September 22nd 2020: Tour de France epilogue

Well, so much for the 2020 Tour de France, the Covid Tour, which came to a dramatic finale at the weekend and which witnessed one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the event, perhaps even more dramatic than Greg LeMond's time trial ride to beat Laurent Fignon at the death in 1989 on the Champs-Elysees. Carrying a seemingly insurmountable 57 second advantage into the stage 20 mountain time trial all the money was on Primoz Roglic to deliver and wear yellow into Paris the next day. As has been the case throughout the 2020 edition, however, Tadej Pogacar, the young Pretender, had not read the script and took the fight to Roglic from the off, racing out of the blocks and chipping away at the deficit, second by second until the foot of the final cat 1 climb to La Planche des belles Filles. At this point he had clawed some 30 seconds back and both riders elected to swap their time trial machines for standard road bikes for the climb itself. Pogacar's change was smooth in the way that Roglic's was messy and it was at this point that the floodgates opened. Suddenly Roglic was haemorrhaging time as Pogacar exuded smooth rhythm and closed the gap. And then, suddenly, he was in front. Roglic's form was disintegrating, moment by moment as he grappled with the bike and yet he knew that this was slipping inexorably away from him and his team. Jumbo-Visma had been imperious throughout the tour and yet had, in truth, failed to ram home the advantage. All those stages they had looked in such control but, unlike Sky and Ineos of old, they had simply not finished the job off. And on this day, in the Race of Truth, Roglic was found wanting. In many ways it was sad to witness, and as Pogacar hauled himself up the final 20% ramp to the finish Roglic's teammates Dumoulin and van Aert looked on in disbelief. Pogacar won the stage, taking a minute out of Dumoulin whilst Roglic finally came home in a thoroughly respectable 5th place. On the day it simply wasn't good enough and Pogacar, against all the odds, had won the Tour by 59 seconds. He could scarcely believe it and then it gradually sank in and emotion overcame him. Roglic was distraught but composed himself and had the dignity to make a point of congratulating his young opponent. In all of this Richie Porte's performance went almost unnoticed as he put in a storming ride to almost beat Dumoulin, enough certainly to elevate him onto the podium, finally, after so many years of trying. That too, was an emotional moment.

The final stage in Paris the next day was almost anticlimax after the main course, but there was a green jersey up for grabs, with Sam Bennett carrying a big advantage into the stage. In the event he and his team were strong enough and he scored an impressive victory on the Champs-Elysees, the first man to do so in green since Mark Cavendish back in 2011, and the Irish had their moment too. With Pogacar taking all the other jerseys, it was a bit of a two-man stitch-up as the podium presentation before an empty Paris brought the curtain down on what has proved to be an epic race. Covid may have had an impact but it failed to deliver a knock-out blow and cycling was the winner, in spite of some questionable crowd behaviour, particularly in the mountains. Whether we can get back to normal in time for next year's race is certainly debatable but this year has proved that it is very possible to put on a bike race. Right, I'm going to have a lie down!

September 21st 2020: A summer swansong

As we approach the solstice and summer moves inexorably into autumn the sun has put in one final appearance these last few days giving me the chance for one last grand day out in proper summer gear before dusting off the warmer togs and getting the car serviced ahead of the darker days of winter. Wall-to-wall sunshine was forecast with temperatures to match as I rode out in the morning heading into the Welsh hills. What followed was a proper hilly adventure, taking a meandering route first north over Sychdyn Moor and then on to Nannerch for the climb over the Col de Pennyclodiau. Traffic was light, making it all the more enjoyable, even on the main Mold-Denbigh road. The Col de Penycloddiau unfolds in phases and reveals views up the valley above Nannerch to the rolling Clwyd range over which a series of narrow mountain roads allows passage into the Vale of Clwyd. As I got higher the road surface first deteriorates and then steepens to 20% before thankfully flattening over the summit from where there are sadly no views to match the vistas lower down. The technical descent was not without its moment of drama as I carried too much speed into a sharp right-left double corner where water run-off across the road caused a loss of traction under braking as I desperately treid to scrub off some excess speed into the turn. Somehow I kept the bike upright, despite an excursion off the road and into nettles before regaining control and continuing my descent, chastened and more sedately. I am far too old to be descending like a madman these days, so I took the moment as a warning and rode the rest of the day accordingly.

Down in the Vale of Clwyd i now headed south skirting the Clwyd range to my left, and enjoying hazy views across the verdant pastrual land of the valley. Through little villages and hamlets, stopping for the occasional tractor or maniac van driver hell bent on reaching their destination as if it was their last (drive like that and it might be!). On the road to Graigfechan the views open out and the full length of the Clwyd hills extends north, demanding a photo stop, before the steep little climb up into the village and past the sign of the Three Pigeons. I now joined the main A road from Ruthin to Wrexham for the lovely winding climb through Nant y Garth, a delightful climb even with the traffic. The gradient is never steep but steady all the way, much of it accompanied by the babbling cascades of the stream flowing down to join the Afon Clwyd. Two thirds of the way up, on a full 180 degree curve a minor road heads off to the right, steeply up and over the hills to Bryneglwys and I took this, a new bit of tarmac for me. At the foot of the climb the sign suggests a 13% ramp, at complete odds with the sign at the top of a punishingly steep ascent which reads 17%. My Wahoo told me it peaked at 20% and my legs would agree with that estimate. Thankfully, the rest of this road was downhill into the Afon Morwynion valley and the little village of Bryneglwys where another unclassified road dives off the main Corwen road and up and round the bulk of Llantisilio Mountain before dropping to the village of Carrog in the Dee Valley. This is another road previously unridden and smooth tarmac for a good part of the climb made it almost pleasurable as I took in views west toward Snowdonia, sadly not visible today as the sunshine was too hazy. More photo opportunities!

Down in Carrog I was taken aback at the crowds. The village pub was full to the rafters and people were picnicking down on the banks fo the sparkling River Dee under the magnificent Pont Carrog, an ancient river crossing. The nearby Llangollen railway stops at Carrog and I imagine this was the reason for the corwds. I didn't linger. My route now follows another unclassified road, winding along the northern banks of the River Dee, up and down to the villages of Rhewl and Llantisilio which nestle in the shadows of Moel y Gamelin and Moel Morfydd high above. It really is stunning country and once again the camera was busy. Once through Rhewl and past the hoards who were flocking to the Horseshoe Falls the road pops out right at the foot of the eponymous Horseshoe Pass climb, north of Llangollen. This was a return to the scene of Helen's moment earlier this summer when we rode over the Pass to fulfil a long standing ambition. The portents today were ominous with road closure signs at the start of the climb but I carried on, mainly out of optimism rather than a sure knowledge that I would succeed. Shortly after, the sight of a large tanker lorry performing an ungainly about-turn in the road suggested that this might prove more tricky than I planned. Above the Britannia and where the side road dives off towards Worlds End a more measured road block was in place, guarded by a workman in h-vis jacket whose job it clearly was to intercept and divert any traffic intent on trying their luck at getting up the Pass. Not today was the message but he did assure me that the old road was open. This was both good and bad news. Good beacuse it meant I didn't face a large detour out of the valley through Llangollen and Trevor, bad because the old road is a truly brutal climb with ramps approaching 25%. Still, if that was how it was... I took the side road and gathered my strength for the ordeal as I approached Pentredwr, the hamlet which sits at the foot of the climb. Immediately the road ramps up at 13% - this is the easy bit! With the Horseshoe road being closed there was quite a bit of light traffic using the old road which didn't help as it is not only steep but very narrow. There came a point where I was forced to stop, not sure if I would be able to get going again. I managed though and continued my handlebar gnawing grind up the hill until I reached the cattlegrid. My speed here was so slow that I questioned whether I could stay upright and discretion overcame valour. I walked. The 25% ramp now follows so I walked some more, enjoying the beautiful scenery which is so at odds with the brutality of the climb. More camera work followed. Eventually the gradient eases and the road pops out by the wonderfully named Ponderosa Café, a magnet for motorbikes. Today was no exception, despite the road closure. My target, however, was the summit sign which lies about 400m back along the Llangollen side of the Ponderosa. A summit selfie is both de rigueur and expected.

