While I signed up for this as soon as it became available as it was to have been my challenge for the year, as the date drew near I realised I simply wasn’t ready for 150 miles. Then, because the date was later than last year’s – and the days shorter – the event had to be completed in daylight – around 12 hours. In 2022 I did complete the 150 miles in just under 12 hours, but I dropped the idea for this year, thinking I might ride 125 miles instead. But son Matt had expressed an interest in riding it too and thought he might manage 75 miles.
So we started together leaving any decision on the final distance till later in the day – but we were both doing ok so decided to go for the 100 – Matt’s first century. As I rode to and from the start adding an extra 25 miles, all challenge was not lost. I might have managed the full 150 but not in the time, though riding with Matt made the miles go better – though towards the end I did hear the question “are we nearly there yet” once or twice – an echo from 35 years ago!
Event organisation great, weather mostly cloudy with little bits of sun, mostly quiet roads.
Well organised, friendly sportive along some quiet roads with good food, good signposting – and atrocious weather!
This sportive includes some optional off-road sections (hence the “Roubaix” in the name – the professional Paris Roubaix race incorporates cobbled tracks) but I didn’t attempt these. The only non-tarmac bit for me was a cycle path, a foot/cycle bridge and a gravel track – but even that was too much for me as I fell off on a steep turn.
Managed to stay upright for the rest of the day despite the weather’s attempts. Roughly, the first 25 miles was ok – some very slight drizzle but also some sun, the next 25 saw very heavy rain which we then rode out of onto dry roads for the next 25. That lulled me into a false sense of security and, having signed up for 100 miles, was determined to continue with that rather than taking a short cut back to the finish (and wouldn’t have been alone in doing that). Of course, the heavens opened again, though not quite as much as before!
It made for a challenging ride – but that’s the whole point! Quiet roads, good signposting, proper food (wide choice of sandwich, crisps, fruit, flapjack – some homemade), friendly riders, even considerate car drivers all contributed to good day though cold fingers found it hard to get the bikes onto the car at the end. Rode with Mark McAllister though he’s too strong for me (especially at this distance when I ride to my heart rate and try to avoid over-cooking anything) so often saw him disappearing into the distance to then meet up again later at a food stop.
A 3 day riding holiday with our two sons, Chris and Matt. Starting at Whitehaven on England’s West Coast we rode across the country to North Shields on the East Coast – 150 miles with some challenging hills and some unexpected sea cycling.
We all arrived in Penrith on the Sunday evening at the door of our B&B at exactly the same time – Chris having cycled part way from Bristol, Matt and I together by car from Norfolk. Bikes duly re-assembled and stored at a very nice B&B and we were soon off in search of a meal. Not as easy as it might have been (many places shut or full), but eventually found a pub serving food.
This was an organised holiday ride – delivery of ourselves and our bikes to the start (and collection from the finish), B&B’s booked and luggage carried from one B&B to the next – by a local Penrith company, CycleActive. They provided the route (National Cycle Network/Sustrans 72), but otherwise we were on our own to ride at our pace. First class organisation, great B&B’s, worked really well for us.
So on the Monday morning we duly cycled to Penrith Bus Station where our bikes were loaded onto a trailer and we set off in a coach to Whitehaven along with 7 or 8 others on the same route as us and a few others with the same start point but different routes.
Whitehaven, ready and raring to go – (Click on any photo to enlarge)
Riding along coastal, shared foot/cycle paths we headed north through Workington and Siloth (lunch) in some occasional light rain. At some point we left the coastal path and were on a very quiet road, I was in the lead and suddenly saw only water on the road and on the verges either side:
Water, water, everywhere – that’s me in the distance with the others waiting for me to fall over/my bow wave to settle!
Realised later it was high tide and the road was subject to flooding but I just carried on up the middle (hopefully the shallowest part and less subject to potholes). Fortunately it wasn’t quite pedal deep. and we made it, unscathed, to Bowness on Solway for a tea break.
Heading into Carlisle for our first night stop, we somehow managed to get onto footpaths (with steps), so some bike carrying was required but then found our hotel in the centre of Carlisle. This time we quickly spotted a likely restaurant and made sure of our meal – we felt we’d earned it and were aware of the hills the next day.
