Girls on Cogs

I had good intentions of leaving work in plenty of time so I could head home, get changed, have a cuppa and a snack and swap the bikes over. I had had a meeting earlier in the day and worn my suit (including high heels) and therefore had cycled leisurely to work with the view that I would do the same on the way home.  Unfortunately (and predictably) the plan failed and I was running late to meet the gang, so instead I cycled home at high speed looking slightly ridiculous with my trousers hitched up with an elastic band round my ankle. Although I am slightly pleased at how well I can cycle in heels!

Anyway enough of my trivia!

Well it is the 3rd week of Tuesday night cycling and so far we have managed to keep the bad weather at bay and have a good turn out. This week the 6 of us headed out along the A47. Busy road but quick. We turned of to the village of Kirby Mallory and our destination of Mallory Park. Apparently they have cycling around the racing track on a Tuesday and Thursday night so we thought we would check it out. Mat and Stav arrived first and headed down the track and nearly got taken out by  50 speeding cyclists coming the other way!! We watched them for a couple of laps. It looked very serious. Mostly men but we spotted a couple of women.

On that note, we decided to head to a local pub for dinner. As well as feeling hungry, everyone was feeling the cold. It actually felt quite bitter and my shorts seemed a rather brave move!

A reasonably fast cycle home via Desford and Kirby Muxloe. Approx 20 miles

So first trip of the year, and we had 6 enthusiastic participants.  The sun was shining and so were several new bikes.  We headed out from Braunstone Leisure Centre, through Braunstone town towards Kirby Muxloe, Desford and onto Thornton reservoir.    We saw lots of other cyclists out on the road, all making the most of the good weather and it was nice not to be laden with panniers.  After 6 big pies and beers in the Steaming Billy hostelry, we made our way back home, completing a respectable 20 0dd miles.

The first tuesday cycle ride was announced and we should all have been very enthusiastic, but truthfully, Em, Claire, Caroline and myself had already committed to a night of shopping, dinner and wine….A very good evening!

Perhaps we should admit that we were a little under prepared for this trip…and after hiking up the Eiffel Tower on our first day of sightseeing, there was a unanimous decision…to go back to bed for not a little power nap but a big sleep before continuing our venture in ‘Gay Paris!   Note: Just because we cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats last year does not mean we are fit enough tojump on our bikes and cycle to Paris 8 months later!

On the last day we took the bikes out round Paris for a little 18 miler – but although Paris appears to be geared up with cycle lanes, hire bikes etc, it wasn’t that great with lots of weaving in and out of pedestrians in our cycle lane, and cobbles along the Seine which were not good for road tyres.  Lovely day though and we even had a beer by the Seine, since it was rubbish for cycling along.

The trip back was by Eurostar and the bikes were pre-booked as parcels (for £20) so we didn’t have to dismantle them or put them in a bag (yes we did this on a previous trip).   It was a very simple procedure, we all left our very expensive and in some cases very new bikes with a random french man in a back yard, who kindly hung them on a clothes rail and we all waved goodbye as they bashed together in the wind. …Rather surprised to see them intact (apart from one rear light) with us on the same train when we arrived back in London 2.5 hours later.

So despite a very difficult start, we made it to Paris in 5 days, had a few lovely days sightseeing (although most attractions seemed to be up at least 100 steps – like we needed more exercise) and back home in just 5 hours!  Highly recommended.

Estimated miles: 45
Miles: 57
Average speed: 9.2 (worst yet!!!)
Total trip miles: 135

Route: D927 Beauvais, Meru then opt 1 (ours) D927 to Pointoise, D4 along river to Auvers sur Oise or opt 2 (favoured by everyone else) D927 to Herouville and D928 to Aurvers-sur-Oise (about an hour quicker apparently!)D928 towards Paris, a lot of back streets (bronx-like) and finally cycle paths along the River Seine into Paris centre-ville.

The final day into Paris was an estimated 45 miles, and the sun was trying to shine on us. We followed the D927 most of the way, stopping about half way for sandwiches and cakes from a little boulangerie, followed by a long coffee outside soaking up the sun. We arranged to meet everyone else at the bridge by Auvers to ride into Paris together along a smaller road. They’d only been waiting an hour, so no ice-creams or more coffee for us before the final stretch into Paris centre. Em was visualising a cycle along Champs Elysee, through the Arc de Triomphe…the reality was cycling around several small streets, a bit more like the ‘Bronx of Paris!’, a flat tyre, and the group gradually parting ways to various different accommodations. So not quite the ‘Tour de France’ finish, pumping our fists into the air!