The remainder of my ride was predominantly downhill, though not exclusively and my legs were now feeling the effects of some 1700m of climbing so far. Plunging (carefully) down the Horeshoe Pass (north) i took another hitherto unridden side road which links the Pass with Llandegla. It turned out to be a gated road and very quiet, but again with unexpected views to savour. And a delightful sign warning travellers to close the gates or face a fine of not less than 40 shillings. From Llandegla there is one last haul over the Llandegla Moors before dropping down to Treuddyn and Sunspot. I detoured through the lovely Ffrith valley back to Llay to stamp my authority on a couple of Strava segments on which I am apparently the Local Legend. Then it was down Cobblers Lane and back along Stringers Lane (where the cows were traipsing slowly across the road for milking) before finally getting home just in time for that very welcome brew and a lie down. It really had been a wonderful day out on the bike and a fitting end to summer if that is what it must be.

September 15th 2020: Picnic on Halkyn Mountain

Another fine day here in North Wales and, with Helen taking a week off work, we made the most of it by opting for a lumpy ride into the hills. Helen suggested packing a picnic and finding somewhere nice to sit and eat as part of the ride, all of which sounded like a grand idea. So we did. With the sun beating down and temperatures in the mid twenties I plotted a route out past Mold and fringing the Clwydian range before we headed north up onto the vast expanse that is Halkyn Mountain. Helen's ebike ate up the climbs with ease and I huffed and puffed my way up with her, through the wonderfully named village of Lixwm and winding our way through the myriad lanes to Pantasaph where the monastery there has a fine café by the name of St Pio's. The great weather meant that we could sit outside, a must in these times of Covid, and it wasn't too busy. A coffee and a slice of cake were required and they did not disappoint. The place reminds me very much of the m,onastery at Lluc, especially on a glorious day such as today. We continued riding the roads over Halkyn Mountain, now headed generally south and looking for a suitable picnic spot. It came to mind that the trig point at the highest point would be a grand spot, assuming no-one else had the same idea, so we headed in that general direction. Much of Halkyn is given over to quarrying on a grand scale which lends a surreal air to the geography of the place and the road traffic is a mix of local farmers and villagers and great quarry lorries rumbling across the moor. Eventually we came to the junction near the trig and, at this point, were forced off road to reach the summit. All a bit of fun on easy grass sruface that made cycling straightforward enough and in a few minutes we were there. Nobody else in sight. Great. A few photos and we then sat and took in the views as we scoffed our butties, savouring the luxury of such an adventure. Clouds were gathering but not enough to spoil the day, indeed it made for some atmospheric views of the Clwyd hills to the west. Suitably refreshed we remounted, rode the short off-road section back to the road and carried on down to Rhes-y-Cae and on to Halkyn and Rhosesmor before the long, narrow and winding descent to Sychdyn and then the rolling ride back home, by which time the rain was spitting and the threatened shower was on the brink. Just in time. What a splendid day out.

After the second rest day at the Tour de France business was resumed today with stage 16, a mountainous rolling parcours finishing in Villard-de-Lans and won in some style by young German Lennard Kamna after an audacious solo break on the final big climb. The big talking point though has been the abnadonment of the race by Egan Bernal who has come badly unstuck in the last few days, losing significant time on the big stage 15 finishing on the Grand Colombier, a truly magnificent but brutal climb, and then finishing today in the grupetto over 10 minute sbehind the lead GC riders. It has become apparent that his back injury which forced him to abandon the Dauphine has resurfaced (not really a surprise, is it?) and he has been in a lot of pain. Once again the Team Ineos strategy of having no plan B has backfired in spectacular fashion and calls into serious question their team selection for the Tour. Whilst it was clear that Froomey was not ready enough I can't help but think the Geraint Thomas would have been challenging, though I doubt very much whether he would have been good enough to beat either Roglic or Pogacar. So Team Ineos will come away from the Tour having failed ignominiously after 10 years of dominating the race (excluding 2014 when Froome crashed and had to abandon). It has to be said that Jumbo-Visma have learnt the lesson from the British team and have developed a squad capable of dominating the peloton in the way we were used to seeing Team Sky do so forcefully. With less than a week to go it now looks to be a two horse race for the yellow jersey with the rest of the contenders fighting for the third podium spot. But... stranger things have happened, so let's enjoy this last few days, as the final act unfolds.

September 7th 2020: Tour de France - first rest day

In this strange year even the cycling has had to change track and redesign itself in the face of Covid. The pro season restarted at the beginning of August and, somewhat belatedly, the 2020 Tour de France finally rolled out in Nice last Saturday and we have enjoyed a thoroughly absorbing first 9 days of racing culminating yesterday in the Pyrenees for the second of two tough stages. Gradually ther cream has risen to the top and the main protagonists for the yellow jersey have emerged at the head of the pack. The yellow jersey has been shared, memorably, between Julian Alaphillipe (again!) and Adam Yates (unexpectedly) before Sunday's stage finishing in Laruns saw Primoz Roglic begin his expected stint in yellow after an exciting sprint finish, won by Tadej Pogacar who has enjoyed a mixed week, having lost signifcant time after getting caught out in crosswinds on Friday. Egan Bernal lies ominously in second place, just 21 seconds back which is, interestingly, the same amount of bonus seconds that Roglic has picked up during this first week. So in reality they are neck and neck. Two French hopes lie third and fourth, Romain Bardet and Guillaume Martin respectively. Martin particularly looks an exciting prospect and has had a couple of digs trying to upset the normal order of things. But Pogacar looks the class act in terms of up and coming young riders. He has taken the race to Roglic, Bernal et al after his time losses and has clawed back a chunk of the time he lost and now lies only 44 seconds back in 7th, and must be considered a genuine contender. And Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Uran are 5th and 6th respectively, having been almost anonymous during this first week. So we are all set for a calmer second week beginning with two flat stages before things get lumpier next weekend. In the meantime we can all draw breath.

Julian Alaphillipe reignited the French dreams of 2019 when he won stage 2 in Nice and took the yellow jersey from a surprised Alexander Kristoff who certainly wouldn't have expected to win stage 1 at the ripe old age of 33 and ahead of some illustrious younger sprinters. In truth there was never really any hope of Alaphillipe repeating last year's exploits and it came as no surprise when he lost the fight on stage 5 and Adam Yates took over, having seemingly missed a great opportunity the day before. His 3 second lead over Roglic looked precarious and Yates didn't seem quite on his game, but he and his Mitchelton-Scott team fought gamely to keep the jersey through the Pyrenees before succumbing to the inevitable Jumbo-Visma pressure on stage 9, losing nearly a minute. His repeated assertion that he was here to win stages had been on hold and it may still be difficult for him as he lies in 8th, only a minute back, so the GC leaders will be reluctant to let him go. From a personal perspective I have enjoyed these two days in the Pyrenees as they have ridden over climbs and through countryside that is all very familiar to me. Watching them climb the likes of the fearsome Marie Blanque at a pace which is superhuman is quite inspiring, not that I shall ever emulate them or even come close!

We shouldn't forget the battle for the green jersey which is becoming, probably, a two-horse race (though Bryan Coquard may dispute that) between Peter Sagan (as usual) and the improving Sam Bennett who, though still to win his first Tour stage, surely cannot have long to wait. He does look strong and has a strong team to back him, particularly now that Alaphillipe is no longer a GC contender (not that he ever really was). Peter Sagan looks strangely off the pace and his lead in the Points competition is, once again, down to his consistency which Bennett has not quite managed to match. Assuming this goes all the way to Paris it will be close. Today's rest day is also Covid-testing day and all the teams are being subjected to Covid tests to ensure the health and safety of riders and team staff as well as maintain the integrity of the Tour as a whole. Fingers crossed it goes all the way to Paris in two weeks time.

September 1st 2020: A bit of Elan

As we move into meteorological autumn (whatever happened to proper autumn?) the change to September is a reminder that the year is waning, summer is over and it is time normally when our thoughts might be turning to next year's cycling. Well, that's a subject for another blog entry I think, but summer isn't done quite yet. Today I threw the bike in the back of the car, rather as I did last week, and drove south for a couple of hours to the little mid-Wales marklet town of Rhayader, gateway to the magical Elan Valley. Parking up in a layby at the foot of the tiny mountain road which heads for Aberystwyth I got myself sorted and set off on a little mountain adventure.

