Tinselly Lanes

Tinsel & Lanes is my closest Audax, it starts from the pub just 500m from our house. It would be rude not to do it, although much debate was had whether to do the Audax or to go to the Lakes for the Cumbrian Xmas Cracker the following day.

Despite Brett's protestations about his need to turn out for the football team on the Saturday, Mike & I turned up on a very fresh morning and rolled out at 8 a.m. with 211km ahead of us. The first few kilometers went swiftly on rolling roads, but when Tinsel Lane itself was reached the temperature plummeted and frost appeared on the roadside. Speeds were reduced, but despite that we saw two fallers on the roads around Bosworth Battlefield. First control was reached in just a fraction over 2 hours at an average of 25kmh, unheard-of for me.

The next section, down to Upper-Stowe south-east of Daventry, is the lumpiest section and soon had me struggling, especially up the 1:4 hill to Gubley, where I discovered a new maximum heart rate of 184. My theoretical max is 174 and I had never exceeded this, so this was a surprise (as was the 207 the HRM registered at another point where I was not paying attention, so I suspect it to be a spurious reading). Further hills followed across Naseby Battlefield and beyond, but lunch at 101km was reached at 1pm, an average of 20kmh including stops.

I did this ride last year, and know how slow the roads seem to be (can't be me, surely) and the next sections dragged on a lot, but Wellesbourne near Stratford-on-Avon was reached in the light at 3:35, and the light was not needed for another half-hour of the final leg. Once on, it provided sufficient illumination for 2 riders side-by-side at 20mph on the downhills, so I profess myself very pleased with it.

Tiredness and weight told in the end, with Bentley Bank at the end of the ride being a struggle, but final arrival at 7:15 was a full 80 minutes ahead of last year so again, I'm happy although I was so tired I could not finish my attempt at the pub carvery. Those who know me will confirm how unlikely that is.

Stats:
Weight 108kg (work required)
Time 11:15 elapsed/ 9:49 moving
Speed 13.4mph average/ 38.4 mph max
Heart Rate 159 average (for 10 hours!) 207? max
Total Miles 131.4
Cadence average 68/ max 108 (getting better)
Total pedal revolutions 40,000 (anorak!)
Calories burned 8,976

By the time we finished, frost was sparkling on the road, and a freezing night was taking shape with -5 the overnight low. The following morning was hard-frozen and utterly unrideable. How lucky were we with the weather?

And the Cumbrian Xmas Cracker? Cancelled, quite sensibly, due to impossible road conditions. Good decision.

Next ride will hopefully be the "I'm Dreaming of a WhiteGate Xmas" Audax on 21st December, just ahead of festivities to burn 121km-worth of calories prior to their inevitable festive replacement.

1/6 Ratty and counting, (and the bathroom is just about finished.)