Planning, Dreaming & Optimism

Creating a Wish List for 2020 had been easy. With a series of sometimes gruelling yet thoroughly enjoyable summer rides 2019 had been a fulfilling year: qualifying for Paris Brest Paris, which requires 200, 300, 400 and 600km brevets; TransAlba; PBP itself and the unexpected accolade of Hyper-Randonneur that four 600+km Brevets in a season brought.

Confidence was high, the relationship with the bike(s) was good and I had picked up a buddy, long-time friend Alan, who had been dot watching and encouraging me during TransAlba; for 2020 we formed a pair. So the list was formulated…

We were spoilt for choice. The TransAtlantic Way Race, with such glorious scenery had been a deep experience and the Wild Atlantic Way Audax (2000km) scheduled for 2020 was a real draw. The Irish are great, Eamon organises a brilliant ride, is as mad as a meerkat and the inclusion of the rade option, with a more manageable daily distance requirement, made the 2020 event really attractive. Alan fancied TransAlba, riding in Scotland is a pleasure, the organisation was supportive, the swooping roads traverse stunning landscape and with much simpler logistics this was the chosen option. The warm-up rides would be the Highland Fling, a 1000km circuit into Central Scotland from Darlington in April; All Points North in May, a free for all visiting 10 remote controls in the North of England (900km); TransAlbaTwo (1800km) was in June and a LEJOG (1400km) at audax pace would finish off the summer in July.

Preparation

Despite the terrible autumn and winter weather things went really well. The uncategorised Surly Casseroll frame that I’d picked up for £60, re-finished by Bob Jacksons and re-built with an 11-speed drivetrain, was proving exceptionally well-mannered and comfortable. All of the ultra-distance rides that we planned involved climbing, so to cope with the fatigue wrought by multiple hilly 300km+ days gearing was an appropriately flexible 42-28/11-36. We spent a wet weekend in the Borders in November riding back-to-back 200s. A 300km over to Harrogate on a fine January day was a bonus and we were picking up audax AAA points, as despite protestations to the contrary, Alan was aiming to repeat his 2019 AAA competition win.

For all of us, in March, the season went pear shaped…on March 17^th all audax events were suspended. The world went flat.

During lockdown I didn’t venture very far unsure of the protocol and not wanting to be on the receiving end of covid-rage. Many people seemed to have become wary and unfriendly, not even exchanging greetings. I re-built some old bikes and sold a couple to make space. Rides were short and infrequent. By late-May things were relaxing, but all of the events that we had entered had been cancelled and all auk rides remained suspended; apart from LEJOG. At this point I had lost my enthusiasm for anything longer than a ride of an hour or so. For weeks the weather was amazing…

With the prospect of an arduous 1400km ride over 4 days in late-July Alan and I started to ride a couple of times a week as a distanced bubble. By mid-May I slowly started to recover from Covid-Blues and distance and height gain increased - in hot fine conditions on June 1^st we rode a brilliant 300 round the Lakes and in July a 400 over to Wetherby which we were pleased to complete in 23 hours; both involved moderate climbing. My confidence for LEJOG was not super high, but this was more to do with concerns about picking up the virus and accommodation than ability to ride 4 straight 350s, all underpinned by the constant nagging doubt that it would be pulled. By mid-July it was… and that was that. No aspirational ultra event remained in the calendar and with auk rides still suspended there were no goals other than to enjoy the ride. With other recreational opportunities cropping up I took a break…

#NOTAPN2020

Then #NOTAPN20 was announced… a relaxed untracked All Points North with starts from any control and at any time on Friday September 5^th; this was great news, as it meant that we had a serious objective and wouldn’t need to travel to Sheffield to register and start. Alan tweaked the route we had planned to max out the AAA potential. We would start in Silloth on Friday; leg one would be a 200 to Ingleton and a comfortable overnight stop, followed by a 600 to Berwick with the final leg on day 4 back to Silloth -1000km with over 12,000 metres of climbing.

The van rocked in the wind as we fitfully slept near our start control; the lighthouse in Silloth. At 7am we rattled over the cobbles avoiding busy roads to the first control at Kirkstone Pass Inn pushed along by a strong tail wind.

We stopped for lunch in Kendal then continued over Ewebank and Garsdale Head to Nateby and the climb over to the Keld control by way of Lamps Moss.