I cycled this way last way back in 2007 on the Autumn Epic sportive, and being fairly fit then I rode for a gold standard time (which I achieved) and as a result didn't really get to enjoy the scenery as I might. I remember being blown away by it all and thought it would be nice to come back some time. So here we are... The road heads up almost immediately and is a pleasant steady climb out of the valley and onto the Cambrian Mountain moorlands past some lovely upland scenery, sheep and heather at the side of the road and a wonderful tumbling mountain stream to keep me company. I had made a point of putting my camera in my pocket and it was busy as I took in the views and stopped a number of times. Eventually I rolled out at the top with a view north to Cadair Idris and where the road immediately drops into the upper reaches of the Elan Valley. More camera action. The dsecent to Pont Elan is fast and fun and at this point the road splits. The mountain road continues west up the valley and onto even more remote moorland, a ride for another day I promised myself. My route took me left and down over the bridge and up alongside the first of the Elan Reservoirs, Craig Goch. The reservoirs were built back in the 1890s to provide drinking water for Birmingham and this is gravity fed by the 73 mile Elan aqueduct, another masterpiece of Victorian engineering. Although manmade they really are scenic marvels and the whole area is dubbed the Welsh Lake District. The road meanders above the western shore of Craig Goch as far as the first of the Elan dams, a wonderful example of Victorian dam buiding and similar to the one at nearby Lake Vyrnwy. As expected this was pretty busy with visitors taking in the spectacle but never straying too far from their cars. I was able to find a quiet spot to stop and take some photos and enjoy the views with the dam framed by glorious moorland scenery. Carrying on the Elan river now drops into the second reservoir, Pen-y-Garreg, a much narrower stretch of water bounded by steeper sided hills as the character of the valley now changed. This is a smaller reservoir and I was soon reading the info board at the Penygarreg dam where the river now flows through a narrow valley and out into Garreg-Ddu Reservoir. More steep-sided wooded hills line the valley, now with more heather to add a splash of colour as the road hugs the hillside above the eastern shore as far as the bridge taking a side road to the Claerwen Dam. More photo stops, more spectacle, it really is gorgeous cycling. And all downhill!

The Claerwen road follows the northern shore of Caban-Coch Resrevoir which is the last of the reservoirs in the main valley, but this road now heads back up into the hills for 5 miles or so to the impressive Claerwen Dam and Reservoir, with a cheeky 7% kilometer climb up to the top of the dam where the road ends. Workmen were on the dam face suspended by cables, not a job for the faint-hearted!. The water levels were very low, presumably to protect the workmen. I stopped for more photos before heading down to the foot of the dam and the visitor car park here. It was pretty empty - obviously people stick to the main valley but don't bother with this rather stunning side attraction. Again, more photos and time to take in the extensive information board (and snaffle a banana) before the ride back to the main valley and the final reservoir and dam. More c ars and more people here, so I didn't linger and dropped quickly down past the visitor centre at Elan Village where the traffic was busy. Time for a last photo before the ride out and back to my waiting car, a couple of steep little hills to keep me right. Although only a short ride (less than 45km) it had been a wonderful three hours and I will definitely head back this way to explore some more. Hopefully soon.
Totals for August
Real Distance ridden: 1154km
Total ascent: 9289m
Virtual distance ridden: 170km
Virtual Ascent: 1959m

August 24th 2020: Lost Lanes of Wales, a touring ride

The effect of Covid-19 on my cycling this year has been profound. All my riding to date has been in and around our home here in North Wales, with the occasional foray into Cheshire. No holidays abroad, no rides elsewhere in the UK, no visits to Devon or the Lakes. It has been a very monochromatic itinerary. Yesterday all that changed, thanks in part to a book Helen gave me a couple of months ago called Lost Lanes of Wales, a collection of eclectic rides throughout Wales which concentrates on quieter roads and lanes, as the name suggests. Bizarrely, route 27 in this book is in England, starting and finishing in Leominster and heading out west to the market town of Kington, on the Welsh border. A 75km rolling parcours looked idyllic, passing through piucturesque villages and taking in some lovely pastural countryside along the way. With the impending arrival of Storm Francis expected on Tuesday I threw my Kinesis in the car on Monday and headed south for the two hour drive to Leominster

Parking was easy, a long stay car park on the north side of town had plenty of spaces and for the princely sum of £2.50 I could stay all day. Shortly after 12 noon I was rolling out onto the main A44 which bisects the town for a short pedal before turning off onto a series of B-roads and lanes which would take me on a glorious adventure. The weather trhoughout was a bit of a mixed bag, with some bright sunshine, some overcast conditions and a heavy downpour thrown in to keep it sporting. Thankfully, the wind was light and had little effect. I pretty much followed the route throughout, though I did have cause to stop and check my progress now and again using my handy Android phone OS Maps app, a wonderful technological tool which I love. Helen bought me an annual subscription for my birthday and it has been money well spent and received! The villages are picturesque and visually striking with some typical black and white olde worlde architecture which is always nice to look at. Eardisland was the first of these, a photographically arresting village on the River Arrow, with black and white cottages dotted about everywhere, along with a wonderful old AA Phone Box. In the old days, pre-Covid I would have been tempted to stop for a brew here but I was only a short way into the ride and there seemed few places open for business. Next up I rode through Kingsland, another pretty village, more bustling but still definitely struggling with our post-Covid world. Pembridge, about 20km into the ride, was certainly worth a stop for some photos. Here the black and white was dominant, with scarcely a straight line in sight. The market place was home to a striking wooden market shelter which posed in front of the village pub in a photo opportunity which had to be taken. In the middle of August at the height of the tourist season the place seemed very quiet.

The road meandered on, following the River Arrow to Staunton on Arrow with its prominent parish church perched atop the hill on which the village is built. Even the village hall was black and white architecture, though clearly of more modern design. A few more winding lanes as the rain started to interrupt the proceedings brought me to Titley on the B4355. More open, but no less picturesque in its way, the scene was blighted by roadworks in the middle of the street. An old drinking fountain erected back in the 1800s outside the church was a distraction. My route was easy now for the next few kilometres, following the B road all the way into the market town of Kington, nestling tight up against the Welsh border and in the shadow of Hergest Ridge on Offa's Dyke path, made famous of course by Mike Oldfield all those decades ago. The rain by now was uncomfortable so I took cover in the town's market shelter next to the Museum and waited for it to pass, grabbing the moment to take on some food I had brought with me and check the map for the next section of the ride. Clearly this was not just a passing shower so eventually I bit the bullet and headed out in the rain bound for the significant climb of the day up to Brilley Mountain on the opposite side of the valley to Hergest Ridge. The road was busy, probably the first time today I had been passed by traffic in any number, and the rain made it a tad greasy at times. The views of Hergest Ridge were gentle rather than dramatic but worthy of my attention. Eventually the rain did stop and I reached the top and stopped to remove my jacket. The next stage of the route was the most sketchy in terms of proper road, although it shows as such on the OS map. There was more grass up the middle than tarmac and the gravel made it feel more off road as I descended in damp conditions. Not the most enjoyable part of today's ride!

Reaching the bottom of the descent, and relieved that I was back on a decent road surface, I now turned east and began the winding route back to Leominster. Eardisley was next, a village where Helen and I had stayed in the pub some years ago on a brief visit to the area, and then Almeley, winner of the much covetted 1990 village of the year trophy. All pretty and distracting without quite having the wow factor. Next, though, was Weobley which defnitely does have some of this. The village has its own heritage trail with numerous striking period buildings to enjoy as well as an outlandishly tall church spire which is almost impossible to photograph. The high street is awash with black and white buildings and again, pre-Covid I might well have stopped for a coffee. Not today sadly.

I was on the home stretch now, less than 15km back to Leominster. The last village of note was Dilwyn with a lovely 800 year old church alongside yet more black and white houses around a central village green. From here the roads wound and rolled back through Dorstone and Ivington before transitioning into the outskirts of Leominster as I finished what had been a thoroughly enjoyable 4 hours on the bike through some picturesque rural countryside which is worthy of another visit sometime.

