Once again I set off at an insanely early time, 5:15am for my Saturday cycle. I planned to go 70 miles to Farnham Surrey. This would be a particularly hilly route but would be good experience and hopefully worse than any days on the actual cycle to Paris.
Even though I had carefully planned my route and uploaded it onto my GPS I instantly started up the wrong street, I knew I was headed to Tunbridge wells, just forgot which route I had mapped. It was still dark, but fortunately I soon found that my Garmin Edge 205 GPS had a back light, so it was plain sailing from there on to follow the route. For the first 30 min’s it was dark so I took it slow as with recent rain some of the road surfaces are quite slippery. Also it takes 5 miles or so to get loosened up and into a rhythm.
From Tunbridge Wells, I took the back roads into Langton Green, Fordcombe and then on through the lanes to Edenbridge, it amazed me (although it was pretty early in the morning) that after doing 20 miles to Edenbridge I still hadn’t been overtaken by another vehicle and wouldn’t be for another 5 miles.
From Edenbridge I continued to Lingfield, Blindley Heath and Outwood. I think it was around here I was eating my first Powerbar – Banana flavour, (too early in the morning for chocolate flavour!) . Reading the ingredients I wasn’t surprised to see that there were no Bananas in it!
Over the M23 and into Salford, here I had a tricky junction on the A23 which I briefly joined but was surprised and pleased that my GPS correctly guided me round it. I continued on thinking how well the route was programmed. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I use a website called mapmyride to create all of my rides, I like this over other websites, because you just select way points and it follows the roads to get from A to B to C etc. However I soon learnt the problem, It doesn’t distinguish between private and public roads. I first noticed this (Yes it happened more than once!) outside Salfords, I checked my map, I had 10 mile line maps so I could see a way either side. But couldn’t see a way round, so I thought its not as if I am in a car, I’ll give it a go. I ended up going through a farm but came out the other side with no problems.
Within a mile it happened again Arrgh! This time it the road turned into a track and didn’t even follow the mapped route. I ended up with my bike on my back climbing over stiles along footpaths! But got through ok, the great thing with the Garmin is you can zoom out so I knew which direction to take. Looking back there would have been an easy diversion round but I didn’t know that at the time.
I continued pleased to be back on the road through the lanes to the A24. After crossing this I knew things would start to get tough. Especially when you see a sign welcoming you to the Surrey Hills! I continued following the GPS up a steep hill, climbing 200ft in a short space of time. Only to get to the peak and find those two words again “Private Road”! There was no going through this one as it lead to a house, so frustrating though as the main road was just on the other side of his house! I sped back down the hill and checked the map for a work around. Again I was so please to have a map which spanned 10 miles each side cos I needed it! I ended up going six miles off route down the A24 (Not Fun), onto the A29 and cutting up to Coldharbour. This was the highest point of the journey some 770ft above sea level. Though I did enjoy the next down hill section!
From there I was feeling a bit worn out after the hill climbing and annoyed with the diversions. I was determined to not have any more problems so I paid special attention to signposts and checked I was always headed a signed route. As it happened the rest of the journey was fine. I continued through to Ewhurst, and then Cranleigh where I stopped for coffee. Only a quick stop mind and headed on to Loxhill, around here I saw 2 other cyclists and chatted and cycled with them for a few minutes. It was galling to see them disappear into the distance but then I had done 60 miles and they hadn’t. Milford was the next village / town where I stopped to buy some Powerade, cherry flavour, it was Vile! But kept my legs moving round!
Then it was on following the B3001all the way into Farnham where I met up with a uni friend and enjoyed a BBQ and a sit down! Before catching the train back.
The stats
Miles 76.40,
Total time 5 hrs 32 mins
Average pace 4 mins 20 secs per mile
Average Speed 13.8 miles,
Max speed 37.7 mph
Total calories burnt 5756!
Total Ascent 7037 ft
It was a good ride, but incredibly draining. I learnt a lot from it, for example I don’t drink enough fluids when I am out on the bike. When you start feeling thirsty it’s too late, you should keep drinking from the start and throughout.
I have improved my hill techniques, I still find some incredibly challenging, but now I drop down to the small front cog and aim to keep my cadence high to get up hills.
Also I think I pushed myself too much at the start.
Finally I learnt to triple check my route!!!
The sponsored cycle to Paris is no longer weeks away more like days!
Please sponsor me here
Finally if anyone reading this has experience in websites, can they suggest a image host? I want to display images of my routes, but the maps have become so large you can’t make out the route using the maximum size on flickr!
