Performance Cycles Sportive Sunday 8th December 2013

I didn’t make the club ride on Saturday and so for a change I thought I’d tell you about the sportive that Ken, George W and me did on Sunday instead.

The event was organised by Performance Cycles and based at the Cotswold Water Park. This was the third in a series of six stripped-back winter sportives. The remaining ones are due to take place on 12^th January, 16^th February and 16^th March. There’s no electronic timing or feed stations and that’s not surprising given that entry is just £7. However, there are some freebies when you sign-in and having completed the ride there’s free hot drinks, biscuits, cake and bacon rolls. They’ll even slide in a fried egg to keep your bacon company if that takes your fancy.  There’s a choice of 45 or 65 miles. Entries for this ride officially closed on 4^th December, by which time 100 people had entered, but you could still register on the day.

Okay, that’s the administration covered, so let’s get onto the actual event.

Ken had already said at the Wednesday evening meet-up that he was planning to tackle the 65 mile route.  I lamely mentioned that I would be doing the 45 miles and somehow felt the need to tag an excuse on the end, but couldn’t think of one. I was well and truly on the ropes, the knock-out punch was on its way, I just didn’t know it yet. How was I getting there, Ken enquired. By car of course, was there any other way. I should have guessed.  Ken was cycling over adding another 20 miles.

All of this has everything to do with my inferiority complex as a recent returnee to cycling, as Ken is an extremely modest man and not at all boastful.

My only saving grace in all of this is that I didn’t see Ken on the day. Recognising people in their cycling helmets can be tricky, so perhaps I missed him.

Any lingering doubts as to whether I should have a crack at the 65 miles were quickly dispelled when during the pre-ride briefing we were informed that although it was just an extra 20 miles, it was best suited to accomplished riders.  I made a quick mental note of this one for any future conversations with Ken.

My fatally flawed plan was to average 15 mph and so finish in around 3 hours.  What I completely failed to take account of was that we would be cycling in the Cotswolds, which as every small child knows, can be hilly. Performance Cycles’ website had said that there wouldn’t be any of the gut-busting routes you’d expect at the height of summer. All I can say is that there must be different levels of gut-busting.  We scaled three consecutive category 4 hills, plus the never-ending one up to Rendcomb College and beyond which according to Strava doesn’t even merit a category. I did manage to drop a couple of poor souls who were pushing their bikes up this particular hill though, so it wasn’t all bad.

Average speeds were also severely hampered by the often treacherous muddy lanes. We were told at the pre-ride briefing to restrict our speed to 20 mph on the descents, which was good advice and certainly heeded by the riders I saw.

Salvation arrived as we headed south and back to the start. Even I know that it’s pretty flat around Cirencester and so it was time to open up the throttle.

I can’t remember a cup of tea tasting so good, as the one I had at the finish.

Overall this was a great event and represented excellent value for money. The route was well signed. Staff and helpers were very friendly. It’s right on our doorstep too.  No one said it was going to be easy and if it was there’d be no sense of achievement.

Just for the record George W finished in 3 hours 2 minutes (some riders it would seem were less affected by the road conditions and gradients than others) and my time was 3 hours 24 minutes.

The Cycling Monk