August 19th 2020: Froome and Thomas miss out on Le Tour

In a somewhat controversial decision Team Ineos have shown their true colours today by announcing their 2020 Tour team lineup. Only one British rider in the British team seems something of a slap in the face for up and coming British talent. When launching back in 2010 they made much of being British and were lauded for the aim of finding a British winner within 5 years. With 6 British wins in the last 10 years they have indeed proved successful but seem to have drifted away from that aim in recent years, choosing instead to sign promising overseas riders at the expense of nurturing young British talent. It is all rather reminiscent of British football teams such as Chelsea or Manchester City trying to buy their way to winning the Premier League and is sad to see. True, Chris Froome has been well below the form required for a team role, let alone a leadership role, and so his omission is probably not a surprise, especially given his impending departure at the end of the season. Geraint Thomas will, I'm sure, be disappointed as he has shown over the years an unflagging commitment to the team cause, supporting Wiggins, Froome and Bernal admirably and taking advantage in 2018 to win the Tour when Froome was himself not up to it. I can't help thinking they will miss his team player role more than they realise. Whilst he will never publicly voice his displeasure, I'm not sure that being Ineos leader at the Giro qill quite compensate for missing the Tour. Given that Egan Bernal was well below the form shown by Primoz Roglic in last week's Criterium du Dauphiné it remains to be seen whether he has the legs to actually fulfil the ongoing Ineos objective of securing yet another Tour victory. And I am not convinced that Richard Carapaz, talented rider though he undoubtedly is, will play the team role in the way Thomas would. A role as super-domestique sounds grand on paper, but I suspect he and Bernal are similar in that they are more likely to ride for themselves, not the team. Good luck to Luke Rowe as road captain trying to keep it all together.

August 16th 2020: Le Tour is coming

It is now just two weeks until the Tour de France rolls out in Nice, some 2 months later than originally scheduled but amazingly on track to go ahead despite the Covid pandemic. The 2020 edition of the Criterium du Dauphine has just finished and what should have offered some interesting pointers to form ahead of Le Tour ended being very inconclusive as far as the expected GC contenders is concerned. Primoz Roglic looked imperious but crashed on stage 4 and failed to start stage 5. Egan Bernal developed a bad back, having looked less than convincing and withdrew after stage 3. Both Steven Kruiswijk and Emanuel Buchmann crashed out on stage 4, whilst Nairo Quintana developed a knee niggle and climbed off during stage 5. Thibaut Pinot probably should have won following Roglic's withdrawal but, being Thibaut Pinot, came up short to finish second overall. The Team Ineos Brits Thomas and Froome were both using the Dauphine as a form race, providing support to Bernal but neither looked convincing in the mountains, though Thomas seemed much closer to his old self than Froome who is still recovering from last year's horific crash. Other outside contenders such as Adam Yates, Landa, Valverde, Dumoulin, Porte and Angel Lopez all looked out of sorts when the chips were down. Which leaves the whole question of who will win the 2020 Tour totally open. It will be interesting to see if up and coming prospects such as Guillaume Martin, Pavel Sivakov (possibly Team Ineos's best rider at the moment) and Tadej Pogacar can step up and produce a surprise. The Dauphine was a success as far as successfully reaching the finish, trialling a number of Covid precautions for riders, teams and spectators alike. At the end of the day, however, it remains to be seen if they can complete 3 weeks of racing across France without Covid incident but fingers crossed. Roll on August 29th.

Despite the weather being a bit of a mixed bag over the last 2 weeks or so, with baking hot temperatures, spectacular thunderstorms and a mix of bright and drab grey days, somehow I have managed 12 rides in the first 15 days of August with a couple of lumpy rides into the Clwyds, including a spectacular day over Clwyd Gate and Penycloddiau, and some gentle spins through the lanes on the Cheshire-Wales border. The generally good weather meant we have even managed a coluple of café stops which has been nice after so long without. At the end of the day, things continue very much as before, although the post-lockdown return to traffic levels and behaviour pretty much as it was pre-Covid is disappointing. People have short memories it seems. That window of opportunity for some sort of radical overhaul of our approach to transport in the UK seems to be closing with little political appetite, it would appear, to do anything to upset the motoring lobby. Shame. One last point - yesterday I would have been travelling home from Scotland after successfully finishing LEJOG 2020 which, I am guessing, has been going ahead without hitch these last two weeks. I sincerely hope it has gone well for those who felt able to take part. For me it will have to wait till another year.

July 31st 2020: In the Summertime

It has not been the most auspicious month, weather-wise. And yet we still managed a fair few rides, including a couple in excess of 100km during the last week. Last week Helen and I headed out for the wilds of the Clwydian hills as I led her on some of the more enjoyable climbs, notably the Bwlch Llangwyfan and Shelf climbs. On her ebike she takes them in her stride, again it was a question of managing the power settings and we easily got to the 100km mark. And she enjoyed herself too. We even stopped at a pub in the Vale of Clwyd for a cheeky beer and some lunch, something we haven't done for a long, long time. Good ride out. The possibilities do seem endless, it may well be that we can look at some tougher cycle-touring routes for the future when Covid is a thing of the past.

Today, had all gone according to plan, I would have been travelling to Penzance ready for the trip of a lifetime, LEJOG. Sadly it was not to be and I have found it difficult to maintain any motivation in my cycling since I pulled out. I do hope they have a great trip and, you never know, maybe next year?

Facebook can be annoying. It has the uncanny ability to flag up memories from the past and many of previous years' cycling (and walking) trips have popped up, serving nothing really other than fuelling this motivational downer. Whilst it is nice to relive great trips, it does serve as a kick in the teeth as we endure the Covid age. I know of some who have chosen to travel and understand the urge, but I am not prepared to take the risk. Those foreign climbs will still be there next year, as will LEJOG.
Totals for July
Real Distance ridden: 973km
Total ascent: 7348m
Virtual distance ridden: 133km
Virtual Ascent: 1311m

July 12th 2020: Helen joins the Century Club

Some years ago Helen asked me whether she might be able to ride 100 miles. The answer was an unequivocal yes, anyone is capable of it, but it takes preparation and some determination together with mental fortitude. Riding a century is never easy, and for any first timer there will be a mix of elation, enjoyment and pain and discomfort, hopefully not in equal measure. But there is no doubt that the completion of this milestone is a wonderful moment of achievement and one to be savoured and, hopefully, shared.

Helen's ebike has been a revelation and our recent discovery that she can tweak the power settings within the ebikemotion app has been the proverbial game changer. Our ride out over the Horseshoe Pass a couple of weeks ago demonstrated that and it set me thinking that, with the correct settings, riding that century was now a reality. I settled down with the Strava Routes creation website one evening and came up with a suitable route from home, not too hilly, but equally not flat either (that would be just tedious), and mainly on roads that we know. By the time I finished we had a roughly circular route heading east out into Cheshire, then south and west into the Welsh border country and north back home. 102 miles all in, with around 1100m of ascent. Helen gave her seal of approval and we started weather watching for a suitable day to do the deed.

Sunday July 12th will go down as the day that Helen joined this illustrious club. I have no idea how many people have actually completed a hundred miles bike ride but my guess would be that it is a relatively small proportion of the population. The weather was pretty well perfect, dry and sunny with a gentle breeze, so we made the decision. Sunday it was. On Saturday night we checked the bikes, pumped the tyres, put together suitable supplies – the Covid crisis has changed the long bike ride template as café stops have to be more carefully planned and pubs are not yet open (they opened in Wales on the 13th), so we needed to ensure we had sufficient food and drink for the ride. A camera completed the equipment list, we very definitely needed to record the day for posterity after all.

The day didn't disappoint. It dawned bright and sunny, and was warming all the while. A few fluffy clouds decorated the blue skies to add the finishing touch. After a hearty breakfast (a prerequisite to any challenging bike ride) Helen managed some last minute faffing before we got underway at just on 9.15. My estimate for the ride was about 7½ hours riding time plus maybe 60-90 minutes for stops, so we were looking at around 9 hours out on the road. A long day, longer by a country mile than anything Helen had attempted before. Some of our touring trips over the years have included some long days, but not like this. As is always the case, we set off with a spring in our pedals and joy in our hearts, carefree at the thought of a day on the bikes. Heading into Chester was easy and we were soon rolling along the city walls past the vast green expanse of the racecourse before picking up the Greenway to bypass the city centre. Being a Sunday morning I had been hopeful that this would be relatively quiet. Fat chance, and the lack of social distancing and awareness by many users made it an anxious and stressful part of the ride, but it was mercifully short as we only rode about 2km before exiting and heading out into the countryside east of the city. Away from the Greenway traffic was light and generally courteous and we rolled toward the Sandstone ridge and Delamere Forest. On a fine Sunday morning I had expected some activity here – Delamere is a great outdoor recreational location for walkers and cyclists alike but we were unprepared for just how busy it was. Parked cars lined the roads, the car parks were full and the place buzzed with activity. Not much chance of a quiet Sunday outing here! Our plan had been to take our first pitstop here but the crowds meant that we quickly revised our plans and rode on, stopping eventually after 44km at the lovely Oulton Mere near the Oulton Park race circuit. We were able to sit by the mere for 10 minutes or so and refuel and enjoy the company of curious ducks as we reflected on the herd mentality of people generally.

