Still early in the year but managed a ride after work

Last night was a race home from work to beat sunset.  Finishing work 10 miles nearer to home after a meeting the opportunity to get a ride in before darkness was tantalising especially as the thermometer in the car was reading 12C (even if there was a strong SW wind).  A check of the weather app on my phone gave a sunset time of  1710, I could just squeeze something in.  Needless to say I was in a rush on getting home so left the house without cycle computer and GPS watch but didn't have time to search for them.  I did get out and of course ended up returning well past dusk but it didn't matter the daylight portion of the ride was a joy to achieve this early in the year - its a joy to think the lighter nights are returning even if only just.  Here's my route for the ride.

Best Podcasts of 2016 (IMHO)

This selection is somewhat limited as it applies to those podcast to which I was listening last year , there may well be better ones out there and I certainly know of some good ones that I didn’t get time to appreciate last year but are on my list for the future.  So in no particular order here is my listening list for 2016:

The Outdoors Station Podcast - http://www.theoutdoorsstation.co.uk/

Bob Cartwright has really got his mojo back this year and is turning out some excellent outdoors based podcasts.  Bob has recently moved house and it seems this has been a spur to get after the podcasts once again with new enthusiasm.  Recent episodes have included interviews with Chris Townsend, Alex Roddie (Outdoors Writer and Blogger) and Ellie Bingham (7000 kms on a shoestring cycling across S America without spending money).  Bob has also spent time on a couple of shows introducing other worthy listening podcast for outdoors enthusiasts so I plan to give these a listen also.  I have really enjoyed having Bob back but one of the great things about his podcasts is its extensive back catalogue which has a number of items worth going over again and again – in particular the TGO challenge and 3 men in the Cairngorms episodes.  Great to have you back Bob.

The Bike Show from Resonance FM ‘Podcast and blog of the world's most popular bicycling radio show, rolling since 2004’    http://thebikeshow.net/

This is another podcast with an extensive and excellent back catalogue that is well worth downloading (despite originally being London Based, the articles are, for the mostpart, by no means London-centric ).  Jack Thurston is an excellent host , who now lives in Abergavenny so I’m not sure if the show is still broadcast on Resonance FM but that doesn’t matter as the podcast is still live and kept up to date .  Recent episodes have been particularly interesting for anyone interested in long bike rides – I particularly enjoyed the 3 episodes on the 2016 Transcontinental race (58 mins ; 40 mins and 54 mins in length respectively.) Not just for cyclists this but if you’re interested in Sport, the Outdoors or Cycling you will love this podcast.

BBC History Extra http://www.historyextra.com/podcasts

This is the podcast of the BBC’s History magazine and like those above again as an extensive archive. Nowadays it is released weekly so its hard to keep up with, but for anyone with an interest in the subject it is a must listen podcast.  Unlike the magazine, the podcast has time to explore, usually with recently published authors or TV documentary producers, the latest thinking on a huge range of historical topics.  IN the last year, I have listened to Jonathon Dimbleby talking about the ‘Battle of the Atlantic’, to Marc Morris talking on te Norman Conquest and Tony Robinson talking about historical TV programmes to name just a few.  In the archive there are some real gems and I urge anyone to go and have a listen.  A couple of other BBC podcasts worth a mention are In Our Time – weekly with Melvyn Bragg and usually 3 academics discussing a variety of Historical , Cultural, Scientific or Religious ideas – I haven’t had time to listen in this year but have always thoroughly enjoyed this show.  For me the BBC’s podcast output alone is worth the licence fee!

Blowing Away the Cobwebs - A short walk on Bennachie 2 January 2016

Well back to work tomorrow so only a short chance to get some walking in - so its off to Bennachie for the 1st time in 2017.

