SJH & Sir Jack's Long Day's Ride

Sunday 12th June began as a morning of brilliant perfection to the extent that I thought that I might be overdressed (though my wardrobe choices had been dictated by the ambient of 8c that greeted me when I wheeled 'Sir Jack' from the garage). All around in the sunlit Abbey Gardens, cyclists in shorts and short sleeved tops looked casual, confident and fit as butchers' dogs. Sir Jack leant casually against a tree (see photo) but as you can see, his attempt to engage in conversation the top-of-range Basso failed utterly. So he turned his back. There was a very reassuringly high proportion of our 'new' Club Strip on show, as we shared our consternation that the route was (as the posters advertising the event had made completely clear) 'all new'. I stared at my copy, pretending to memorise it. Parts of the route, and its overall shape remained in my brain, along with the overall impression that there wouldn't be much climbing. During the ride I relied on the brilliant way-marks at every turn. This decision was made easier when my copy of the route was blown out of my bicycle basket at around 15 miles. We who were about to ride a hundred miles went off at 08.15 (ish) which was a full hour before the other rides. Even with the early start I was concerned that I might not get back before 5pm when the finish would pack up and go home, and I also worried that we would actually start a bit late (like last year).
In past years the hundred attracted only the most committed cyclists. With the huge increase of participation in 'Sportive' events creating a much larger pool of riders, we were 60 at the start this year. The slight downside to the 'Sportive' upsurge is that many who participate don't actually ride with others very much, and lack some of the basic skills and courtesies. I enjoyed the occasional moment when, having been passed on a climb by an erk who didn't respond to my olde-worlde greeting, I would gradually haul him back in on the flat and then sit on his wheel for a few miles before the next climb. It was the frequent slight turn of the head to see if I was still there followed by an attempt to drop me. Hah! once you've got 23 kilos of steel and heavy-duty rubber rolling along the flat, it keeps on going. Floriat Momentum, I say.
I had a clear idea in my head that by the top of Mount Rd I would be on my own, watching a tight bunch of hardmen disappearing down the road but, because of the numbers and resulting bunching on the hill, the last road-biker didn't pass me until near Lavenham. Several groups and pairs overtook me several times because I didn't stop at the designated feed stations. I was particularly pleased to be passed three times by the group that included a Junoesque young woman with a slight German accent who had ridden behind and then alongside me in the first five miles. She was impressed by my single gear (if nothing else). On the final two passes she was towing the blokes along.

One guy overtook me on a short climb just west of Hopton - but I caught him a couple of miles later (see photo) and, after a bit of a chat, he became the only rider that I dropped on a climb. Now some would say that I should've offered him a wheel, but charity would have been a lot to ask after 80 miles - and I doubt he'd equal the £3 a mile that I was getting for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. So, time for a plug for my sponsors.

Thanks to long tailwind sections, and the fact that heavy old 'Sir Jack' would freewheel at 16mph with the slightest of downward gradients (plus a new route that had no serious climbs) meant that an average of 14 to 14.4mph could be held for the first 50 miles. As the wind became stronger and unfavourable, with spots of rain becoming proper showers I no longer felt overdressed - and not as fresh as I had when the ride was young. My two-stop strategy served me well, taking on more supplies from my team car just twice for a total time penalty of five minutes. The route passed within yards of our house, and the final 30 miles remained within 10 miles of home, so Susan and Polly were able to provide refills for bottles and re-stocking of fig rolls, energy bars and dried apricots.
A bicycle basket is absolutely perfect for this sort of ride, everything needed is there, laid out (and bouncing around from time to time). I grazed and slurped at regular and frequent intervals for the entire ride - which may explain how I was able to complete the ride in a shade under seven and a half hours - half an hour inside my target of eight hours (which really was just plucked out of the air as a time that might be possible, but only if I was lucky). In fact, including being given the medal to which all finishers were entitled and then riding 7 cold and wet miles home I was still inside the my projected time. Total mileage for the day 114 miles.
The high point of the final section, as I grovelled up from the Honington crossroads battered by a bad tempered crosswind was the sight of a slight and welcome figure of Rich 'Tom Tom' Seggar riding towards me. With his '50' already under his belt, and the rain beginning to get serious, here he was prepared to add another 25 miles to his total. As Polly's photo shows, I wasn't too proud to tuck in behind the senior rider.
A note on the Hat. When Andy Abbott came to take the photos for the East Anglian Daily Times, I crammed the trusty panama on my head to match the picture on the www.Justgiving.com/stephenjameshill web page. Then I though that I'd wear it for the start, so people could make the connection with the news story. I never considered that it would actually stay on. There were some ferocious gusts on my way round and, though there were occasions when I felt the brim flap about at no point did it feel that it was about to part company from my head. The only modification was that on fast descents (max speed 30.4mph) I had to flip the brim up rather than the customary down. In fact for most of the ride the hat stayed like that. Like a cowboy galloping to head 'em off at the pass.
Thanks to all who have donated to the MS Society via justgiving.com. I believe that the page remains open for another two weeks, so you didn't forget – you were just waiting until I'd actual done it

There are more photos on the West Suffolk Wheelers & Tri website's Picasa link


SJH