The second part of our ride was a rolling ride through pleasant Cheshire countryside visiting places such as Little Budworth, Tilstone Fearnall, Bunbury and Beeston before we finally made a brief foray back into Wales for our lunch stop at Holt, after 91km, so well over half way by now. Cleopatra's in Holt is one of our favourite café stops and, although they weren't open properly yet they were offering a takeaway service which we took advantage of. Our timing was perfect, there is a little triangle in the heart of the village with seating and this was deserted, so we bagsied a bench and put our order in. As we sat and enjoyed a sumptuous bacon and cranberry toastie with coffee to wash it down the place was gathering in popularity as cyclists arrived in their ones and twos. The day was warming nicely by now, though not too hot, but clearly hydration was becoming an issue. I had brought an extra bottle and we refilled Helen's bidon ready for leg 3, back into Cheshire.

This part of our ride was probably the lumpiest section of the whole day. Admittedly the haul up and over the sandstone ridge earlier was lumpy, but we now faced some persistent short climbs as we headed south to Overton and a return to Wales. Additionally the day clouded slightly which was welcome as it managed the temperature nicely. After Overton we plunged down to the River Dee and wended our way through lanes to Erbistock, a stretch which was new to me. Here was our most significant climb of the day before we now turned for home, heading north on familiar roads past Wrexham. Our final pitstop was a park bench just outside Wrexham Industrial Estate, and a quiet place to spend 10 minutes refuelling as Helen prepared herself for the last stage. She was getting tired by now, nearly 80 miles in and in uncharted territory – this was now further than she had ever ridden before. But she was still strong and resisted the urge to tweak the ebike settings to make it easier (we had a little bit in hand just in case). This last leg was all on familiar roads which, I think, made it a bit easier. The sun was back out now, too, and it lightened the mood. The last 10km or so was tough for Helen with very tired legs but she knew she was going to make it now, and as we rolled into Lower Kinnerton we passed the magic 100 mile mark. I got the camera out ready to capture that moment as Helen celebrated, arms aloft and a broad smile on her face. What an achievement. As anyone who has ridden a century will tell you riding that first one is the hardest but, probably, the most satisfying. I'm not sure that Helen is ready to start planning her next one just yet though!

June 30th 2020: A trip to the seaside

The recent spell of hot weather was due to run out last Thursday, as autumn made an early return! It seemed like an opportunity and, some time ago I had planned a trip over the uplands of Halkyn Mountain to Prestatyn and then back through the Clwydian hills. The weather was indeed lovely, hot and sunny, a real sunblock day, and I set off with the joys of summer in my heart, a chance to put the current lockdown gloom behind me for a few hours at least. Traffic has been returning to more like normal levels over recent weeks, even though here in Wales lockdown is still very much in force. The current guidelines restrict traffic to essential travel only and yet... Once past Mold and into the Clwydian AONB the traffic was lighter and once off the beaten track it was fine. My route took me through delightfully named villages – Rhydymwyn, Nannerch, Lixwm and Babell to name but a few – by which time I was high up on the Halkyn Mountain plateau where the views east and west are both extensive and intriguing, not my normal perspective at all. Up here the air is thin (well, sort of) and the roads undulate endlessly. But it is fine countryside and then suddenly there ahead of me was the sea, down below as I headed through Llanasa and Gronant to meet the suddenly busy A548 coast road between Flint and Prestatyn. And they call this civilisation! Before long I was cruising down to the Prestatyn sea front and was surprised to see so many people out enjoying the sunshine, despite the apparent lockdown guidelines. The seafront car park was probably a quarter full and the tide was in so the occupants of these vehicles were crammed into a tiny strip of sand taking the sea air and even bathing in the cool Irish Sea waters. Cafés were shut here in Wales although, bizarrely, the traffic wardens were in attendance. I found a quiet sand dune and ate my lunch (a marmalade sandwich and a banana - all very nutritious fare), took a few photos to prove I had made it, and then set off to find a way out of this madness. My route home took me along the western flank of the Clwyd hills, through Dyserth, Cwm and Rhuallt, a lumpy road whose inclines were unnecessarily steep it seemed to me. It was slightly hazy so the views were perhaps not as clear as I would have liked, but it was baking hot in the afternoon sun, just lovely cycling weather. From Rhuallt I continued to Tremeirchion and Bodfari, stopping to enjoy a phone box converted into a library at one point. At this point I now started thinking about my route through the Clwyd hills and decided to tackle the Penycloddiau climb from the Vale of Clwyd, a climb I had not attempted before (it is a fine descent). It is short but steep before easing out into a wooded car park which I was surprised to find open - it had been closed the last time a rode over here in the other direction a few weeks back. Apparently Penycloddiau was now open for business, though there were few cars here (there had been more when it was closed) and the footpaths on the hill had a one-way system in force. The descent back to Nannerch is far from smooth and has a nasty short steep climb along the way, but then it was back on the main road to downtown Mold and, from there, just a short hop home. A smashing trip the seaside, 100km in the bank and a bit of a suntan to boot.

On a rather more sombre note it was with heavy heart that I finally took the decision this week to cancel my involvement in the 2020 LEJOG trip that I have been due to ride in early August. This has been weighing heavy on me for some time in light of the current Covid situation. Although lockdown has been easing, there are, for me, too many uncontrolled variables to make this a risk-free holiday and, as it is indeed supposed to be a holiday I know I would have trouble enjoying myself with the constant worry about being Covid-safe. I am afraid that Government assurances that we can safely open up hotels, pubs, etc ring rather hollow for me, and having kept ourselves to ourselves for so long it does not seem the right time to suddenly start taking unnecessary risks. LEJOG will happen, but not this year.
Totals for June
Real Distance ridden: 1074km
Total ascent: 9730m
Virtual distance ridden: 193km
Virtual Ascent: 2812m

June 23rd 2020: Taming the Horseshoe

Helen has discovered a renewed enthusiasm with her much vaunted eBike now very much an integral part of her bike stable. Indeed, her other bikes are not getting much of a look in these days. After an outing last week she asked a rather innocent question about whether we could ride the Horseshoe Pass. Well, that was something that deserved a serious answer so I came up with a suitable route which was, by our reckoning, just within the range of her battery, an 80km circuit there and back, so it looked like we were on. The weather this week was looking pretty good and today seemed like a perfect day, not too warm, and brightening as the day wore on. As luck would have it I was dropping my bike in at our LBS yesterday for a service and got chatting to the owner about Helen's eBike and how she was enjoying it. We discussed the accompanying app which allows monitoring and, apparently, some control of battery usage amongst other things. Helen and I had been unaware of just how much control of the usage can be tweaked within the app and this looked like it could well be a game changer. Thus it proved.

On what looked a gloomy day we rode out under grey skies, the aim being to keep it steady and easy on the battery as we headed down to Holt and on toward Llangollen, using a very light usage setting, before turning this up a couple of notches as the road started getting lumpy round Ruabon. In Llangollen we stopped by the River Dee for a refreshment stop and ramped the battery setting up for the ensuing climb. The riverside gardens were quiet and it was a pleasant interlude, but still very grey. Time to climb.

