Mid-Shropshire Wheelers reliability ride by rideventures at Garmin Connect - Details

Here's a full report on this event.

Never done a reliability run before - I guess that when I turn up I'll have to give an estimation of how long the ride will take me?

From last Thursdays performance I got an average speed of 20kph so 95km will take 4hr 45min. Though I may benefit from being part of a group? So may be quicker today - we'll see.

on right - special pacel tape
adapted cycling shoe

One thing I do know - it'll be cold. I'll take all the usual precautions - balaclava, 2 sets of gloves and will up the foot protection - thicker socks plus I'll explore parcel taping up the large vents in the front of my shoes. Of course I have overshoes aswell.



Oh, and after bonking on Thursday I'll have loads to eat before hand (night before and in the morning) plus take plenty with me.

One further issue will be liquid. Despite it being so cold I think I will need to take two bottles - on Thursday I ran through the one large bottle easily.

The Ride

signing on, when we got back
we ticked against our name to
show we'd arrived back

Biked over to the start centre and signed on - plenty of people about.  And off we went reasonably soon - me in the slow but long course option.  Good group of about 10 and immediately you feel the benefit of cycling with others - the wind protection means you aren't working so hard, or rather you are going fast with less effort.

Almost before I knew it we had done 60km but as we approached 3 hours I started to experience my usual "3hour wall" and took on a Mars bar.  Got dropped from the group for a while and started to struggle a bit even when back in touch. 

Another Mars bar was needed before the end - overall the second half was weaker and patchy with moments of feeling OK and then moments of real lethargy.  At one point started to have that feeling of being about to bonk.  Anyway, paced back in along flat, fast roads at the end, and then cycled home for hot food and a beer!

This ride represents my February 100km contribution towards the Bike Radar 100km Challenge (ride 100km every month).  It also means my 400km target for February is back on track with just 54km left to do - by Thursday.

Verdict on the pacel tapped shoes - excellent wind protection, no cold toes!

Mid-Shropshire Wheelers reliability ride at Garmin Connect - Details