We all made it, still smiling and had treated ourselves to a grand bier (only $9. 40 a ½ litre)….not so funny now!

By Em

Miles: 57
Average speed: 9.9 (it keeps on getting lower and lower…..)

Route: D901 Abbeville, Poix-de-Picardie, Grandvilliers, Marseille-en-beauvais, Beauvais

We set off again at a good pace but lost our average speed because of some big hills. Mat and Anna were ahead of us and Charlie behind. He decided to do some sightseeing in Abberville. We have seen plenty….. the kebab house and ‘Abbeville by Night!!’.
Dan seems to motor up the hills with his hybrid and I don’t seem too bad on my new bike. I am loving the new bike, it makes such a difference and I love the colour!
Hels is battling along still, despite the fact she is still not feeling 100% and is quite wheezy.
Really nice sunny stop at lunch time and a coffee stop. Only a couple more hours and we arrived in Beauvais and treated ourselves to a beer. Met up with everyone else and headed to The F1 Hotel, on an industrial estate. Dan’s French speaking is coming in very handy, so we got directions from a couple who came up to ask what we were doing.
After the traditional French Kebab last night we went to the traditional French ‘Bufallo Grill’!!

Estimated miles: 75
Miles cycled: 85
Average speed: 10.2 (slower again…..)

Route:  D305/D127 Guines, D231 Ardres, D224 Nabringhen, N42/ D127 Le Wast, D343 Desvres, Hucqueliers, D108 Wambercourt, Hesdin, D928 Abbeville

We set out together with a good speed along the French ‘A’ roads and passed several other speedy, professional-looking cyclists all lyra’d up in matching colours. However, they had no mounta in bikes, no panniers, and definitely no ‘BMX’ helmets!

We stopped for coffee after 25 miles and bought some provisions for lunch (it was Easter Sunday and we weren’t sure if anywhere would be open later). There was a cruel headwind again and we were up and down ‘les 7 vallees’ (what does that mean?!), The next 25 miles were hard, and we stopped for lunch (the big vol-au-vents we’d bought earlier) . The vol-au-vent didn’t really cut it, and the next few hours I struggled along with low blood sugar and felt like a rag doll. Despite being force fed sugary sweets and Emma dancing crazily to cheer me up (she’d probably had too much sugar and caffeine!), we soldiered on and on and on and on until we finally met up with the others in Abbeville town centre for a big kebab tea…probably not the Easter feast we’d anticipated!!! But very welcome anyway…

We then headed towards the Etap in the north of the town, couldn’t find it, phoned Charlie for directions, and then after getting further directions from some stoned locals, cycled 5 miles south of the City where it was hidden at the back of an industrial estate. 10.30pm arrival – brilliant!! Still smiling…

Miles from North Weald to Dover: 100 miles
Miles cycled: 40
Trains: 1
Ferries: 2
Average speed: 10.9 (unbelievably only 0.2 mph faster than yesterday with the massive headwind)

Route: A414 from North Weald A128  Chipping Ongar to Orsett.  Chadwell St Mary, A126 to Tilbury Ferry – Gravesend.  A226 to Chatham Station…train to Dover!  Ferry to Calais.

So we only stopped cycling at 10pm last night so getting up at 8am and setting off at 9, only 11 hours later, felt like a very short period of time. We seemed to spend the whole of yesterday fighting against the wind. Even Mat and Anna had found it a difficult day.
Despite feeling a little stiff we were all fairly upbeat….. but to get the confession out the way, we had already decided that we would cycle 30 miles to Chatham train station via the Tilbury Ferry and then take the train to Dover.
This all went to plan and we even enjoyed a hot chocolate on the way. It almost seemed a shame not to have decided to do the whole 100 miles because the weather was beautiful and sunny (what were we thinking?).
None of us ever having struggled to get into the holiday spirit, cracked open the beers on the train. More alcohol was consumed as we sat overlooking the beach and The Chanel at Dover waiting for out ferry and Charlie who decided to cycle from Cantabury and so managed an extra 15 miles on the rest of us. I do worry we don’t seem to be taking this very seriously!
We had our own car/cycle lane to embark the ferry and boarded first. I love that bit!