The road out of Llangollen runs alongside the canal to the start of the climb proper, at which point the gradient increases as we rolled by Valle Crucis Abbey and the Abbey Farm café which in normal times we might well have chosen to visit. Not today. At this point the surrounding hills come into view and, far ahead and far above us you get a glimpse of the summit of the climb. The Horseshoe climb is a full 6.2km and 322m of ascent, averaging around 5%, but has a number of steeper pitches of up to 15% to get the heartrate going. Helen was enjoying herself now and as we rounded the long sweeping corner into the elongated horseshoe which gives the pass its name the sun broke through and suddenly everything aligned in harmony. I was enjoying myself too and had decided to take photos on the climb and let Helen have the moment to herself. It is glorious scenery here in the heather-clad Berwyns and as you get higher on the horseshoe the views simply get better. The sign just before the horseshoe bend is alarming – 20% ramp, beware! Don't panic, it is actually far less, probably more like 12% and the reward for grinding up this and out onto the upper part of the horseshoe is a far gentler gradient, in all probability a tailwind and some stunning views back down the length of the horseshoe with the hills of Worlds End behind. A set of traffic lights greeted me as I exitied thebend and I had a wait. Helen was ahead of me but had pulled in to enjoy the vfiew and just before the summit we stopped to take it all in and grab some more photos. It was a magic moment as we rounded the final sweeping bend and there ahead of us was the summit sign. Helen raised her arm in both excitement and enjoyment at an amibition fulfilled. More photos, we also banged off a few Whatsapp messages and committed the moment to Facebook for friends to enjoy with her. And the amazing thing was that there was still loads of battery power remaining, we could do it again. We didn't!

The route home was straigthforward and much of it downhill so, with some more tweaking of the Battery app settings, we added to our planned route to make it up to a proper day out and over 100km. And Helen still had around 25% left, so as an exercise it had proved incredibly enlightening and, as I mentioned, is a game changer. We can now look at any number of routes into the hills of North Wales. I just have to hone my own fitness to be able to keep up with Helen's enthusiasm!

June 7th 2020: End of the drought

It has been a long hot dry spell. Coincidentally it all seemed to kick off with the start of lockdown back in March and, apart from the odd day, it didn't end properly until last week when, finally, normality returned, the temperature plummeted, the rains came and the garden got the soaking it so desperately needed. It all came as a bit of a shock. After weeks wearing shorts, short-sleeved jerseys and NOT taking a rain jacket on rides we had to readjust to riding in typical UK conditions again. But it has been good. So good.

The last day of the warm weather was a chance, at last, to flex my leg muscles a touch. Cycling UK had clarified the Welsh lockdown rules and how they apply to experienced and stronger cyclists (yes, I do put myself in this category) and it seems that riding 40 or more miles is not unreasonable for such bike riders. It seems such a long time since I have been able to head out over the Clwyd hills and into the Vale of Clwyd, let alone consider a foray up the Horseshoe Pass, that anything else would have seemed inappropriate. As the sun rose high in the sky and the day warmed up I headed out through Mold bound for Nannerch, Nant y Garth, the Horseshoe and Bwlchgwyn on a 120km spin of reacquaintance. It was, quite simply, delightful. A hard day but nothing untoward, and the views were sumptuous. Sadly, no cake stops along the way, solely a refuelling stop to snaffle a marmalade sandwich I had brought with me at the top of the Horseshoe, soaking in the views of the Vale of Llangollen. It was all very surreal as, despite the traffic levels which have been increasing steadily as the lockdown weeks have rolled by the roads were still pretty quiet (well, away from Mold anyway).

It is hugely ironic, I think, that these restrictions which have been imposed on our lives as we adjust to living with Covid has actually seen the amount of riding I am doing increase. The fact that we have been allowed to exercise outside every day but little else (we do not visit shops or friends anymore and my car has managed a paltry 80 miles in over 2 months) means that I actively try to do something every day, be it a run, a local walk or, primarily, a bike ride. Consequently the number of rides has rocketed, albeit of much shorter length generally. The other benefit is that Helen and I have done so many rides together, particularly now she has her ebike which has revolutionised our riding together. So for the third month in a row I have topped the 1000km mark out on the road. Add to that the extra rides I am getting in the pain cave and I am finding fitness levels that I haven't enjoyed for probably 5 years or more. If I ever do get to ride LEJOG this year I should be ready for it!
Totals for May
Real Distance ridden: 1250km
Total ascent: 11026m
Virtual distance ridden: 338km
Virtual Ascent: 4940m

May 12th 2020: Return to the pain cave

Are you confused by the bewildering lockdown regulations and guidelines? Yes, me too. Living, as I do, right on the Welsh side of the English-Welsh border has complicated the situation and I confess that interpreting the ever changing rules is challenging. Wales has stricter rules than England but even with this in place it seems the rules have been relaxed somewhat as we are now allowed more than one outdoor exercise session per day, as long as that exercise is local and from the house. I can do that. Much as I would love to head off on a long meandering ride through the hills and valleys of North Wales clearly that will have to wait, and tempting though it may be to head into England where things seem far more relaxed (whether that is a good or bad thing is for you to judge) I am restricting myself to rides which don't stray too far from home. I remain unsure as to whether I am actually doing right or not. Therein lies the conundrum.

My newly established pain cave in the garage is proving to be a great way to hone my fitness levels, and I am probably now fitter than I have been in many years. The outdoor rides serve, as they always have, to keep me fresh and sane, whilst a handful of indoor sessions on Zwift and Rouvy through the week allow me to improve my strength and power which is evident when I am out on the road. I still feel uncom,fortable with the idea of riding 100km outdoors and for the second month running I have completed the Strava Gran Fondo ride in the comforts of my own garage. I did this month's on Monday in a free format ride on Zwift, picking my route as I rode and with my ipod blaring away to keep me company. Clearly better managed than my April edition which was, to say the least, painful, I felt much more comfortable throughout the 3 hours and 20 minutes it took me to complete 107km and was still able to go for a leg-stretching walk later that evening to ease the legs. The true irony in all this is that I won't really feel the benefit of this fitness as the Pyrenean trip is off the agenda until sometime in 2021 (fingers crossed) and at the time of writing this entry the Lejog trip in August remains very much in the balance. Ah well, on the plus side I can't complain too much - we are fit and well, have food on the table and I can Skype my grandkids and brother and sister every week. It could be so much worse.
Totals for April
Real Distance ridden: 1041km
Total ascent: 8647m
Virtual distance ridden: 353km
Virtual Ascent: 5762m

April 22nd 2020: Living with Covid-19

Life here in the UK has changed almost beyond recognition over the last month. We are now on day 30 of lockdown following the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak and, to be honest, it seems highly unlikely to me that things will change dramatically anytime soon. Restrictions on population movement together with a complete change to the way many of us live and work mean that suddenly the country is a quieter place. Those of us no longer working now have more time on our hands whilst for those on the frontline or supporting the everyday running of the country I imagine life is both manic and disturbing in equal measure. Living with Covid is becoming the norm as each and every one of us adapt to our new way of life.

From a personal perspective there are pros and cons to all this. Getting food into the house is tricky at best, though we have now managed to get into a routine which means we have food on the table every day for which I am grateful. I, like so many people, am missing the social contact with family and friends, though the technological age we live in means that we can still see them and speak to them thanks to the likes of Skype and Zoom and even the good old phone. The pleasure to be had from a Zoom chat with the rest of the family is palpable and I am more than thankful for that. One day we will all get together again and it will be bloody marvellous.

On the plus side, bike riding has taken on a new lease of life for many people, the roads are generally now much quieter with traffic levels so much reduced. It's refreshing to see so many people out on their bikes or walking the local lanes and footpaths, families, lone walkers and dog owners alike. True, some do seem to struggle with the concept of social distancing and I confess to having a thing about drivers who insist on driving around with their vehicle windows wide open, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the virus can actually be transmitted through an open window. But, for all that, this is actually a good time to be riding a bike. True, we can't head off to foreign climes or take the bike to remote parts of the countryside, and I do miss riding with friends, but there really are loads of routes to be had from the front door and I am lucky enough that Helen also rides. It seems ironic that, at this time, I am managing more bike rides than ever, in part because I feel obliged to make use of our one permissible exercise outing a day, and helped also by the amazingly good spell of weather which has coincided with lockdown. In March I managed over 1000 kilometers out on the road and so far in April I have topped 750 with every likelihood that I will reach the thousand mark again. No long rides sadly (I feel uncomfortable with the idea of heading out for a 4 or 5 hour ride which seems at odds with the situation we are facing) but I have set myself a limit of around 2 hours and keep to within 20 miles of home which is plenty really. For a really full on blast I can always top it all up with a session in the pain cave on Zwift or Rouvy, which I manage 2 or 3 times a week, and which always leaves me exhausted. So, yes, life under lockdown is hard but there are compensations.