 

Final Trip To Bute for a While

With ZV up for sale at the moment I took a trip to Bute at the beginning of November, weather was fantastic



Cabrach 50 Mile Ride

My standard 50 mile training route taking the chance while the weather is still good to get out now that evening riding in the dark post-equinox nights is less appealing

The Quilter Cheviot Etape Royale 18 September 2016

The Etape Royale is the only 100 mile Closed Road Cycle Sportive in Scotland. This year’s event took place in glorious sunshine on 18 September.  There are also 65 mile and 45 mile routes but I was in for the 100 miler starting and finishing at the beautiful town of Ballater, one of Royal Deeside’s wee gems that is now thankfully recovered from the tremendous floods of last winter.

As Ballater is only an hour from home I decided that I would drive to the start on the Sunday morning and benefit from a good night’s sleep in my own bed (I slept terribly and was awake at 0330!) despite the early 0600 start of the Etape.  The weekend started on Saturday when I had to drive to Ballater to Register and collect my race number and timing chip, but a trip to Ballater is always a joy and it was a good excuse to pop into the Boat Inn at Aboyne on the way home for lunch.  On Saturday night I was in bed by 2130 but sleep was fitful and although the alarm was set for 0415 in order to get me to Ballater before any road closures, I was out of bed by 0330 so just grabbed my prepared oats and yogurt breakfast and 500ml pre-race drink (the 1st time I had bothered with either – the oats were a good idea to get carbs into my system but the drink was too much and I ended up having to stop for the loo at the 1st two feed stations at Tarland and Tullynessle). I arrived in Ballater, having had 2 close encounters with deer, by 0430 and sat in the car in the dark listening to a Michael Palin Audiobook until I decided to eat my breakfast and wander up to the start point in the middle of the town.

By 0550 several hundred riders were silently awaiting the start, voices hushed as a reaction to the pre-dawn darkness when the race starter cracked the silence with his 1st Tannoy announcement of the day.  Round the World (among other things) cyclist Mark Beaumont – who had previously  ridden the route on a Penny Farthing - and former Scotland Rugby Captain Rob Wainwright (both of whom would later pass me on the Cabrach) offered some words of encouragement and started the 1st wave of riders on the dot of 0600.  I was in the 3rd wave of riders off at 0606 heading north towards the Pass of Ballater where we would see the 1st mile marker – somewhat discouraging on a ride advertised as 102 miles!

Rhynie

The route from Ballater was initially along Royal Deeside where in the lightening dawn the blinking  tail lights of the bikes in front made route-finding simple tough there were marshals at every turn and plenty of signage.  At this early hour there was still mist in the low lying hollows and with now wind it was a glorious September dawn.   After a quick pit-stop in Tarland, mentioned earlier the route passed on towards Alford via the “Queen’s View” where I remembered to look behind me for a cracking view of Deeside, Lochnagar and the Cairngorms.  Onwards towards Tullynessle and pit stop number 2 before approaching the Suie hill from the south after Bridge of Alford.  This southern approach is the easier way up the Suie and it was a pleasant climb in bright sunshine to the summit before a very steep ut short descent on the other side and via Clatt to Rhynie, the start point for the 65 mile course.  I was now on familiar territory as I often ride the Cabrach, a lovely pass between Rhynie and Dufftown, where I once this year saw an otter cross the road in front of me.  Having taken a gel a couple of mile out of Rhynie I was surprised how easy I found the ride to the Cabrach summit on this occasion; a year ago this would have been a tough climb so I must be getting fitter.

Up the Cabrach

At the feed station in Dufftown I grabbed a buttery whilst a kind volunteer re-filled my water bottle. Dufftown is in the heart of Whisky Country , it is said that whilst Rome was built on seven hills, Dufftown was built on seven stills.  

The road along Glen Rinnes and Glenlivet to Tomintoul was, I found, a bit of a slog but at least there was another food stop at the end to fortify me for the climb to the top of the Lecht – where yet another food station provided sausage rolls and soup that given the at times 20% gradient you feel you have earned.  The Lecht climb isn’t really that long but it is steep and a number of riders were zig-zagging on the steeper sections.  The 1st time I climbed the Lecht – on a recce ride the week before the Etape, I was horrified to crest the hill to see another dip and crest almost as high about a mile away, today though the stop at the feed station made this much easier than last week.  