Cyclists: Emma, Hels, Dan, Stav, Mat, Anna, Charlie

Estimated miles: 110
Estimated arrival time: 6.30 pm

Actual miles: 113
Actual arrival time: 10pm

Average speed: 10.7 mph

New bikes 2: Em’s sparkly new Trek, Charlie’s Dawes Galaxy
Mountain bikes: 1 Dan – but he did have a fetching BMX helmet to complement

Weather: Cold, wet and very windy….
Numbness rating: 5/7….all hands and feet at some point (except Mat and Anna – well preprared with new neoprene overshoes)

Route:  Leicester A5199 to Creaton, cross country through Sywell, to A509 at Wilby to Bozeat.  Small roads through Harrold to Bedford,  A600 though Shefford, Stotfold, Baldock, Buntingford, A10 to Harlow, A414 in dark to North Weald.

We were setting off in 3 groups and planned to meet up at the destination point, North Wealde, Essex. Em, Dan and myself were cycling together, and met at 8am to start Day 1. It was cold, and windy and threatening to rain, and I was running at about half-lung capacity and wheezing well. Obviously it was not an option to be too ill to cycle to Paris, so popping lemsip capsules and puffing away on an inhaler, we set off out of Leicester on the A5199…..Em and Dan cheerfully optimistic and me feeling like I should still be in my sickbed. Ohhh well…it’s only just over 100 miles today….

It wasn’t long before we all had numb hands and feet with the cold, so after around 25 miles, we treated ourselves to a hot chocolate in Harold. We saw Stav and Charlie briefly in Harold (and they had set off around 9.30….) After several more miles in the cold, blustery wind, we had our sandwiches in Baldock with 5 minutes of sunshine. We were running a little behind our time schedule and had heard Mat and Anna were near Beford. We needed to crack on so back on the bikes along the A507 through Buntingford, and a short stretch along the A10, a fast, horrible dual carriageway towards Harlow. It was now around 7.30 pm and only a few miles to North Wealde. With fading light, we seemed to take ages making our way to North Wealde, much checking of the map and stopping for dextrose tablets! Finally we arrived at the Little Chef to meet our friends, and snaffle a plate of fish and chips, thanks to the exceptionally cheerful, uber helpful staff member, who seemed very happy to serve us a few minutes after the official closing time! Thanks to Phil, Jo, Sharyn and Mike who had come to meet us and offer encouragement on the first gruelling day and persuade the Little Chef to cook us some food.

All still smiling, although there was mention of a ‘little train’ option for tomorrow….

21st March 2010

Well the Easter cycling trip from Leicester to Paris somehow is fast approaching….. 2 weeks to be precise and I have done zero training!!! I think the fear factor has gone since Hels and I completed the LEJOG trip.
Although Hels and I have both cycled throughout the winter months to and from work and we have had some harsh weather.
The other issue, is my continuous drama with optaining a new bike. After last years disaster with Ribble Cycles delivering the wrong bike 2 days before LEJOG and having to borrow a bike, I decided to go with the bike to work scheme. I ordered the bike last week only to find out the delivery date for it is in 3 weeks time. So I have now ordered the TREK 1.5 instead of the 1.2 at an extra £150. There does not seem to be a lot of difference, although I did prefer the colour of the 1.5. I did not want to be a complete ‘girl’ and order it for that reason, so I am secretly pleased!
Anyway back to the bike ride. Mat, Stav , Charlie and I headed out of Leicester through Victoria Park and London Road. Then towards Stoughton and Tilton on The Hill. From there we headed for Oakam, up and down some big hills. Not enjoying my heavy hybrid, especially alongside (or far behind) Mat and Stav on their roads bikes. Although Charlie seemed to be coping on his mountain bike, he did walk up a few hills (sorry Charlie!).
Arrived in Oakham and bought lunch and decided to head for Rutland Water…. another big hill!
We had a quick whiz round Rutland Water which can only be described as ‘very pleasant’. We then headed back to Oakham for a quick half pint in the Grainstore.
Made it home in the dark and managed 60 ish miles.
Mmm can’t imagine doing many more miles………
Hope that bike arrives!