April 18th 2020: Zwifting with G

The Coronavirus pandemic is throwing up all sorts of heroic tales. The most amazing this week was the story of Captain Tom Moore, a 99 year old war veteran who decided to try and raise £1000 for NHS Charities by walking laps of his garden, his aim to complete 100 laps by his 100th birthday on April 30th. The response was unbelievable, In no time the £1000 was surpassed and he raised the bar to £500,000. At the time of writing he has completed the 100 laps but has continued to walk for as long as people continue to donate. The amount raised so far is well over a staggering £27 million and the whole country is in awe of this humble man.

Alongside him Geraint Thomas' efforts might seem rather modest, but no less commendable and amazing. Earlier this week he decided to “work” three 12-hour shifts, similar to the NHS staff, over three days by riding his bike on a static trainer in his garage, riding on the Zwift virtual platform which will be familiar to many cyclists. All to try and raise £100,000 for NHS Charities. Think about it – 12 hours in the saddle, for three consecutive days. Having myself spent four hours riding a marathon Zwift session at the beginning of April I know just how painful that was, so I can only imagine how much G's effort will hurt. He invited fellow cyclists to join him in this virtual ride to support him and perhaps relieve the monotony. It would have been rude not to take him up on this so on Thursday I saddled up and joined him for an hour, riding the London Olympics circuit including Box Hill. Several thousand fellow riders did the same at any given time and it was certainly busy. Try as I might I was unable to catch him, as we rode the circuit, he was consistently about a kilometer ahead of me, but I came off in the knowledge that I was there. Sort of. Zwift confirmed at the end of the session that he was indeed one of the riders I had ridden with so that will do for me. And I also took some solace in the fact that on the ascent of Box Hill my time was marginally faster than his, although I suspect I was trying rather harder than he was! By the time he finished his third shift on Friday evening he was mighty sore (no surprises there) but has now raised over £350,000. Another wonderful effort for our NHS staff who are, after all, the real heroes in all this.

Well done G, and well done Captain Tom. And thank you from the bottom of my heart.

April 2nd 2020: The Cave of Pain!

After just over a week of lockdown our world is changing. Traffic levels have all but disappeared, roads are quiet and pollution levels have dropped markedly, even in just a week or so. Under lockdown rules we are permitted one outdoor exercise session a day which I am keen to take advantage of, whatever the weather. Bizarrely, since lockdown started the weather has settled into almost constant sunshine which has meant that the decision regarding bad weather exercise options has not yet arisen. Helen and I are routinely heading out for 30 to 40 kilometer rides when she is not working (from home), and she is just loving her ebike which means we can explore some of the more hilly routes round here and she can motor pace me up the climbs!

The Government sanctioned exercise seems to be open to intepretation with some people comfortable with the idea that 100km plus rides are ok. From a personal perspective I feel unable to embrace this idea, it seems to contravene common sense and goes well beyond what can be termed exercise. I have settled, rightly or wrongly, on a limit of about 2 hours so the 100km option is simply not open to me on the open road. However, my newly built cave of pain in the garage has given me the opportunity for extended rides, albeit perhaps a tad extreme. As we rolled into April I was facing the possibility of missing a Strava Gran Fondo ride (one of over 100km in length) for the first month since 2013 which would be upsetting. Then it occurred to me – why not ride it on Zwift? What could be simpler?

So today I did just that and set out to ride 100km in the mythical land of Watopia. I determined that I should treat it as I would a “normal” Gran Fondo ride and built in a couple of stops, including a lunch break. Average speeds in Watopia seem to be more than the real world and I calculated that I could expect a ride time of around 3½ hours, so about 4 hours in total with stops. I set the ipod rolling with a suitable playlist, picked a route and started pedaling. Unlike the real world the main issue with Zwift is that you don't actually stop pedaling and after an hour or so this becomes remarkably uncomfortable. It is also difficult to alter position on the bike, again not a problem for a shorter ride but doing this for upwards of 3 hours is less than optimum. By the time I got to the last 20km I was feeling the pain and have to say I was very relieved to finish the stint, a total of 102km in 3 hours 37. Needless to say I don't think I shall be returning to the cave for a few days! But at least the Gran Fondo streak continues.

Back in the real world the cycling is decidedly more relaxed. The roads are, as I mentioned, pretty quiet, although there are sadly a few mindless idiots around who seem to regard the empty roads as an excuse to drive recklessly. It's great to see families out enjoying the freedom to cycle, and the whole pace of life has visibly slowed. There are definite advantages to the lockdown and it would be nice to see some of these continue once some semblance of normality is restored (whenever that may be). There is still no word on the LEJOG trip in August, so if by some amazing chance this does go ahead I shall hopefully have retained some fitness though I fear my stamina will be somewhat compromised by the lack of longer rides. In the pro cycling world everything has ground to a halt. Pretty much all cycling has either been cancelled or, more optimistically, postponed. The spring classics would be on now so the hype and build-up at the start of the year has come to nothing. Team Ineos came up with a novel event, holding an intra-team race on Zwift for all to watch on Youtube, an intriguing spectacle though perhaps not quite the same spectator event as the real thing. It finished with a gruelling ascent of the Watopian Alpe d'Huez and was won by Rohan Dennis. I assume we can now expect other teams to do something similar. It's either that or digging out those old cycling videos and DVDs and reliving the excitement of historic Grand Tours.
Totals for March
Real Distance ridden: 1002km
Total ascent: 9034m
Virtual distance ridden: 201km
Virtual Ascent: 1966m

March 22nd 2020: The best laid plans...

It is looking increasingly like 2020 will be, at best, a write-off as far as cycling is concerned. The coronavirus pandemic is spreading fast around the globe and the impact has, probably, only just begun. These are alarming times and we all need to take this situation very seriously. Even just a couple of weeks ago I suspect most of us, myself included, were optimistic that we might be able to salvage something from the year, albeit a much curtailed year in terms of rides and achievements. The last two weeks here in the UK has changed so dramatically that it is hard to see just how we can return to normality anytime soon. Realistically that means no Tour de France (the spring classics and Giro have already been postponed), no Worlds and no Tokyo Olympics. All sport is affected - the 2020 Euros have been postponed until next year, the cricket season has been (at best) delayed but probably will not go ahead and Formula 1 is still hoping for a shortened season which seems a very long shot. One thing is certain - we will all remember 2020.

For my own part this means that the early promise from rides so far now seems to have been for no purpose. We have cancelled our Coast and Castles trip in May, and my planned week in the Pyrenees which I was hoping to postpone until September will probably no happen until 2021. As for LEJOG in August, whilst that still officially remains on the table, I really can't see it happening. And in any case my preparations for it are very compromised. Whilst I could see much of this coming I grabbed the opportunity and popped into our local bike shop to enquire about the very latest in smart indoor trainers with a view to trying out what Zwift has to offer. Many of you, I am sure, are aware of this virtual cycling world and may well have dabbled yourselves, for me it was something completely new but might just preserve my sanity through all this. I carried out my shiny new Elite Suito trainer, took it home and set it up in the garage attached to my ageing Windows 7 laptop (not the best), created my Zwift account and got pedalling. I was a bit secptical as to just how realistic it would be. I have to say my previous experience of an old Tacx trainer years ago was not a good one and my expectations were probably on the low side. After a few exploratory rides and 115km now logged against my account I am definitely a convert. I am now doing relatively short sessions to a level I haven't really done since my racing and time-trialling days. Not because it was my intention to but because you really can't help but be drawn into it. I can foresee the time, probably fairly soon when the capacity to get out on our bikes will be taken away from us at which point this new virtual world will truly be a godsend. I will miss the outdoors greatly, a whole summer of cycling ahead was stretching away before us with lots to look forward to. Instead it looks like a summer of riding in the garage in front of my laptop with my ipod hammering out some favourite playlists as I join thousands of fellow Zwifters in the fabled land of Watopia. Roll on 2021!

March 3rd 2020: It's mucky out there!

