That was a very tough route
Fortunately Philip had done his weather gods bit and snatched some great weather between two very wet days---yes it`s pouring down here again after Friday`s deluge
Although an unexpected shower greeted starters at 8 am this soon eased and by Arley it had all dried off and sun was out for the first tester climb of the day out of Arley f`bridge over the Severn and up into the rolling countryside of the Wyre Forest. A testing headwind made the Stottesdon > Acton Scott section quite a drag and although billed in the ride details as not being hardest of the ride`s sections the hills just kept coming. The control at Acton Scott was very busy, so despite a lovely setting I just got my card stamped and headed off to Church Stretton to pick up a couple of meat pasties for sustenance.
As expected the Burway was tough from the grid, it`s several years since I`ve been up it and it`s not got any easier
However at least it was quiet and cars stopped to let the toiling riders keep going ---so no excuses for a breather !! With the clear weather the views were superb from the top of The Long Mynd, right out across Shropshire, into Wales and up towards Cadiar Idris and Berwyns mountains in North Wales. The descent down to Ratlinghope was quite tricky with a lot of gravel in places---now if this was The Stelvio the gravel would have been swept up and cleared away overnight
---but it wasn`t so a careful descent was in order.
A sharp pull up and over Stiperstones with their wonderful rock tors and then down thro` twisting lanes to a final straight---into headwind---to Montgomery for a quick lunch at The Dragon pub. And a welcome relief too to reach the halfway point knowing that now the wind would be a friendly tailwind back. Having ridden PW`s Monts Madness twice now I`d wondered what the descent from Bishops Moat to Mellington would be like as a climb and now I know; a steep 16% start and then it kept going, going and going
Still just a few more climbs to go---slow descents on narrow lanes were meaning no time `gains` following hard ascents and after a careful run down to Clun it was on to Fiddlers Elbow, a truly nasty steep drag up across the hillsides. With over 130km and 2500m climbing I was very pleased to have at disposal my 34 x 34 lowest gear---it got significant usage on the ride
I`ve been up Fiddlers Elbow many times before, sometimes on a 26 sprocket but combined fatigue and gradient--no way now
Fortunately there was a wonderful runout down to Hopton Castle, a good clear and straight downhill dash before the final drag up and over Mortimer Forest to reach Ludlow and friendly service, great food at Aragorns for a refuel on lasagne.
With Belbroughton now in (distant) view and time to spare I covered the roller road out of Ludlow and to Tenbury with full use of lower gears, being joined by Roy for the climb up and up from Tenbury to Upper sapey before I dropped back on the Stamford bank haul back up.
Finally, after a good quick run in from Stourport, the arrivee was reached and Excellent
range of bacon sarnies and cakes, cakes and cakes (just like it said `on the tin`)
Thanks Philip for organising this great ride and to all helpers
---I`m so glad it was on Saturday not Fri/ Sun day !!! And mega kudos to those who had chosen this as their first Audax 200
