The Shape of Things to Come

We have known the route for some months now and for many we also broadly knew the terrain, so it will come as little surprise that the details released this week of the Ride-London-Surrey 100 route include some testing climbs along the way.

The new Participants Map provides a little  more information about facilities, some indication of the mile markers and the like, but still doesn't include the full road route.

But most obviously they seem to have omitted signs for any of the Pubs!

Oh well, perhaps they will have a bar open at the end of the Mall, for when we finish ;-)

Rolling countryside of Surrey and Berkshire

Bank Holiday weekend, so the weather was not fantastic, but I think we had the best of it this morning.

Myself, fellow RideLondon100 pedaller Nigel and friend Andy headed off on a blustery thirty odd mile ride through the rolling countryside of Surrey and Berkshire this morning.

While not sprinting along, and despite my severe lack of miles in recent months we kept a respectable pace throughout the morning. 

But as we were drawing toward the end the breeze increased to the extent that I actually had to pedal downhill a couple of times! 

One of the more notable things about the ride was the state of the roads; quite clearly Berkshire spend more on them than Surrey...

Return to the Saddle - Training Ride Accomplished!

Saturday morning eight-thirty and we are ready for a first ride since my disastrous outing in February, but it feels good to be back on the road.

Heading off feeling fine, it takes a little while to get back into the rhythm. Despite some sessions in the gym to keep a degree of fitness, riding a real bike on the road is different and the muscles really did feel like they've been neglected for too long!

My trusty stead was all checked over and ready to go, and having returned it all seems in order; only damage from the accident was a bent dérailleur hanger and some cosmetic scratches.

Well thirty Kilometres [~twenty miles] and the legs are saying enough; but it was a good start and with some determined effort in the next few weeks I very much hope to be back on track.

But as the Virgin Giving page counter says - only 72 days to go and  they will disappear very rapidly, I know I've a task ahead of me!

Fingers crossed for some decent weather over the next few weeks.