energy gels!) and did not run out of energy at any point. Route:

http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView/2?id=446841

Starting off in the sunshine was nice (although the temperature wasn’t much above freezing this time of the morning) but the strength of the wind soon became apparent in the early miles on the exposed stretches of roads in the New Forest. Leaving Brockenhurst we made our way to Redlynch via the back roads, a few solid miles riding into the wind was hard work so it was good to reach Woodfalls and head back into the forest with the wind behind us briefly. But I did have a quick rest stop to let the pigs cross the road in front of me at one point…

Heading towards Godshill was fun because I was averaging over 25mph for at least 5 miles on a flat road with the wind behind me, I think riding my decent bike today (rather than my heavy winter training bike) definitely helped my pace. There were lots of club riders all riding together like a pro peloton, taking turns at the front to take a battering from the wind and keep the speed up. This is where having Dazza there would have helped, we could have each taken a turn heading into the wind with the other person benefitting from slipstreaming. Instead I just had to plough into the wind on my lonesome and tag onto the faster club riders whenever I could (only not taking a turn at the front of their group – cheers lads!).

The first feed stop at 34 miles gave me a chance to scoff some banana and flapjack quickly, refill my drink and then get back on the road. Soon we were through Ringwood and Burley swerving round horses and going over way too many cattle grids for my liking (or my shiny new bikes’ liking for that matter!). The second feed stop was probably a bit too close to the first as it arrived on 54 miles, still I didn’t turn down a chance for some jam sandwich and flapjack action!

Heading back into the wind we ploughed on towards Bucklers Hard and Beaulieu, then back round in a loop to the finish line at Brockenhurst on 84miles. I was glad to finish but not because I was spent, surprisingly I was feeling good by the end of the ride and had finished quite fast keeping up with a few of the club riders, I was just glad to get out of the wind and was happy to have kept up a decent average speed. Cycling time was 4:37hrs, total time inc feed stops was 4:50hrs – not bad I think for 84 miles in windy conditions!

I found the hills today very easy, one was 25% but it was so short it didn’t really register, none of the hills were half as severe as the hills I’ve been practising on at home – which leaves me feeling pleased that my hill training seems to be good! Plus of course all my training is done on a very heavy bike, riding my decent bike is way easier in comparison.

All in all (I speak for myself, not Dazza!), a very good day all round – I left the ride feeling very positive and if anything will up the hill training to make future long rides even easier. Only problem is convincing Mrs Dazza and Mrs U (well, soon to be..) to allow us out of the house for hours on end to complete said long rides…!

Positives:

Good mileage done (and I parked my car up the road so did a further 14 miles on the day)
Hill training paying off
Good time/average speed
Not ever running out of energy (fuelling must have been right for once!)
Endura clothing was perfect, v comfy and good temperature maintained
I’ve got the route saved so Dazza will attempt it with me in the near future once he has been nursed back to full health