Denmead 400

Up at 4am to leave at 5am after the usual bowl of porridge. Made good time and got to the start at 6.45 for a 7am start.

Took it easy for the first few miles, no point in rushing. It was a beautiful morning although a little windy. Many of the usual Denmead suspects were there.

The first stage went along the prescribed Denmead route to Bishops Waltham and south of Winchester then north through Porton Down chemical warfare establishment to Amesbury. The Friar Tuck control is something of a legend in audaxing terms and they served up beans on toast in record time. Didn't stop long, about 20 minutes or so, then continued across Salisbury Plain into a headwind. I had cycled this road before when doing a trip from London to Somerset with a friend and knew what was coming. There were a few hills but the real problem was the wind. Was glad to arrive at Frome Sainsbury's for the next control and a sandwich sitting in the car park with my fellow adventurers.

Stage 3 continued in the same vein and it was a bit depressing to be pedalling hard down Cheddar Gorge. The wind was fearsome, but luckily we were shelted from it going up Shipham hill, which was not as bad as it had been when I did it in January . The turn came at Weston super Mare after about 180km, with a control in the Oxford Cafe which involved the 'chef's special' omlette; basically recycled breakfast leftovers which tried to recycle themselves again over the next few hours. It also took about 3/4 hour to arrive, which was too long.

Heading back south east we had the wind behind us and made good time to Glastonbury, then on to Somerton in the gathering darkness, to arrive at Podimore services at about 10pm. This was home territory as I fill up with petrol here on a fairly regular basis as it is only about 10 miles from the office. It tried to rain but thankfully stopped after a couple of minutes.

I pressed on alone past villages I see day in day out with work and had a scary moment when my chain stuck. I tough it might be curtains for a moment, but luckily I disengaged it and all was OK again. This stage got quite hard with a vicious climb up to Cucklington followed by another long climb up to Shaftesbury where we got off for a rest. It was now about 1.30am and the usual drunkards were asking to borrow my bike. We tried to remember where we had been and could not put a name to Weston super Mare. Fatigue was setting in.

I had been warned that this was a long stage and so it proved, continuing west of Salisbury where there was an unpleasant hill going out of Downton. Probably not too bad in daylight and early in the day, but it seemed to go on a bit. Then through the New Forest with an orange moon off to the right, and a cockerel crowing at about 4am to herald the oncoming morning.

Arrived at Ower services hoping for the traditional McDonalds chips but had to make do with a coffee from the petrol station. It was now about 5am and we pushed on - only 48km to go. The first bit from the services on the dual carriageway towards Romsey seemed harder than it did on the 300, then, after Romsey, the route retraced where we had come from the morning before. It was a strange feeling cycling along the same roads, at the same time in the morning, with the same weather, but knowing that we had been going for 24 hours.

As always, the last few km were difficult and it was good to arrive back at Denmead where I had an ice lolly at 7.15am in the morning. A local gave me a strange look and I felt like telling him what we'd all just done.

Completed my card and posted it through the door, then drove slowly to Rownhams services where I had a kip in the car, before getting home at about noon.

A great ride, good to have done it and crossed into new territory. The SR (super randonneur) series is nearly complete, just the 600 to go, which will mean qualification for the Paris Brest Paris.