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hollow__legs
ElGonzo
Ride Report - Thanet Platinum 200
@youramericanlover , @jmg412 and I rode this one on Saturday. In my infinite wisdom, I decided to ride this one fixed. I hadn’t ridden a significant distance fixed for quite some time so in the lead up to this I rode Tuesday Hills fixed, if I could do that then surely I could do a 200, right? Well, we set off from Goody Ales in Herne Common under skies and through thick, almost tropical jungle levels of humidity, really quite difficult to get any air in. Rolling easy through fairly quirt lanes we whistled past the first info control at 15km and were quickly into the Kent Downs and a few little climbs, all good apart from having left waaaaay too much slack on my chain, inertia getting the best of me so I just continued with a gappy pedal stroke.
Over the M20 and into lanes around Charing, Little Chart and towards Biddenden that certainly felt familiar; having left it so long since riding fixed I wasn’t super confident descending and wasn’t really ‘letting go’, thankful that for once the canti brakes were (shock horror!) actually providing some stopping power… who’d have thunk it! Into the High Weald and before long we were at first proper control at 70km, Hawkhurst. Waitrose meal deal of sushi duck rolls, crisps and a smoothie. A brief shower was actually welcome, what wasn’t was the sharp descent into Salehurst that almost saw the duck rolls make an unwelcome second appearance. We continued through rolling hills past Dallington and out of the High Weald to the halfway control at Pevensey Services. Falafel wrap, pineapple, chocolate milk and blue Powerade. The pineapple and leftover crisps from the previous stop worked in perfect synchronicity to cut my mouth up, inspired choice that. I pocketed the chocolate milk, took up some of the slack on my chain and we made our way across the Pevensey Levels towards the sea.
We expected a headwind for the return leg but it was a very, very light breeze which we were pleasantly surprised with. Past Normans Bay and Bexhill-on-Sea through a brief section of shared paths and then onto Hastings, which as a bit grim. Loads of traffic on the seafront and the promenade was also very busy. Stiff climb out of Hastings on Old London Road was grim, the climb was testing off but that road is just shit and was busy as when we hit it. Turning off towards Fiarlight improved things a bit and we continued to Winchelsea, through Rye and the Military Road which just seemed to go on, and on…
We were rolling well though but as we came back over the M20 I was starting to feel it, neck was quite stiff and I had a concerning twinge on the back of my left knee, probably those sharp descents and my lack of souplesse. We made it to Brabourne Lees control at 173km, a Premier with a couple of kids milling around outside and an Audi with a skittish alarm and two dogs in the boot parked up. I was not in a good place so it was time for drastic measures, a second blue Powerade. Shortly after rolling out we hit a climb up Weeks Lane and just as it kicked up a notch near the top I decided discretion was the better part of valour and walked the last bit. I hung on to Dan’s wheel most of the way back until the blue Powerade kicked in and I decided to give the last couple of lumps full gas, not wise in the slightest but it was fun.
Made it back to Goody Ales at 6pm for a very nice pork pie that was included in the entry fee. Excellent day out and a nice route, but one that could certainly be improved in a few places.