Everythings gonna be bloomin aching!

[redefined_cycles]

I tried to report this yesterday, but must've been monotonous enough that when the paragraphs and pics deleted themselves, I did'nt bother again. But today my thumbs hurting. Still sore from yesterdays training ride for the BB200 and after this years route dropped in the email, I realised that 'everythings gonna be bloomin aching'.

Not much training done over the months and I always fear that soon a time will come that Stu n Dee will bar me from entering. Especially since I'm always last one (or second to the last one) back. It's such a slog ain't it

So, back to that training ride. I had a night shift next to the Cotswolds and no daughter or wife could nag me post the shift. So bike packed with the shiny new Revelate harness. An item I've been seeking to buy for well over a year or maybe longer.

The brief of the ride was threefold. To make it a bit of a slog-walk and get a bivy it but also time myself according to a black badge. I'd eat nothing to ensure my body remained in fat burn mode. The route had been specially prepared to include at least an 'other' path as well as some short footpaths.

In pics...


Sometimes you're so busy that the drybag never gets repaired. Well Thursday eve and I popped a patch on the in and out of this little slit on the S2S superlight bag. Made of that air purging material I'll have you know and it's brilliant!



Target in sight, a few squares - well 28 miles and 4000ft to be precise - around Dursley and the Cotswolds. Little did I know that the rain had made it extra slithery the night before.


The bike fit in the wifes new/first car. Now I just needed to ensure it got back to her clean and dry. Otherwise I'd never be borrowing it again (in case she got into a strop).


Ride officially started at Gypsy Lane as it was the closest bridleway with 'other' paths above. I was in for a mighty surprise!


Beautiful but becoming slippery.




Then that path started. Checked the map and decided the 3 mile walk would be 'right good mental health training'. For the BB200 that is.


But nasty paths became even nastier and narrow/non-existent.


2 miles for 1 hour. Surely I'm not even 'finisher' material, never mind a black badge!


Then it got worse still. But I was adamant.


I was at Stanford Knoll and there was definitely a path somewhere here.


See!


I bushwacked through and there it was... Something.


On the other side I realised I had been on the wrong side. The gate wasn't to keep me out, but to keep me in!!


Then it became sunken ground and after a barbed wire struggle I realised I was in the woods and told by a sign to enjoy it!


After a but of road and some siezing drive train things. I saw the fresh poo below. Here were the culprits and one wasn't gonna budge.


With their babies and checking the time I realised I was hitting 3 hours walking and not even managed 5 miles!

TBC

[redefined_cycles]

So far the going was slow and tough. No doubts about the upcoming BB200 but... but! My rear mech after a good clean was back to rolling and I continued the walk!


Then came this uphill slog. More character building as I wondered why I wasn't going forward any time soon. Each step had my squelch back after it was taken. But I slogged on and thought of the walking next week. It's gonna be wonderful.


Surely this must be Uley Bury.


Maybe so. I'd thought about making this my bivy spot the night before. But after reading more on the history and the skeletons they'd excavated from the fort, I decided against it. Besides, any chance of a bivy was gone as I needed to get back home some time today (170 miles away). I slogged on!


Now I'm not 100% but it's quite possible theese boys had sense that I'd hardly ridden much at all. Despite that the gears were (probably) clogged yet again. A good clean and (probably) my water ran out. Now, it's important to note that it wasn't my drinking water on my back, but the one in the bottle on the bike. I was using it under pressure as a hose.

So far, I knew that I needed spare brake pads. Some insoles in the (mild, Shimano) winter SPD boots. Spare tubeless patches and lots of grit(ting of my teeth). I must have been at mile 7 or 8 now and 3rd hour total time. Some day surely they (Stu and Dee) will bar me from entering this lovely event (cos I'm slow!).


Another picture of the beautiful Cotswolds and then it came.


A quick detour to Sainsburys. Not for food, even though I'd not yet eaten as I was working on my fat burning abilities. The urgent stop was for water and to try and get in a state of readyness for when I arrived back at the car. Can't be risking getting the dirty bike in the wifes fiest car. I'd be bared from (borrowing) it, for life.


