2000 ks in 10 days

OK, so it is not the TCR or the TABR. It is altogether more pedestrian. But then again, I am not an amazing and young athlete like @skinny @hippy or @wiesia I am old and once again overweight.

Next Friday 18 August, a month before I turn 60, I am off on a long ride. A long ride by my standards. I planned to do one this year as it is now 10 years since I took up cycling just before I turned 50. In those ten tears I have done a few challenges:

2007 London to Paris
2008 Paris Roubaix sportive (full course 265 km)
2009 Tour of Ireland Cycle Challenge (600 miles in 5 days)
2009-2010 The Year of the Buttock
2011 London to Monte Carlo (950 miles in 9 days)
2013 24 hour non stop London to Paris (failed)
2014 Toe of Italy to Monte Carlo (1000 miles 8 days)

I wanted something as long and as challenging that I could fit in around work and other committments. I thought of LEJOG but was defeated by the time that logisitics planning would have taken and my wife's adamant refusal to drive support.

And then a thought struck me while followng the progress of Chris Hall in his 107 km a day for 107 days last winter. Starting each day from home eases so many logisitics. Following the same route each day eases worries about getting lost and allows a review of how my body reacts to the strain of accumulated tiredness.

I checked my Strava data and found that Cambridge was just about 100 km from home. 10 days there and back is 2000km. @Cazakstan kindly gave me a better route than I have used before and so, next Friday, I am off.

I aim to ride out early each day to avoid London traffic and so that I can get home in time to recover. I will go at my own pace which is slow. Luckily this is a big ring all the way sort of ride. I will see to what extent I need to stop but @Cazakstan has pointed me in the direction of a good cafe in Cambridge.

The weather looks to be miserable. Thankfully not hot but wet and windy.

I will update you on my progress.

To spur me on and to ensure i don't wake up next Friday and thing, blow this for a game of soldiers, I am riding for a charity. A rather good charity.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cliveo2000ksin10days

Ha. Do you ever want company on any of these or do you just want to do it on your own? :)

Go Clive!

Oliver. Always happy for company but it must be n my terms ie ride at my pace, stop for my punctures but you ride me down if you puncture. Feed, rest, water, when i need to etc. My route - no clever short cuts! I am aiming to start at 6am each day.

While this may sound a tad selfish, the important thing is for me to keep going over ten days.

Possibly the best day to join me would be the last? Sunday 27 August, when I might be able to throw caution to the wind.

My just giving account has locked me out.

Probably because you are too generous.

#pray4buttocks

Are you going to do the same route everyday or mix it up?

Same route exactly every day so that I can compare my performace precisely each day.

Last day I may, however, carry on past my house and end up in LMNH for a celebratory green tea.

Sounds good! Looking forward to reading about how you get on. A little like my (as yet unrealised) idea of commuting to Basingstoke by bike.

Good luck Clive. Ride strong.

Glad to see this has its own thread, go Clive, looking forward to following your rides!

All sounds fair. I'll aim to give you a wheel to be on that last day!

Are you doing it all in the same pair of cleats?

Best of luck Clive. Looks like a great challenge. Have found you on Strava to follow your progress!

Good luck Clive!
There was some route chat here recently https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/150760/

I normally recommend the DNA path to approach Cambridge, but it's a shared path so not suitable if you're going for speed.

Hahaha. Not going for speed and yes that is on the route.

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Are you doing it all in the same pair of cleats?

New shoes and new cleats. Actually not sure about the new shoes as it is likely to rain and be messy. May stick to my old ones but have new cleats on them.

lovely

You'll only make this mistake once but there is a right turn on to Kitten lane on the route, it's at the top of a pokey 10% descent so try not to miss the turn!
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Kitten+Ln,+Stanstead+Abbotts,+Ware+SG12+8JT/@51.7844104,0.0159963,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d89dec8a497145:0xeaa0ffdd7286b553!8m2!3d51.7863949!4d0.0167044

Just removed the privacy feature from my Strava account so that I can be followed! OK, not quite dot watching and once you've seen one day, you will get the gist of the route. If you want to check that my heart is still beating the info will be there.

I was actually thinking of carrying straight on at that point to ensure that I get the mileage up. I usually go down through Stanstead Abbott and then turn right just before Ware. That plus the three miles to the start and a little bit into Cambridge, should ensure that I get 125 miles each day.I am having a dry run on Sunday and will try it both ways and see how it affects the mileage.

Well adapt away then! It's a nice descent, on the way home it'll be like a proper climb, almost (for about a minute).

I have a soft-spot for kitten lane, it makes me happy, they resurfaced it recently too.

Just checking. :)