About to leave Carlisle
Day 2 was definitely the hilly day – over 3,500 feet of climbing – I noted one or maybe more gradients of 17% and several of the hills a mile or more in length. Chris was having mechanical issues with his gears but he managed and I managed to stay on the bike and not fall off or have to get off and walk. Matt had little experience of hills but coped really well. Grateful to the kind driver who, on a narrow stretch of road, rather than crawl up behind us on one hill at 5mph, stopped in a layby and waited till we reached the summit before attempting to get past. 99% of drivers patient and courteous.
During the day we visited several of the Roman remains that give the title to this ride – a turret on the way:
Banks East Turret remains and what it would have looked like
Then spent a long time in Roman Vindolanda. This is the remains of a Roman town with a museum and some replica buildings – quite fascinating.
Then onto Hayden Bridge to another very nice B&B. There our landlady advised us to book our evening meal immediately as only one pub in the village was serving food that evening – too late – so fish and chip shop to the rescue and seats and pints in the garden of another pub. Our landlady and her husband had spent much of Covid lockdown in Lego construction:
Set off the next morning towards Newcastle and North Shields. No big hills today but lots of cycling on shared paths so slower speeds and continually looking out for dogs and people – a lot better than city traffic though. We had a deadline – we needed to be at the pickup point at 3pm else it might have been a very expensive taxi ride back to Penrith – so we kept moving, riding along the north bank of the Tyne for much of the way with its distinctive bridges:
Matt was our official photographer with many photos and videos taken as we cycled
The official end to the ride – National Cycle Network 72 though we carried on to a slightly more easterly point:
And then we and our bikes were then transported back to the town we’d started from – Penrith – and another very nice B&B. The welcomes we had from the B&B hosts and the friendliness of locals, other cyclists and walkers all very memorable and made for an excellent holiday.
This weekend was to have been a two day, 2×100 mile sportive, Tour de Broads Spring Double, one of my big challenges for the year – it’s nearly 50 years since I last rode two big rides back to back, though what sticks in my mind the most is the 12hour time trial I rode then (213 miles = 6th place).
In this time of lockdown the event is, of course, cancelled, but, for me, the challenge of multi day riding remains – I simply have no idea how my legs and I will respond to a second day’s riding and I want to find out – so I’m now riding a solo, private Tour de South Norfolk on 15-16th May. There is also the challenge of finding food and more especially water, so I’m only aiming for 2 x 100 KM rides, over local routes I know well and with short cuts and shops mapped if need be.
There was to have been a second event in August – Tour de Broads Summer Double – by then I should know how my legs will cope and, hopefully, I can plan food stops a bit better – so the target is the 2 x 100 miles for then.
Update:
Well, that went quite well. Legs on Day 2 seemed fine though the choice of some small, gravelly lanes from Winfarthing to Hapton was unwise – would have been better to stick to the Turnpike (but that can feel boring as I use it often). That, and the hills towards the end (deliberate choice) seemed to knock the average speed down (15.0 vs 15.6 on Day 1).
Yes, will aim to ramp up to 2×100 miles by August!
An enjoyable ride – 100km is a distance I now like, though it’s not really a challenge. Starting from Great Dunmow, a charming town, I caught up with James (he’d paused for something) and then rode with him to Newmarket where he bought me lunch – but I was riding a little out of my league and paid the price when the long hill coming out of Newmarket was a bit too much for me and I dropped behind (he is somewhat younger than I). I carried on on my own and met up with him again at the finish.
But it was a memorable ride – it was the last event I rode before Coronavirus restrictions kicked in and put an end to all events and even riding along together. So all the chats and social interaction are now a treasure to look back on (and forward to..).
On the day, handwashing was the dominant theme, the pub where we stopped for lunch was packed and the 2m social distancing, queues to get into supermarkets (and shops still allowed to trade) as yet unknown.
Plans for two day (2 x 100 mile) events (and, indeed, all other events) now shelved but I try to get out for 2-3 hours riding every other day or so to try to maintain physical and mental fitness, staying local mostly on known roads.