Like most people I do worry about leaving bikes outside supermarkets. What I usually do is to tie the ride up and then recite the verse of 'Bismillah Tawakkalthu Alallah - laa HawLa waLaa Quwwatha Illah Billah' (loosely translated as, 'With the name of God, I put my trust in God and there is no Power, nor Might but God). Just like our prophet advised us, when he told his companion to 'tie the camel first (to the nearest effect) and then put the trust in God.

So I tied up my Bruce, the Butcher (cos he shreds Avi) with the helmet. Then prayed and walked. Today of all days I'd probably have gotten away with just leaving it loose in boroad daylight as it was 'mucky as owt'. I was even embarassed at walking into Sainsburys myself and fully expected (or worried) an advisor to come and tell me I'm too dirty for the store.

Water... Lots of water. But then I got a sarnie, some crisps and maybe a chocolate too. It was well into 4 hours of my ride, so the fat-for-fuel will have done it's thing. Especially since my last meal was 5 hours before the start of riding. Got back to the bike and told the elderly lady stood waiting for the taxi. One (2L bottle of water) for me and the other for the bike.

I made a quick hose out of the camelbak and explained that I'd not want to take the Cotswolds mud back to Yorkshire. We had plenty of us own and wouldn't wanna cross-contaminate (though I didn't say exactly all that, but suggested it in some form). Clean bike, food in pack, I was off!!


The riding was ace for a few minutes. But then came more mud. Both paths were lined with the slippery stuff. So I picked up the bike, hugging it carefully under the right armpit and off I tramped!


More lovely cows and more muck to go with em.

Then (well, now) I ran out of pics. Got back to the car. Quickly removed it from the (overnight, short multi personality disordered) clients driveway. Carefully wiped off any other muck and laid it in. Drove home with the nice feeling that I'd done my final training ride. Counted up the timings.

20 miles total. 6 hours total. 3.5 hours of riding time. Means that 4 hours total and I (might) cover 20 miles on Bearbones200 day. Times that by 5 and add 20, we get 120 miles. Times the 4 hours by 6 and we get 24....

24H for 120 miles. Shirley it can be done, even by me. Best keep my head on. Oh, and for full timings, I did pray 2 sets of prayers mid ride. In the 24H there'll be 5 sets of 5 minutes each. God Willing, I shall try my best. Lovely route Stu has 'cobbled' together too

[fatbikephil]

Yer needing some mudguards Shaff!
Stuff like that is gold dust, training wise - never mind hill intervals, hacking your way through impenetrable vegetation for 2 hours is the way....
You'll be fine next W/E after that lot.

[redefined_cycles]

Yer needing some mudguards Shaff!
Stuff like that is gold dust, training wise - never mind hill intervals, hacking your way through impenetrable vegetation for 2 hours is the way....
You'll be fine next W/E after that lot.

Well pointed out Phil. Though hill riding has it's own place and I will keep trying to Everwst that their hill. Need to try and eat less next time and ride more... Sleep less and train more

[Dean]

Can you get stung by nettles if your arms and legs are already one continuous nettle rash?

Shaf if you were not aware the Refill app shows you where you can get free water from a water fountain/tap or from a catering establishment (though you might need to ask a cafe multiple times to get that much mud off of your wheels). According to the app there is a tap on the side of the golf course clubhouse on the other side of Dursley.

[redefined_cycles]

Can you get stung by nettles if your arms and legs are already one continuous nettle rash?

Shaf if you were not aware the Refill app shows you where you can get free water from a water fountain/tap or from a catering establishment (though you might need to ask a cafe multiple times to get that much mud off of your wheels). According to the app there is a tap on the side of the golf course clubhouse on the other side of Dursley.

Thanks Dean. I stopped bothering with the Refill app ages ago as it only really showed taps where there were lots of others (or you could just ask someone nicely outside their house). In this instance I was in a terrible state of muckyness and wasn't feeling up for asking anyone. The elderly lady waiting for the taxi also told me she'd go get me some more water from the deli. Nice lady, but I declined. 2L seemed to have done the trick over the course of the next hour and intervalled sprays