So here it was, my first 200k audax. I had entered a couple at the beginning of the season but illness had meant I was unable to start. As this is my first ride report it is going to be a bit long winded and contain ride photos so I apologise in advance.
For me it was an early start of 5am and due to pre-ride nervous energy I didn’t sleep all that well. Still it was off to McDonalds for the first time of the day for breakfast. Back home changed into my cycling gear and off to the station to catch my 6:23 train to the start.
Whilst on the train got site of the terrain that would feature prominently on the ride.
The train arrived in Huntingdon at 8am sharp so it was quick ride to the start at Weatherspoon’s to pick up the Brevet card. The lady let me know that there was an issue with the GPX route so to be careful before King’s Lynn (thankfully I had spotted that when route checking the day before so had already updated my own file).
And then with the littlest of fanfare (i.e. none) I was off. Going out of Huntingdon I got chatting to one or two of the riders who told me about their Audax experience and got settled into my own rhythm. I knew it was going to be windy later so took it fairly easy. The miles ticked off and we were soon in Ramsey for the first Info control. Then back on the road to March where it appeared the majority were gathering at Costa. I headed a few hundred feet up the road to Gregg’s where a couple of cyclists were leaving but other than that it was dead. Second Bacon roll of the day polished.
Back out of March and past the rider in the Pink Rapha jersey that I would see several times during this part of the ride (usually as he was overtaking me). It was during this section that we were to ride along the long straight bank roads that are a unique feature of this area.
A few miles later and it was time for the next Info Control and a fellow rider was fixing a puncture at the side of the road. After making sure he was Ok it was off towards King’s Lynn. At times I thought I had entered the Green and Yellow Fields Audax.
A few hundred metres up ahead a few riders headed straight on when the route bared left. Knowing that audax gives riders the flexibility to choose their routes between controls I felt they probably knew where they wanted to go. However as they rejoined the route a short while later off a grassy track I suspected they may have taken a wrong turn. Again they made some distance ahead of me and then when we got to the point where the GPX was wrong they took the wrong turn but they were too far ahead for me to shout to them. When they came past me a bit later their bikes were covered with mud from their detour.
It was at this point I got chatting to a chap on a Blue Ribble (is there any other colour?!) who had travelled down from Derbyshire for his first 200k as well. Unfortunately for him after just a mile or so he had to pull up as he had got his second puncture of the day after having none for two years. I didn’t see him again so I hope he got back round Ok without any further mechanical issues.
In King’s Lynn it was a quick visit to Maccy D’s and then I took my food with me to wait for the ferry which as luck would have it had literally just left. Whilst waiting for the next one a group of riders started to arrive for the next ferry and a few minutes later we were packed on like sardines for the shortest boat ride I have ever been on.
I had prepared for the next section being tough but wow it really was quite windy. Over the next hour and half to the next Info control I yo-yo’d with the same handful of riders. I was behind one chap for quite a while but I knew if I went faster to overtake him I would probably blow up but the wind was too strong to chat to him so I remained behind so I hope he didn’t think me rude. Whilst riding along the bike path by the A17 I noticed that I had crossed the halfway point. Just another few miles (sorry I still find it hard to think in KM having always used miles when cycling) till the next Info.
However at this point my biggest problem when long distance riding reared its head. Hot Feet. Pulled over to take out my insoles and all the riders that came past checked I was Ok. A short while after finally got to the Info Control. The question was about how many windows and whilst we were stood counting them up the lady came out of the house to ask us why so many cyclists had stopped outside her house today. We explained that we were on a kind of treasure hunt and her house marked the furthest point north. She asked is this for Charity and was no doubt perplexed why anyone would cycle up from Huntingdon for no particular reason other than wanting to go on a long bike ride.
I had hoped the slight change of direction would give a bit of relief from the wind. How wrong was I. This was the slowest hardest part of the ride often struggling to go above 10 mph. It was tough but after an hour of that the Golden Arches of Spalding appeared at the side of the road and it was time for my third Mc Dougal’s of the day.
It was here that I meant the legend (his words not mine) Big Saxon in his ACME jersey. He explained that he was now drinking milkshakes for the rest of the journey. The lady cyclist who turned up at about the same time said that if we didn’t get a tailwind soon she didn’t know if she could continue. She asked Big Saxon to help her get through Spalding and off they went. A quick visit to the rest facilities, shoes back on and it was back off where I would ride pretty much the rest of the way on my own.
At first it was pretty quick going and then the road took the riders back up on to a bank and then it was back to trundling along at 10 MPH or so. After a few miles of this the road finally turned left and at last no more headwind-yay. At this point my GPS kept on dropping out and I found myself getting a bit frustrated and also hoping I might see some other riders so at least I knew the right way which was when I could see another lone rider a few hundred metres ahead. I was gaining on him slowly in what must have appeared the world’s slowest bike race.
At Thorney it was time to take my shoes off again and I also decided to plug a power pack in the GPS as it was down to 25%. As soon as I did that the GPS stopped dropping out and the routing worked the rest of the way back.
Back on the road and on the finishing straight- literally the next 20 miles sorry 30k was completely straight and when the road finally turned it was for something that I had forgotten about as there had been none since nearly ten hours ago-Hills though not very big ones but hills none the less. I had a bit of a second wind at this point and I was blasting up them so that when I got to the bottom of the steepest climb of the day I just went all out.
And of course what goes up must come down and once into Huntingdon it was downhill almost all the way to the finish and even all the traffic lights bar the last set were on green allowing me to fly along for the last bit. And then that was it the finish of my first 200k.
It was 7:10pm which was just outside the 7pm target I had set and the 9 hours actual riding time was bang on my target meaning that there is time to gain by speeding up the controls. All in all it was an enjoyable day out and I thank the organisers for this (though had the route gone clockwise instead it may have been more enjoyable) After getting my card validated it was off the the train station to catch the train home. I apologise for the long rambling post.