While fruitlessly toying with the idea of altering the route of the Marlborough Connection Perm I administer I found I had devised a couple of interesting looking routes. Rather than waste the planning effort I thought I might ride one as a DIY GPS.
So on February 19th I set out in a southerly direction on the first leg of my Marlborough Moreton DIY. Starting with a pleasant run through the Ock flatlands, and a not very taxing climb up Hackpen Hill, where I cranked the fixie past a chap twiddling up in his small cog, I was still going well through Marlborough. Foolishly I decided not to stop and just swallowed an energy gel before enjoying an easy climb over the Marlborough Downs, in fact it was so foggy up there that I found myself at the Ridgeway highpoint when I thought I was only halfway up.
A few kilometers before Wootton Bassett I hit the proverbial wall quite suddenly and despite a small feast at the supermarket I struggled most of the way to my next control at Bampton and, notwithstanding several more snacks on route, never really recovered my energy till Moreton-in-the-Marsh.
At Moreton I still felt tired and the planned lanes promised to take me over two consecutive 100m climbs before they settled on a more downwards trajectory over the Cotswolds. ‘Stuff that!’ thought I and followed the A44 for the 30 mile last leg instead. Needless to say the climbs were both still there, bigger than expected if anything, but it was actually quite pleasant with good lights, some music and a stiff tailwind. Completed the 135 miles in just over 11 hrs 30m.
Only a few days later later and I felt the need to get some more fixed miles in before tackling The Dean 300 at the back end of March. The last Saturday of February looked like my only chance what with MK Half marathon coming up. So I crammed in a 9 mile trail run on Friday and 8am Saturday morning I was riding south again but this time with a visit to Winchcombe on the itinerary after I’d finished with the increasingly familiar Marlborough Downs.
I decided to take advantage of the initial 2 hours constant rain and get the misery quota over at the start for a change. After that the rain did stop for 20 minutes of so, long enough to start drying out and feeling optimistic – then it returned with a vengeance ensuring I was a shivering drip on arrival at Hungerford. Not repeating the previous weeks mistake I stuffed my face and meanwhile the rain died away leaving an increasingly stiff westerly headwind for the next leg, the climb over the Marlborough Downs was not such a doddle this time. Wootton Bassett got a black mark for closing it’s much needed public loo and putting it up for sale so I necked another gel and carried on to Cirencester where Waitrose supplied nourishment and conveniences.
Taking a breather above Winchcombe
The crosswind was quite strong as I climbed the Whiteway into the Cotswolds proper and my pace was slow but steady. The hills through Withington, and later past Belas Knap, were challenging but rideable. The sun made a welcome appearance. Visiting Winchcombe basically meant descending 120 grotty, twisty, potholed, metres just to climb back up 200 steep, winding, metres on the other side – 200 metres I knew I was going to be walking the fixie. So no point stopping and eating there as no chance to digest, I had another gel, got sore hands hanging on the brakes all the way down, then was soon to be found taking the long walk up past Studley castle and on towards Guiting Power. I ate a flapjack as I pushed, stopped for a photo, watched a buzzard ridge soaring. The Cotswolds in the low sun were looking great.
The wind behind me now and the road going generally downwards, though still with a few lumps, I was back on board and even making up some time. A little tight for time I resisted the urge to stop yet again and take a photo of the amazing rainbow that appeared. It was dark before I reached Bourton-on-the-Water and I’d lit up and donned my almost dry cold weather hat and gloves and was playing Caravan and Jefferson Airplane for company. The climb over the Rissingtons was not too bad and soon, after Shipton-under-Wychwood, I was on the familiar Poor Student route home and a spot of what looked like sleet didn’t dampen my spirits.
About 135 miles again but this time it took almost an hour longer, what with extra hills and a long walk this was expected though. That’s quite enough miles for February I think!