At some point it may have started to rain… the photos suggest that it did. In late August I had been away climbing in Orkney and preceded by a family break those three weeks with no cycling were not the best preparation for such a tough ride. Tapering in the extreme! On Buttertubs, I was suddenly found out, the headwind robbing me of power and energy. I walked the short steep section at the top. I was having bike fit issues. Pain in my quads had been mitigated by a slight adjustment to saddle height. On the Caygill the result was that too much weight was on my arms and shoulders. I was hurting, very uncomfortable and moving too slowly. This was holding Alan back. Fed up with cereal bars I needed some food, yet despite it being only 6pm the SPAR in Hawes was closed, I hadn’t expected that; a covid non-result. On the long drag up to Newby Head I recovered some, but by the time I reached The Hill Inn I was finished; the 10km descent to Ingleton should have been easy but I couldn’t get going and arrived some time after Alan in a deluge. So far not so good. Over our meal the effect of the day on my body was apparent from my uncontrollable shivering. It was unlikely I would recover and in the morning I packed. Having waited, Alan set off on what was to be an epic ride of unrelenting headwinds, heavy rain and rough tracks.*

Re-Packing the Season

Following the disappointment of a DNF what was left?

A Super Randonneur (SR) series was the one goal that remained open. The challenge is to ride a 200, 300, 400 and 600 in one season, it’s a one off award that many riders aspire to achieve, some repeat this every season. Audax UK had extended the 2020 season to the end of October giving 6 weeks to ride a 400 and a 600 to complete the series. Recovered from #NOTAPN, a dry warm spell in mid-September was the first chance for a longer ride. ‘Down the M6 and back’ would be flat so with an early start I headed for Market Drayton in Shropshire where Wetherspoons provided the fuel for the return. Apart from the muddy detours on cyclepaths in Preston and around Leigh it was flat and fast. Physical issues were avoided by using the bike I’d ridden for PBP. I was back in 22 hours.

Next up a 600…

Calendar events over 200 are suspended due to distancing issues - no rides are available. I have to plan my own route, ride it as a DIY (Do It Yourself) and self-support. With accommodation an unknown, no midges and warm nights a lightweight mat and bivvy bag will do. The mat insulates and provides a bit of comfort and with a silk liner the bag keeps me warm and dry; the bed weighs less than a kilo. A flat route would seem the obvious choice but might lack real interest so to keep me motivated a route that I actually want to ride is needed.

For many, these long rides, go faster in company. Sometimes you chat, or just ride along in silence sharing the involvement. Dark moments are supported as you’re unlikely to be both down at the same time. Navigation is shared reducing ‘off route’ errors. Company helps you through. Riding long, alone and unsupported is about having the mental strength to continue when packing seems an attractive option. Preparation is key. Would the DNF of a few weeks ago sap my fortitude?

A family holiday had been booked at the back of September and then, on cue, poor weather interfered with multiple day riding. The October days were ticking by then, with high pressure in charge, the week preceding the Tour of Rheged was cold and dry with light winds, ideal conditions. With arrangements to be finalised and a 200km check ride to be completed a two-day window was inevitably unavailable. After the Tour there were 13 days left until the end of the season. No pressure…

Autumn weather had now set in with continuously wet and windy conditions forecast into November. I became an avid weather watcher and there looked to be an opening window on the 21^st October. Riding in the Borders is a pleasure and the chosen route via Shap and Brampton crossed the Cheviot to Kelso headed west to Sanquhar then south via the Nith valley to Dalbeattie and back to Kendal with a lunch stop in Silloth. The climbing was shown as a manageable 4,500m, there were no steep hills. Covid restrictions in Scotland meant that accommodation could be difficult and the obvious stop was Abington Services, although a little too early in the ride at 290km, the bivvy gear could be essential.

The weather was unsettled and I wavered between a Wednesday or Thursday start. On Tuesday the weather pattern dictated the earlier start, although not free of rain, would likely be best. At 04:30 in light rain and with a tail wind I headed up Shap. By 10:30 I had reached Newcastleton and stopped for an appetising late breakfast of lasagne - 125km. When I came out the rain had started.

The next section to Jedburgh includes a fairly hefty climb over the Cheviot at a reasonable gradient similar to, yet more scenic than, Shap. A firm rebuff at a road closure meant an unacceptably long detour through Hawick or a jaunt across a boggy field; I chose the latter lifting the bike across a dyke and a fence to circumvent the blockage.

This theme was repeated, as the Scottish road menders seemed to be out in force. Fortunately I was allowed through at all of the others. As usual a couple of Garmin and road closure diversions were made as I continued through Jedburgh, Kelso, Melrose and Galashiels for a late lunch at ‘spoons, which is consistently reliable. Over 200km into the ride, following the spectacular Tweed valley, I was really enjoying things, the weather was fine and warm and the wind light, in my world all was well. At Innerleithen I joined the disused railway, continuing on a now familiar route through Peebles and over Dreva, ridden on a previous audax, to reach Biggar. The afternoon was clear and bright with autumn colours tinting the hills of the Tweed valley. It was a joy to be riding and the rain seemed to be avoiding me. Darkness fell.

