I'll be honest, I was a little apprehensive about this one, at 300k it would be the longest ride I had ever done. I had read a few reviews and knew it wasn't too hilly but even so, 300k is, to me anyway, a long way to ride. Also, the weather hadn't been too clever in the weeks leading up to the ride and my mileage wasn't as high as I would have likes. I did the Gospel Pass 150k and Long Ashton 200k as preparation but wasn't overly happy about my performance during either really (struggled over the last 40 miles or so on the Long Ashton 200, possibly due to dehydration and certainly lack of food).
Anyway, I was up at 4.00am and out of the door and on my way to Cirencester by 4.30 am arriving just in time to grab the last parking space in the village hall car park! Signed on, about a 100 brave/foolish souls set off at 6.00am for a days adventure. Within a few miles we where climbing gently and before long, less gently. This climbing was quite welcome as it wasn't exactly a warm day and it was still quite early so climbing meant heat! About 10 miles in, the 2 big climbs came as we set about climbing over the Cotswolds. A long swooping decent brought us down onto some flat/rolling plains and it was a quick(ish) blast to the first control at Alcester. A cup of coffee, beans on toast and we where off heading towards Atherstone. I was surprised just how far north we came, spotting a sign for Solihull and seeing narrow boats I assumed we where somewhere on the bottom of the midlands, it was only when I stopped to speak to someone and they sounded like me that I realised where we where (a later look on the map confirmed, north of Birmingham).
A full English breakfast at Atherstone (I had vowed to eat lots as I think part of my problem on the Long Ashton 200 was lack of food) and I was off heading towards Daventry, riding with a couple of chaps I had heard of from yacf.co.uk.
An undulating but fast route (the wind was now behind us) brought us quickly to Daventry for cottage pie, chips and peas.
The next section I rode on my own, this was the dreaded "low point" of a ride, the bit where you can't quite get going and you begin to doubt yourself. I kept going ticking off the miles. This section was quite hilly and although the hills where neither long nor steep, they where still wearing. I eventually arrived at the pub (Sturdy's Castle) around 7.00pm and celebrated with apple crumble and a pint of Morlands bitter (which eventually suggested to me that we where now in Oxfordshire) before setting up the lights and setting off on the last section, back to Cirencester.
I had been "warned" about the last section but wasn't really prepared for it. Pressing start on the Garmin, I blasted off towards Witney with a full on tailwind. I shot past two riders pausing only long enough to give a smug grin, I was in the zone and the wind would be behind me all the way back to Cirencester, way to go. About 5 mins later, I rather sheepishly hooked up with the two riders (Richard and Denise) I passed earlier! It was of course that time in ride when the Garmin /GPX file combo decided to malfunction and not give correct turn by turn directions. Of course, I could ordinarily view the map and follow the line only it was (a) dark, (b) my head torch was buried somewhere in the bottom of the Carradice and (c) my brain was too fuddled to work any of this out, or indeed how to turn on the backlight the Garmin undoubtably has (I know it has one, I used it last year on the Exodus). Anyway, Denise was a seasoned campaigner and guided us back to the finish. It was a great final stage, flat, fast roads and a tailwind. We rolled into Cirencester around 10.30 for a well earned cuppa.
If you feel like doing a longer ride, I can fully recommend the Heart of England 300. It's not too hilly, very scenic, split into good distances between controls (about 35-40 miles each with a short last section) and Peter Holden (the organiser) is possibly the nicest bloke I've ever met. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and will definitely be back next year. Hopefully this will set me up nicely for the 400 I rather stupidly entered earlier in the year!
Here are the details of the ride, courtesy of the Edge 705
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