Whilst I hadn’t found myself regretting my decision not to ride the prestigious PBP this year I thought it would offer a good excuse to design a different route for the August audax ride I needed to continue with my current Randonneur Round the Year. So at 8am Sunday 21st, a few hours before several thousand riders would gather in the Paris heat to embark on the 1200km to Brest and back, I headed out west from Oxford on the first leg of my Poulton – Burbage – Piddington 200k DIY-GPS Perm.

Usually I try and get a bit of rest before a long ride but the previous week had been quite active for me, with the Oxford Half coming up soon I need to build up my running again. I’d raced the Bearbrook 10k with fellow VCACs the previous Sunday, managing to avoid throwing up this time and finishing only 4 secs slower than last year. Then an 8 mile run on Thursday, the longest I’ve run for a good while, followed by an easy 3 miler on Friday. Saturday morning I tried my best at the Abingdon parkrun running hard enough to chuck my breakfast but not for a PB.

Bearbrook 10k 2011

So what with well-used legs, and the planned route being well over nominal distance at around 225k, I reckoned a 12 hour target time was reasonable and was planning on taking it easy and stopping when I felt like a break. Perhaps I should have geared back down before starting as my 72 inch made me work a bit into a slight headwind for a lot of the first stage, I had no intention of stopping mid-ride and flipping the wheel though.

I got through Oxford and along the B road over the Swinford Toll bridge early enough to avoid too much traffic then enjoyed the lanes through Clanfield and on through the pretty villages around the River Coln. The morning was cool but pleasant and I didn’t feel the need to stop until my planned few minutes rest and an eat at Poulton. The wonder of GPS-DIY Perms is that you don’t have to search round for proof of the visit, a till receipt or rubber stamp often being hard to find at quieter places. The GPS track file itself is used as proof.

Heading south now and a little disappointed to find I’d still got a nagging headwind though at least this bade well for the next and longest stage after Burbage. I suffered a bad patch through the flatlands around the Cotswold Water Park with the miles passing too slowly and a touch of ‘why am I doing this?’. I stopped mid-stage at Wootton Bassett for water and Jelly Tots then set off towards the double climb up onto the Marlborough Downs looking forward to the change of terrain and hoping not to end up walking as I did last time I took this road on fixed.

I winched myself up the first lump with a bit of groaning but not too much pain. Then whizzed down to cross the A road and was pleased to make it up the second climb, confusingly one of 2 Hackpen Hills hereabouts both of which have the Ridgeway at the top. A group of cyclists including a tandem were resting at the top and soon caught me as I tried to keep my speed down on the following descent. The tandem stoker made a point of explaining that they were on a 4 day tour for the over 60s as they passed. A bit later as they stopped to regroup above Marlborough recognition clicked in – the tandem team were John and Shelia Ward, John being AUK’s Permanent Secretary.

I’d opted to avoid the main road and add a couple of kilometres by taking the permissive road through the Savernake Forest after Marlborough. While being very pleasant this straight bit of road is also full of huge potholes and undulates somewhat. I passed a couple of bunches of leisure cyclists and stopped in the shade for a snack and a photo.

Changing direction but not stopping at my Burbage control I now had the wind behind me and enjoyed a fast ride in the sunshine next to the Kennett and Avon Canal through the Bedwyns to Hungerford where I stopped to buy water as the day was warming up well.

The climbs over the Downs through Boxford, Catmore, West Ilsey were great with the wind behind me and the sun now constant. I saw deer, a big brown rat, a sparrowhawk keeping low by the hedgerows. Both buzzards and red kites were in abundance and twice I spotted the two species circling together over recently cut fields, not a good day to be a mouse. Then came the long descent towards Chilton where 500 unavoidable metres along the A34 dual carriageway with it’s exhaust stink and roadside mess offered an unwelcome contrast.

Tiring a bit now I ate a gel riding through Didcot and noticed just how low my water was getting. Back in the lanes I looked out for shops in the Wittenhams, I didn’t want to stop for my next planned eat till I’d got some liquid to wash it down with. I diverted into Notcutts Garden Centre only to find it closed with no obvious outside tap. The Severn Stars pub in Marsh Baldon was also closed as is to be expected at 5:30 Sunday afternoon. I drunk my last sip and climbed the hill to Garsington, not far from home now but still a long time till arrivee as I had to overshoot Oxford to get to my next control. I spotted an outside tap on a house and knocked the door to ask for a fill-up, the lady who answered was only too glad to help out. Half a bottle went straight down to accompany a porkless pie then it was back up to speed and onwards to Piddington.

If it hadn’t begun with a P then Piddington would be my last choice for a turn-about control as it’s at the bottom of a hill. But down I went, stopped and swallowed an energy gel, then about turn and straight back up again. Only about 10 miles to go but I was now straight into the wind and it was taking it’s payment for earlier assistance. I passed a bunch of young riders fixing a flat but they soon made short work of me on the climb up to Beckley. Through Barton, under the subway, down the ring road cycle track and I was home for 7:40 pm – 11 hours 37 overall for 142 miles.

A thoroughly enjoyable ride on a lovely day but my body made me pay for it later. Having been mostly comfy on the bike for the duration as soon as I tried to sit in a normal chair I found I’d been rubbed raw and was happier standing up. After heading for bed early I was kept awake by what felt like every bone and joint in my legs hurting, I’m used to achy, crampy muscles but this felt like the very foundations were having a go. I was very, very glad not to have another 1000k to ride over the next few days – quite enough PBP for me!