a lovely ride again; the hilly bits are mostly confined to the Hythe to Dover stretch as per.
Yes, lovely indeed. And a good turnout from Team AtoZ, who made up 15% of the field.
I haven't done this ride for a couple of years but it's nice to be reminded of why I like it so much. The stretch down from Tenterden to Rye, over the Isle of Oxney, is particularly lovely. And the grind up from Newington is always worth it for the view over the Channel Tunnel terminal to the sea. Great weather for it, too.
I'm slightly bored of Romney Marsh now, though - five of the seven audaxes I've ridden this year have taken me across Romney Marsh one way or another. In fact, the Fairies 300 includes two crossings of Romney Marsh.
Citizen Smudge was on a flyer (or a promise)
How I wish it was the latter...
Don't know what got into me, but I was really up for it. Didn't even feel like I was pushing that hard for most of the way round. And felt surprisingly fresh at the end. I don't think I'll be making a habit of riding like that, but it's nice to know I
can do a 9hr 200 when conditions are right.
lots of GPS ECE today; about 11km extra around Smarden.
What happened? I know there are a few tricky turnings round that area, but how do you manage to go off course when you're following a GPS?
the bar at the hockey club was open at the end and the Javelin was a quantum leap from the normal train (clocked it at 228kph max)
There are a few decent watering holes nearby and had the ride panned out differently, I might have suggested stopping off at the excellent Fordwich Arms for a pint of Harveys. Maybe next time.
As it was, since I got back to base so early, I thought I'd better get home to look after my wife, who now has the cold that I picked up last week. Felt a bit guilty about that.
d.