Descending the Lecht one has to be careful.  At over 2000ft today crosswinds were a problem so the brakes were in quite constant use in order to make the bike controllable near the bottom of the descent at Corgarff Castle the brakes even started to squeal as they were, by now, hot.  I had hoped that the route into Ballater would be downhill all the way from the Lecht but a rude shock was the discovery of the old military road over the Gairnshiel was between me and Ballater, with nearly 90 miles in the legs it was a tough grind to the top though the ride down the other side was fast and the scenery spectacular.  Seven and a half hours after setting off I was entering the pass of Ballater for the 2nd time before turning  back towards Ballater and the finish point and foolishly challenging the rider in front to a sprint finish.  What a great ride.

For me this is the best organised sportive I have ever been involved with.  There was ample car parking in Ballater – provided as part of the entry fee.  Feed stations were plentiful – every 20 miles or even less – at Tarland; Tullynessle; Rhynie; Dufftown; Tomintoul and the Lecht.  The volunteers manning the feed stations were friendly and very helpful and I am told the mechanical assistance for those who needed it was second to none.  On finishing the race although roads were still closed, diversions were very effective in getting cars away.  My only complaint was that in the glorious 21C heat that there was a long queue for the ice cream van at the finish line.  This route is a classic and deserves to grow as an annual event.  I shall definitely be back next year – though I shall take some photos next time.

Tour O the Borders 2016

Last year I rode my 1^st Sportive the Tesco Tour O the Borders which I reported on here: 2015

Since then I have tried to keep the cycling going and this same event was my 4^th of 2016 (after Etape  Loch Ness in April, Etape Caledonia in May and my unsuccessful  attempt at the Trossachs Ton in June ).  All of these rides have been thoroughly enjoyable and have provided some great riding in some very scenic parts of Scotland, nevertheless, the Tour O The Borders is, IMHO, one of the very best for the scenery on offer (it does help that I am not really familiar with the area.

This year’s route was the same as last year with just modifications to the locations of the feed stations; the old Gordon Arms Hotel double feed station was replaced with 2 smaller ones – 1 about 5km up Berry Bush Hill and the other a couple of km up Paddy Slacks hill. More importantly the Talla descent - scene of a serious crash last year that left most riders freezing at the top of Talla whilst the air ambulance evacuated the casualty - was a neutralised timing zone, not that that would worry me as this descent is perfectly safe at the speeds I am comfortable travelling.

This year the views surpassed those of last year as the low cloud was replaced with sunshine and excellent visibility.  The weather, however, was not benign as this was the day that Cairngorm experienced its strongest ever August wind (gusting 115 mph).  Whilst we were not at that altitude, the Tour is quite high and the wind was strong throughout the ride – the 1^st 27 miles were almost totally into wind as was the climb up Berry Bush and the 1^st half of the KOM hill.  Sometimes I was even in my Granny Gear on the flat and making slow progress into the wind, I found the run up to Paddy Slacks, in particular, tough.  On the positive side the hill climbing was easier than last year – the results of improved fitness and more training (though my training since June has been limited by bike repairs and illness as well as bad weather).  By the end the wind had taken its toll and although my time was slightly faster than last year, I was knackered. 

For a good article and some great pictures of this year’s Tour take a look here:

Gran Fondo Article

So what did I learn this year?

1 – Don’t fight the wind it will win, accept you will get a slower time and enjoy the scenery!

2 – I found out what a derailleur hanger is – struggling before the ride to get my gears to index I spoke to one of the attendant Shimano mechanics who took one look at the mech and spotted that my derailleur hanger was bent, kindly he bent it back for me but advised me to replace it ASAP (I have 2 on order).

3 – Test your refreshments before the ride – my drink mix made my stomach knot up, I threw it out at the Berry Bush feed station and replaced it with the Tesco Isotonic water they were handing out there.

4 – This really is a fantastic Sportive and is very well organised.  If I can I shall be back next year.