This was the final PBP qualifier and a big one. 619km in 40 hrs from Waltham Cross (North London) to Taunton Dene services (Somerset) and back!
Waking early for the 6am start, I rode from the Travelodge nearby with Steve B, Nigel T, and JV. There was no way we were going to be able to drive from Hastings on the morning of the start. We picked up our brevet cards and grabbed some tea and toast before the off, all very civilised. There were some usual faces and some new ones. It was very low key and no fuss at all. True to form we were last off again. Just can't get the hang of leaving on time. Riders quietly slipped out of the hall and were gone. Making our own foursome we were quickly out into the country lanes and enjoying the ride out towards St. Albans. It was good to get going but in the back of my mind was 'we are riding to Taunton and back so pace yourself. The build up to this ride had been looming for several weeks and apart from Steve who had completed LEL (London Edinburgh London), none of us really knew how it would feel to do this kind of distance but were certain it would be a challenge.
Our first control was the Tesco at Princes Risborough at 74 km and a drink to get a receipt. Off again and next control was Hungerford at 154km. Nigel and JV pushed ahead and I rode with Steve. I had spent many years competing in the Devizes to Westminster 125mile I Canoe race along the Kennet and Avon canal so knew the area around Hungerford well. It was interesting to see the surrounding lanes as my view had previously been limited to either side of the canal. This is a beautiful area and the riding was good. We caught up with the others at the control and grabbed lunch. With hindsight we took too long here and this ate into our sleeping time later on. This is a valuable lesson learnt for future rides.Back on the road we had 67km to the next control at Warminster and a total of 221km. This section took us over endless rolling hills through MOD training land. The sun beat down and I found this stretch a drag. The cafe stop was a welcome relief and called for an espresso to perk me up. The others had got there ahead of me and were stuffing their faces with cake the universal reward for cyclists. JV was feeling the effects of his new saddle and his gamble of not testing it before the ride was to take its toll over the distance. I welcomed the cushion to sit on if only for a few minutes.
Onwards towards Taunton Dene services at 309km for the turn around point. This was riding into the night. JV and Nigel pulled ahead and I rode with Steve at a more comfortable pace. We refuelled at a village shop and sat outside a church as the light started to fade. By now I was feeling tired and the promise of a few hours sleep kept me motivated. It was hard to ride past the signs for Yeovil knowing we were riding away from the night stop but the checkpoint had to be reached and the roads here were flat giving a welcome relief. Rolling into Taunton services around midnight we found JV and Nigel along with several others in various states of recovery. All were stuffing their faces with McDonald's as this was the only option. With the all important receipt we dragged ourselves from the warmth into the night.
Now some joker thought it would be funny to put the route up a massive hill straight away when legs were heavy and riders were still mentally sitting in the services. That hill was a killer and I was glad to reach the top. Another 46km to Yeovil and the sight of the Scout hut was a welcome relief. Inside we we greeted with hot food and a judo mat to crash on. 'Tea or coffee? Too much information I don't know just give me something anything. Rows of riders were sleeping and despite the noise nobody moved. Most grabbed a few hours rest whilst others who were faster by being more efficient at the controls had more time. This is where experience counts. One rider had even booked into a Travelodge and had managed 5 hours rest. I reckon that must have taken a lot of willpower to leave that bed.
Although the rest was brief and the body was aching, it was surprising how once moving around and after breakfast you were ready to go again. The organisers were attentive and helpful to any needs and this made it a lot easier to get going. Arriving there in the dark, we left at 6am in bright sunshine following the A30 over big rolling hills to Salisbury. Along this section I went at my own pace and picked up a rider on the way. He had been at breakfast and I had noted he was eating the curry rather than the porridge. That's hardcore I thought or just mental. It turns out that he had only just arrived at the night stop around 5am having got lost in the night. So the curry was his evening meal and breakfast in one! How he managed to keep going on no sleep I don't know.
Salisbury at around 400km was busy and a bit of a shock after the peace and quiet of the country. I caught up with the others who were refuelling at a petrol station and we pushed on knowing there was the promise of hot food at the next checkpoint. Again they pulled away and the road was a series of short hills which sapped the legs. Hands were getting pins and needles now and frequent changes of position were called for. On the horizon I saw the control at the Army flying school. This was 447km in and I was ready for the stop. Expecting to find the other already there I saw no trace and thought perhaps they were in and out to save time. This was not the case as the control staff said three riders in Hastings kit had gone straight past with heads down so missed the control. Now to have completed over two thirds and fail because of a missed checkpoint was no laughing matter. I rang Steve and he answered in surprise as the GPS put the control further down the road. They returned with an extra 10-15km and got their cards stamped.
Catching us after an hour or so they saw I was flagging and sailed past. I kept moving and had a few waves of fatigue which required a gel to shake off. I noticed that the cut of time for the next checkpoint was looming and the thought of missing it released some energy to pick up the pace. I was surprised to see the other limbering up against a gate looking relaxed and taking their time. Pointing out that we had 30 mins to do about 10km this resulted in us jumping to an impromptu TT mode and a chain gang to make the cut off. The decision to get an ATM receipt rather than queue at the official control was a good one and we sat around eating to make the push for the penultimate checkpoint.
This took us over the Thames at Maidenhead and then a short run to Beaconsfield services. Although this was at 547km we knew the last stretch was going to be tough at 72km. Again we rode into the evening and a few hours of dark. The finish was calling and nothing was going to stop us now. Just a final few miles and the aches and pains that had been with us for a while were lifted as the adrenaline carried us along. I gather that JV rode standing up for a lot of the final section as his saddle was telling him it was more suited for club runs than 600+ Audax rides! He gets credit for even thinking it was a good idea to ride new kit off the shelf untested.
At the end the atmosphere was a mixture of quiet satisfaction and relief it was over. That was the PBP qualifiers in the bag. Now thoughts turned to sleep and how we would fair with another 600km to go of this was PBP.
It was a great adventure with many memories and more lessons learned for the next ride. All of us seem to have some lasting effects with numb toes and pins and needles in fingers from the pressure on the hands. The body will recover so don't let this put you off. It really is worth the effort and any endurance event will take time to recover from.
To ride and be in the moment and put all of life's troubles on hold.
To push your limits and find your breaking point but still come through with a hunger for more.
To find yourself on the bike and to feel alive.
That is my Audax experience
Essential kit list for this ride:
Power bank to recharge the GPS as it will not last this length of ride
Head torch
Decent lights for the night
Chamois and Sudocreme - life savers to be reapplied regularly
Emergency gel
Padded gloves
Sun cream
Toothbrush - there is nothing like clean teeth
Decent sized saddlebag/handlebar bag system for all your kit.
What else you carry is a personal choice but I would not leave home without these items.
Jon S
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