it's a strange world this Randonneuring lark particularly on the rides over 200k ....and at 2am in a wiltshire country lane, with the temperature near zero and being pounded by a road surface that's completely shot one really does start consider the motivation for doing this....the main thing that keeps me going at those moments is the desire to be in France next year, with all of the Faccomb crew and be part of the whole carnival that is PBP .....and the thought that I can eat as many sarnies and buns as I like
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the Denmead400 is a great ride .....the first 200 out to Weston on Saturday was probably as good as it could ever get. It was a pretty nippy start and I got cold toes in my new bling shoes but toughed it out for the sake of fashion rather than cover them up with overshoes! The tradditonal F4 sarnie break outside the Bear and Ragged Staff (approx 50k) arrived pretty quickly and so too the feed at the Friar Tuck Café. Only in audaxing can one’s most frequesnted café be 80k from home!
The weather was really warming up now and the fairly tedious trip across Salisbury plain was made more bearable with the absence of any headwind. Frome marks the end of that stage and I was led astray by UB and Lee dragged into the dark world of McD’s which I normally steer well clear of, though has to be said that the Mc Chicken legend really hit the spot as did the chipd and as did the banana shake ..and the Mc Chicken sandwich I won ….no wonder I don’t lose any weight on these rides! I also picked up some knee length thermal socks from Sainsbury’s next door to provide that must have 2010 audax fashion look of bib knickers and socks ….you know you want to ;-).
Now for the best part of the ride in my view …Frome to Weston via Cheddar …..rolling country lanes and the drawn out anticipation for the start of the Gorge ..this part of the ride is worth the ticket price alone (and that's only £2 forthe perm card!) just for the descent down Cheddar Gorge. I did try and persaude Lee and UB to go backup for another ride down! It’s long hard climb out of the Gorge but one soon drops down onto the levels and eventually join the last mile or two of the coast road into Weston.
It’s great to have a proper destination on a big ride and Weston fits the bill very well ….it was in full English seaside town mode ....boy racers on the seafront, grumpy parents with grumpy kids and far too much pale and sunburnt skin on display. However the Oxford Corner Cafe did serve up the best fish and chips I've had in years ....with the extra bonus of a pint of bitter shandy. We were joined in Weston by my brother John ….who had used the dark side, i.e. a two wheeled contraption powered by the infernal combustion engine, to come out from Corsham to wave us on our way for the return 200.
So after loading up with sarnies from Tesco we set off across the Somerset levels occasionally looking over our shoulders at a beautiful sunset , arriving at Glastonbury with just enough light to spot the tower on the tour. Onwards to Podimore, this time the door was open, so no lurking on the forecourt in the cold like last year, for a refill of water and some more snacks and coffee. Unfortunately I decided that two double shot coffee’s was the ideal boost …but not so as I spent the next hour feeling I was either going to throw up at any moment or needed to lie down and go to sleep. Luckily I resisted the urge to do either and eventually after an hour of misery felt ok again.
It seems like an interminable 100k between Podimore and Ower services: it all becomes a bit of a blur but the climbs before Gillingham , Shaftesbury and after Downton provided a bit of nigh time entertainment to help drive away the cold! I think we also discovered the ‘worst road surface in Britain’ as we road down the Chalk Valley between Berwick St John and Coombe Bissett. Truly shocking and a real pounding for 20k.
The New Forest section to Cadnam was very quiet …no ponies on the road , better road surfaces, a few degrees warmer…. and shorter than I remember …..last year I had a dreadful episode of the dozzies on this section ..almost falling asleep on one of the downhills. From Cadnam it’s not much further to Ower. As Lee said in his ride report …the staff working the night shift at Ower are quite used to cyclists arriving in the early hours even asking if we were on an audax. I stayed off the coffee this time and went for a hot chocolate and a pasty as fortification for the 50k to Denmead. It now felt very cold back on the bike but at least the climb from Ower towards Romsey got the blood going again …time to dig in and wait for the sunrise to raise the spirits.
Eventually a very watery looking sun was spotted by Lee rising over the trees just after Swanmore …it was enough to make the frost sparkle in the fields!! Finally back in Denmead ….receipts collected and the clock stopped ….23hours, 25mins …not too shabby. After tea and toast at UB’s it was just one final leg home to Pompey …16k at a very leisurely pace. It seemed very fitting to finish the ride tucking into the remains ofsarnies from my Carradice larder on a bench on Southsea seafront mulling over the ride….coast to coast to coast. Next stop the Wu’ze
Second Breakfast
Evening sun over Weston
take me to the Cafe
Sunset over the Somerset Levels