There is a great pub in Biggar which offers wholesome bar food. Biggar tho’ is in Lanarkshire, the central belt of Scotland, where anything other than a take-away is currently prohibited, so I enjoyed a freshly cooked fish supper washed down with Irn Bru on a bench in the market place. It was too early to consider sleeping at Abington, just down the road, and by 11pm I had ridden away from the Clyde valley skirting the Lowther Hills avoiding Wanlockhead and was descending the Nith valley south into Dumfries and Galloway. In Sanquhar the take-aways had been open but the food was unpalatable, I had the egg muffin I’d made that morning and was carrying enough to get through the night.

Having now been on the go for over 18 hours and with over 340km under my wheels I started to look for a suitable place to stop. At midnight a bus shelter beckoned me over and I pulled up, the clock read 359km. The bivvy was deployed… and I slept uninterrupted zzzzz. I woke, looked at the phone - it was 03:12; three hours had gone by in the blink of an eye; time to go.

© Queensbury shelters library image

A lot of stuff gets written about sleeping and sleep deprivation on audaxes. It’s said 600s are supposed to be easier as you can usually get enough of a buffer to sleep for a few hours; if you’re fast enough, on a 400 with 27 hours available for the ride only the fastest can do this. For full value riders 600s must be a torture of tiredness. I try and sleep at midnight for a few hours to keep the body’s ‘normal’ sleep pattern. And although I feel awful when I wake, once I’m riding I soon feel ok. This seems to work for me. You ‘lose’ 3 or 4 hours but the sleep bank gets topped up and the benefits can be noticed as pace is maintained down the road.

Strewn with leaves the roads are dark and quiet with on-and-off light rain. The dyno-hub keeps the front light going and I’m topping up the Garmin from a battery pack. Crossing the A75 I meet the only real traffic, heavy trucks rumbling along the A75 heading to the ferry terminal at Cairnryan. I arrive in Dalbeattie at 6 for breakfast; popping to the village shop means a detour, it’s only 500 metres but I carry on preferring to eat the unappetising egg sandwich sitting on a bench bathed in the amber of a street light, the early-morning dog walkers who pass by exchange greetings with enquiring looks. The earlier rain has stopped. I could do with a coffee.

I roll along the Solway coast towards Dumfries in the dawn. Across to the south Silloth twinkles. In Dumfries I recross the Nith, the day is up and I watch the bustling commuters over a second breakfast on a garage forecourt - they have ground coffee. This heralds the section across the flats to Gretna pushed along briskly by a helpful tail wind that I know will turn and block me as I make my way along the 20 coastal miles from Carlisle to Silloth.

©sillothonsolway

As I rattle across the cobbles my eyes reach across the Solway to the lurking hulk of Criffel and where I was 5 hours ago, it feels great to be back in England. With more relaxed restrictions the café in Silloth is quiet and serves a great lunch. Sandra tells me it’s wet in South Cumbria yet here it’s dry. Now for the final leg…

Out of Wigton trucks and cars speed by buffeting the bike. Somewhere, after the punchy climb out of Sebergham, my left arm starts to throw in the towel; this is odd? I don’t have a proper grip of the bars, my left arm sags at the elbow, I can’t stop it happening, I am concerned thinking I might have to pack. I compartmentalise these thoughts and get on with riding. I can’t put any real power through the pedals and have slowed down tho’. This busy road is quite dangerous with cars and heavy trucks passing at speed and I need to get off it. To complete the ride at randonneur pace I needed to finish in 40 hours. The Garmin is telling me I am on track to achieve this despite what was becoming an over distance ride; over by about 25km with over 6,000m of climbing; the route planning tools had underestimated the ride.

The road surface is good and I’m concentrating hard to stay straight when at last and with relief I quit that scary road to the M6 onto the familiar roads through the string of villages of the quiet loop into Penrith. This allows me to relax, it is almost 5pm giving me 3½ hours to ride 50km, should be fine… Skelton, Laithes, Newton Reigny and Newton Rigg then I get lost in Penrith, as usual, to finally be spat south across the big roundabout onto the A6. When I reach Shap it is dark, I pull over intending to buy a cake and take some relief from the saddle, instead I munch a cereal bar. I have adopted a relaxed riding routine that deals with the palsy although my arse is really hurting now, has been for a while, not sore, hurting. The saddle has bruised me and it is hard to sit on (literally). Not far now, just 20km and a bit of benign climbing. Once past Shap the A6 carries little traffic; aboard a TT bike and tapping a strong tempo a cyclist passes heading north.

I ride into Kendal after 7:30pm thinking that I’ve overrun the 40 hours, disappointed to have missed the pace but pleased I have completed the ride and the SR, salvaging something from this strangest of seasons.

Ride time 39:24 hrs:mins

Overall average speed 15.9 kph - stopped 7:38 (sleep 3:20) - riding average 19.9 kph.

*PS. Alan completed the 600 from Ingleton to Berwick-on-Tweed inside 40 hours. He suffered torrential rain, headwinds, poor roads and a split rim. He then went on to complete #NAPN20, one of 21 of the 33 starters to complete. Chapeau.

Steve Scott