Cheddar delights

On my DIY 100 in January I went through Cheddar but not up the Gorge, so thought it would be fun to try it on my next long run. So this was the first control of my DIY 200.  Rather than turn left to the Somerset levels I thought I'd loop round south of Bath, where I grew up so was an area I knew, and go via Bradford-on-Avon and Shaftesbury then home.

Viamichelin put the route in at 200km exactly, so I checked it many many times to check it was correct - the last thing I wanted was for it not to be validated because it was 1k short.

So, at 7.28am yesterday I bought my Marathon duo (sorry, Snickers - I must be getting old) from the garage 2 miles away and pocketed the receipt, having got a funny look when asking if the receipt showed date and time. By the end of this ride (my first 'proper' DIY) I was used to this reaction.

As with many rides it started with a sharp hill which was just as well because it was pretty cold. 15 minutes later I was well and truly warmed up and then it was a quick flog down the A37 which fortunaltely at this time on a Saturday morning was not busy. Skirting Yeovil I went over Ham Hill where once again it was misty so the views were not much good. Then it was across the Levels to the first control at Cheddar where I stopped for a coffee in a cafe full of cyclists on their stripped down carbon frames. 67 km to here in 3.5 hours which was not too bad seeing I couldn't feel my feet due to the cold and freezing mist and wasn't really pushing it, just enjoying the day out. Whilst this is predominatly a flat stage there are some climbs interspersed; they all seemed easier than in January so maybe I am getting fitter.

Cheddar Gorge was not too full of tourists and was not too bad. The beginning reminded me a bit of the Pyrenees, not sure why, but with the high cliffs it was a bit like the bottom of the Portet d'Aspet, just not as steep thankfully and no memorials to fallen cyclists.

Although some racing snake with no saddlebag overtook me I was pretty pleased with my progress up the Gorge, which was about 8k until it really flattened out. I got up to 20kph on the upper stages. Whether this was due to the food I'd consumed at the bottom I do not know, but it felt good and I know what to expect on next Sunday's Barry's Ball Buster 200k. The countyside in the Mendips is lovely, all stone walls and very unspoilt.

Then it was though Chewton Mendip and Ston Easton - the last time I had been there was at a cousin's wedding, and let's just say my memories are slightly hazy of that evening. A couple of steep hills followed round Midsummer Norton then a lovely ride through Wellow with a vicious climb out, and a short jaunt along the a36 to Limpley Stoke and past the house where I grew up. Nothing has changed, it all looked familiar 30 years later.

After riding around looking for a cashpoint and fighting with stationary cars and idiot drivers I had a quick break at Bradford on Avon (133k) which must have one of Britain's worst traffic systems. I chose a route across county to Warminster, then joined the A350 south to Shaftesbury. This was a tiring section, maybe the wind was in front, but it seemed to take forever and there was one long and demoralising hill out of Kingston Deverill. It's amazing how many twats overtake just as a car is coming the other way. However all bad things come to an end and I controlled in Shaftebury at 5.05pm (163km, or 174 on the road). Refuelled properly.

The home leg was fun, gently downhill for the first 20km or so which allowed for a rest, then 3 big hills. However I was in a rythmn and they didn't seem too bad, and I rolled into the final control at 7.56pm, 12.5 hours after starting. This may not seem very fast but I stopped for longer than usual at my controls and also stopped to look at my old house and grandparents grave. So not too bad and getting up the last three hills pleased me greatly.

Including riding to and from the start / finish it was 224 km which is further than I've ever gone in a day before and at the end I felt as if I could have gone on a bit more, so maybe my 300 is going to possible.