-
Like you, was considering DNS but had a hotel booked. I thought maybe the weather would change and I'd be annoyed I hadn't started. Got the train home at Chepstow, which I was pleased with given that from about 60km I was thinking of stopping at Newent. the section from Stow to Newent has to be the longest 55km I've ever ridden, hated every minute of it! Couldn't face another 150km of cross winds. A friend completed in 14 hours (very experienced rider) but he said the section past the white horses was "heinous" but there were a few "magic bits" on the way back. He got rained on for 2 hours so I'd have been looking at 5-7 hours of rain. I was totally miserable apart from through the Forest of Dean which was beautiful, and a welcome distraction. My arms hurt almost as much as my legs today.
Crumbs-
the section from Stow to Newent has to be the longest 55km I've ever ridden, hated every minute of it!
+1
Actually Newent-Chepstow was even worse - felt like one continuos hill with a very strong headwind. If I had passed a train station I would've gone home. At the Tesco I chatted to a guy who has been doing the ride every year since 2007 - said it was easier from there. A couple of krispy kremes and that piece of info helped me to push on. The rain wasn't pleasant, but at least there was some tailwind... Feel like I've been hit by a bus today though. -
When you'd got to Chepstow you'd definitely done the harder part! When I rode back to Oxford I spun out on a few long downhills and was zipping along with the wind on the flat sections.
I had been looking forward to that flat section to Newent to practice riding into the wind on aerobars, then it would have been fun sailing back downwind. But when I realised that it was too gusty to use aerobars it lost its appeal very quickly! I saw enough of that section to appreciate how horrible it would be.
I expect much of the second half of the ride would have been quick. In 2015 when it was windy, people got to Chepstow about an hour later than normal but made up the time on the way back.
CangaCeiro
frank9755
Good decision.
I've just got home. Did about 70km, to the other side of the cotswolds where the route goes flat then came back.
I'm not looking for pbp qual and don't care about audax points but I wanted to have a decent ride with lots of time in the aerobars to test my position.
It's just a bit too windy to be able to ride properly. Was a bit scary on a few descents and often couldn't use the aerobars. Forecast was for the wind to get stronger at end of day and for rain. I just didn't fancy being out in those conditions, wind, rain and dark, so I'd already decided I'd ride to Newent and turn back. But when I got to the flat section I found I couldn't ride on the aerobars for the wind. No point sitting on the hoods for 40km, so I turned back then, which gave me about 140km.
That gave me a decent ride (longest since June) and I learned a bit from it.
Was interesting to do some of the route the other way round. The climb up cleve hill was bloody steep, felt like 20%. And Winchcombe hill was steep as well. I got blown off going back up there and had to walk some of it as too windy.