Three Chiltern Villages - Shortest Day, Long Ride
It’s the evening of Tuesday 20 December and the exceptionally cold weather with icy condtions has ended. I have two more 200 km rides to complete this month if I am to achieve my goal of 3 RRtYs in one year. Reasonably good weather is helpful, preparation and confidence are key.
Account of a ride from Ealing through Twyford to Ewelme for the ascent of Britwell Hill to return to London via the picturesque village of Hambleden and the lock at Mill End outside Henley.
Not feeling too confident as I had not ridden outside because of the exceptionally cold weather and icy conditions but training indoors with the Pillar app helped me build the strength and determination to keep pedalling when I encountered Britwell Hill.
What happens if …
What happens if you are on a mandatory route - one you have planned and have to follow exactly - and the road is closed?
End of the Audax Year
The Audax year now runs from 1 November to 31 October. It was in January 2022 that I turned 75.
With 58 Audax points, representing 29 200 km rides, I join the other 70 Audax members who have ridden 5,000 or more km in events of at least 200 km.
Lambourn - not a brilliant start
Breakfast in preparation, I looked at my phone for WHOOP’s verdict on the night’s sleep and my readiness for a long ride: a red recovery, 28%.
Variations on a Theme
I’ve liked the Uffington area for decades, since my first visit to the White Horse. Although my bike rides don’t take me on to the chalk, I still love this area. I had planned a ride from West London out to Uffington, then vaguely east and north, and then through Didcot to Reading where I would take the train towards London; the Elizabeth line makes this very simple with trains every half hour.