After what has proved to be the wettest February on record (I think we probably guessed that) March has started somewhat more promisingly. Perhaps there is something to this meteorological seasoning after all. We had an enjoyable social outing on Sunday with the gang, a 66km two-stop ride out for a Sunday lunch at Eureka (it has been a while) and an impromptu cake stop at Meadow Lea. The sun was shining even if it was a cooling breeze just to remind us that winter hasn't finished with us yet. Yesterday the forecast was vaguely promising if mixed so I grabbed the opportunity to tick off this month's Strava Gran Fondo ride (it is a real habit with me now) with a 115km outing into Cheshire. It proved to be an enjoyable day on the bike, tempered by a nagging south westerly which I used to my advantage on the ride out through Delamere Forest in deepest Cheshire but which came back to make life rather harder on the return to North Wales. By and large the day was sunny, albeit cool, but a couple of hail showers caught up with me along the way. It was what I call a big skies day, with some dramatic cloud formations along the skylines. What stood out, though, is just how much muck there is out there on those Cheshire lanes. In places it was several inches deep and it was necessary to dismount and wade through. I appreciate that it has been wet but surely there is some sort of obligation (moral if nothing else) on farmers to clean up after they have finished. A rather pleasant half hour lunch stop at the Station Café on the Whitegate Way after 60km came at exactly the right moment before continuing on my way. On my return home there was an extended bike wash required. Ah well.
Totals for February
Distance ridden: 645km
Total ascent: 5294m

February 24th 2020: When will it ever end?

As we approach the end of meteorological winter (when did this concept take over from proper seasons?) I am sure just about everyone is hoping for an end to this incessant bad weather. Storm has followed storm, even unnamed storms (surely a political ploy to downgrade the perceived effects of the weather – if it doesn't have a name the storm can't hurt you!). At the end of the day a flood is a flood and if you are suffering the effects of Ciara, Dennis or any other anonymous weather system my heart does go out. This is truly awful. Thankfully where we are seems to have got off relatively lightly (so far) and apart from the inconvenience of the odd road closure and very damp parkruns it has been business as usual. Apart from cycling which has not been pleasant much of the time. One minute the sun can be out, inviting the unwary, the next a hailstorm sweeps by and the garden turns white. And the wind whips it all up into a meteorological frenzy whilst a rainbow offers a glimmer of hope. I am guessing this has all been good for the indoor trainer retailers who are probably looking at unprecedented sales figures. Presumably Zwift is the place to be.

Sadly I disposed of my turbo trainer some years ago, numbed by the total tediousness (is that a word?) of riding for up to an hour or so without seeing anything other than the utility room walls. I subscribe to the idea of getting out wherever possible, even if the weather tries to persuade me otherwise. The old adage that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing is a bit fatuous, but I get the point. Dressed for the occasion, it is clearly possible to ride even on those damp or windy days, the main obstacle is primarily psychological. I confess that if it is already raining I am less inclined to get out, but if the rain starts whilst I'm already out and about then I can cope with that. There is even a school of thought which suggests that this perseverance will come back to repay you later in the season as the weather warms up and those rides in the face of adversity suddenly pay dividends in terms of fitness accrued. Personally I am not totally convinced but I'll run with it.

All in all February has been a frustrating month for the budding summer cyclist, and opportunities for a decent ride have been few and far between on these shores. The wily cyclist who booked a trip to far flung sunnier climes such as Gran Canaria or Spain is probably now smiling quietly as they rack up some decent winter miles and top up their early season tan. For one reason or another I haven't gone down this route this year and have had to settle for the UK off-season cycling regime of full winter kit, mudguards and religiously washing the bike down after returning from another outing in the mucky country lanes which seem particularly gruesome this winter. Ah, the lot of the cyclist is truly a mixed affair.

And the reward? Well, there is no doubt that the wind in the hair (through those handy holes in the helmet), the rain on your face and the views across fields (admittedly more lake than field currently) are so much more enjoyable than staring at the utility room walls. The sense of movement too is palpable, even when it is slowly grinding your way up a long incline. And, of course, that pedestrian progress to the summit is followed by the reward of the descent which follows and all is seemingly better with the world. For a short while, at least.

Helen has now discovered the delights of ebike riding, having made the leap into the market last month. Having taken delivery of a shiny Cannondale Quick Neo from our local LBS, she has conducted some in-depth experimental rides where we have tried to work out the range and capability of the bike. What has become apparent is that it is a game changer for us as some of the more challenging routes which I use are now open to her aswell and we can ride these together. The landscape of the Horseshoe Pass has now opened up to her. I confess that it is a slightly odd feeling being passed by Helen as she makes her way up some of those hills, leaving me gasping in her wake. The concept of being motor-paced by an ebike has become a reality!

February 5th 2020: January

And suddenly January is over, the year is slipping by and the nights are getting ever shorter (hurrah!) and the days longer - although not necessarily any warmer. Compared to last year, January this year has been much more bike friendly and I have managed to get out and ride no less than 14 times - almost double last year's effort. With nearly 800km already logged, my preparations for the year ahead are gaining momentum. Most of the rides were fairly modest, I confess, with just the solitary century ride (as reported previously). Most were 50-60km circular routes with the occasional café stop thrown in. I have tried to mix it with at least some hilly rides, with half an eye on lumpier rides yet to come as the year progresses. It would be nice to head out to the Pyrenees in June in a condition good enough to enjoy the riding there - and without the usual Team Geriatrics break this year that will be all the harder.

Today we enjoyed some settled weather after a period of unsettled damp and windy conditions which are enough to put anyone off, so I took advantage and plotted a route out into Shropshire, a rare excursion for me. With very light winds, no rain forecast, and even some cold sunshine it was pretty perfect for a long day in search of some cake. Bimbling down the Welsh border through villages and country lanes to Chirk is pleasant and not too demanding, though hardly flat either. There is something strange about Chirk - somehow, it always seems to be half closed though I'm sure that can't be the case. To my mind it lacks an inviting café to draw the casual cyclist in, so I pressed on, crossing the Ceiriog valley and the busy A5 before heading into Shropshire and finding myself in the pretty town of Ellesmere with its popular lake, which is also a haven for birdlife as well as housing the Boathouse Café on the water's edge. After 55km it was time for cake. The return was via the Cheshire lanes which proved to be mucky in the extreme - a legacy of some pretty awful weather, and I feel a lack of community spirit on the part of some of the farmers and their tractors who seem to be destroying some of these lanes which I fear will never be repaired. Rant over. After 109km I finally rolled back into our village and spent the next half hour removed great clods of soil from the nether regions of my bike and my boots!

One last point. I have now booked our accommodation for the Coast and Castles trip with Helen, Pete and Sharon at the end of May, so the plans are now laid. We have overnight stops in Alnwick, Berwick and Galashiels before arriving in Edinburgh after hopefully four great days on the bikes. We have transport to the start arranged, all we need to do is ride - and enjoy.
Totals for January
Distance ridden: 790km
Total ascent: 7353m

January 16th 2020: Here we go again

New year, same old cycling. Well, perhaps not. After all, there is always something optimistic about slipping into January after the dark dankness of December. The days are (gradually) getting longer, the rain is less wet (or perhaps that's wishful thinking) and plans for later in the year are taking shape. 2019 was enjoyable, despite so much poor weather and I only hope 2020 delivers as many good memories when the dust settles. With two new bikes in my stable it is an exciting prospect.

As for the weather, I look back to last year and see that it was well over a week before I even managed to get out on the bike, so already 2020 is better as I have racked up 7 rides to date. Not that January weather is great – it is cold, and wet, and very windy but (so far) no snow or ice to rein me in. Take yesterday, for example. After some fierce stormy weather over the weekend and start of this week the forecast gave us a bit of a lull with some sunny weather to savour. They did mention the wind, though they understated it. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity so I grabbed it and headed out through Mold and onto Halkyn Mountain, not an area I know well but it was a chance to explore. And the sun did shine, and the views were fine. Being up on top of the moors it was exposed and that wind did have an impact, either as a block headwind slowing progress, or as an uncomfortable sidewind threatening stability, or, occasionally, as a tailwind whisking me along. Halkyn Mountain is not flat either, so it was a bit of an early test for my legs, but an enjoyable 55 miles with a new café thrown in for good measure. I even managed to sneak in a Strava Gran Fondo ride last week, squeezing just over 100km in riding a circular route out to Malpas (and lunch in the Old Fire Station there), returning via Beeston and Chester. That apart it has been a few hill reps (we have a very handy local hill on our doorstep tailormade for that) and a couple of social rides. So a good start, we just need the weather to improve (sounds like last year all over again!)

January 1st 2020: Photo highlights of 2020

Once again, the start of a new year is a great opportunity to have a quick look back at some of the highlights of last year, and photographs provide an ideal medium to do so. The slide show below gives a snapshot of some of those highlights from 2019. Enjoy!

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