by hattenburrow | Feb 26, 2014 | Biking Adventures
Saturday saw the Surrey Sports Park/Just Pedal cycle club group ride out on its first ride to explore the Surrey Hills.
Around 20 riders turned up for the inaugural club ride which followed a pre-planned route through the Surrey Hills designed by Just Pedal route setters. The group split into a medium and fast paced group and took on the 44 mile route.
The ride started and ended at Surrey Sports Park, where after club members gathered in Starbucks for a well-earned coffee and cake stop – the perfect end to the perfect first ride!
Each week there will be a new route for members of Just Pedal and Surrey Sports Park to join in on the group rides.
If you are not a member of Surrey Sports Park or Just Pedal, don’t worry you can come along and join in the rides. All you need to do is pay a £20 joining fee to cover member benefits.
The cycle club aims to develop more training specific rides over the summer as well as casual rides. Each month we will also be delivering a ‘feature’ ride which could be a hill, sportive or endurance training ride.
Next rides:
| Saturday 08-Mar-2014 |
9am |
Weekend group ride |
56 miles |
| Saturday 15-Mar-2014 |
9am |
Weekend group ride |
35 miles |
by hattenburrow | Dec 16, 2013 | Biking Adventures, Kit Reviews, Nutrition
The day started early, leaving the house at 7.00 to drive down to the New Forest to take part in our first Sportive. I had convinced Martyn we should do it together and that we wouldn’t race it but just enjoy it, I wasn’t until we arrived that it became apparent Martyn had other ideas!
Arriving in Brockenhurst it was great to be back where I had spent so many days training last year. I love the New Forest it’s one of those places where you can ride for miles through different landscapes from heathland to forest, the scenery is always changing and hills spring up out of no where.
We set off on the Epic route which was 35 miles long at 9:45. The course meandered through forest and heath using the main forest tracks linked together by the odd road section. It was great to see so many people of different abilities doing the same ride, all out to enjoy the fresh air with friends on their bikes, it reminded me of The Ride London back in August which had the same feel.
Martyn soon picked up the pace and we seemed to be eating into the miles, to get ‘Gold’ you had to finish in 3 hours 50 which seemed fast for an off road race and like I said we were taking it easy, or so I had been led to believe !!…
The first food stop was at roughly a third of the way round, there was lots of snacks to choose from and I had half a banana and tried one of my USN Vooma caffeine gels, which USN had kindly given me to test during the event. I had used other brands of gels before in my XC races but not during an endurance event. As we were stopped I could open with my hands, but usually during a race I would do this with my teeth moving. I think from the way the packaging is designed it would be easy to open with teeth and shouldn’t spew out over you before you can eat it which is a bonus!
The gel was mocha flavour, not being a coffee drinker I was intrigued to see what this tasted like! it tasted like it smells when you walk into Starbucks with a hint of chocolate and a warming feeling. What I liked about this gel is that the texture was nice, some can be too sticky and leave your mouth feeling dry but this did not, which is a real plus for me as there is nothing worse than having a sticky horrible mouth when your racing and breathing hard.
The gel contained 24g carbs which is good for the size of pack and I would have been able to fit a couple easily in my jersey pocket.
As with most other gels if taken, it contained a mix of carbs and electrolytes which is great because it means you can take it just with water, saving you from having to buy energy drinks as well, and for a racer on a budget like me that’s a great option!
The gel seemed to kick in after about 10/15 minutes and I felt like I had an extra boost of energy and was able to push hard which was good as we had reached the hilliest part of the course and the extra energy helped me keep up with Martyn who was setting a medium/fast pace.
I only took one gel but think that if you needed to take them more regularly it would still taste and be fine. Some gels, if i take them too often don’t agree with my stomach but this seemed fine and I would be keen to try during a XC race where I usually take one per lap (every 30/40 mins).
The miles seemed to fly by as we got close to the end. We chose not to stop at the next feed station and pushed on, we were doing very well until we got about 8 miles from the finish and I heard this shout of ‘stop’! from behind, Martyn had a puncture! We quickly pulled out a new inner tube and got it changed but had some pump issues. Luckily a nice guy and his little boy stopped and lent us their pump. Once sorted we continued in having lost around 10/15 minutes, we pushed a little harder, but now raining slightly as well we were keen to see the end and a nice hot drink! It seemed like all the drama was going to happen in these last few miles as we went flying down a hill and it was my turn to shout stop! Martyn pulled up and pulled along side him, not able to open my eye because I had so much grit in it, not ideal. After a brief stop we were back in and eased off slightly and enjoyed the last part of the course.
We crossed the finish line in 2 hours 50 minutes travelling time which was a great achievement for our first sportive and meant we were comfortably within the time for a gold finishing position.
For anyone thinking about doing an off or in road sportive I would say go for it! It’s a brilliant way to get out and see new areas you wouldn’t usually cycle in and also a great sense of achievement to finish.
My tips would be take lots of layers, even if it looks like a nice day the weather in the UK is unpredictable especially in winter! Drink plenty, staying hydrated is important so make sure you have at least one bottle of water with you. If you’re doing a longer distance than you are used to make sure you have some decent padded shorts and chamois cream or Vaseline to stop any irritation. Take two snacks with you incase you get hungry in between feed stations, peanut butter sandwiches are great, as are bananas and gels. I can personally recommended the USN Vooma mocha gel it kept me going to the end.
by hattenburrow | Dec 16, 2013 | Biking Adventures
Crooksbury Conservation Area is located in the peaceful, picturesque Surrey Hills just outside Farnham. It is an expanse of wood and heathland with Crooksbury Hill being a prominent feature on the landscape. It rises steeply to the south from 110m to 162m above sea level. The views from the top, once you make it, are incredible and stretch far out across the South Coast in both directions. On a clear day you can even see Spinnaker Tower at Gunwarf Quays in Portsmouth. – Read more here.
by hattenburrow | Aug 12, 2013 | Biking Adventures, Inspiration
The alarm went off at 4am and then promptly back onto snooze for the next hour as we stirred and tried to get every inch of rest that we could before what was about to come.
At 5am we woke I made our porridge and tea with the hotel room kettle which eating it as we pulled on our layers and put our days supplies in our pockets. Numbers already attached to our jerseys we headed with our bikes to the train station for the first leg of our journey.
Arriving at the Olympic par
k at 06.20 with a load time of 7.20 gave us plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere. Situated next to the Copperbox arena were large lorries ready to take our belongings to the finish line. The sun was just up and the park was filling with eager excited looking cyclists wearing a multi coloured array of jerseys many representing the charities they were riding for. It was truly inspiring to think about how much money was going to be raised by friends and family supporting the 15,750 cyclists who were about to start an epic journey of ups and downs, twists and turns, through London and Surrey on the same course, which a year earlier saw elite cyclists from across the globe compete in the Olympic road race.
The time seemed to fly by and although it was early morning on a Sunday I had bags of energy and enjoyed listening to the commentator as each load of cyclists was sent through the start line. It was soon our turn and what had felt like an exciting prospect suddenly hit me as a daunting one.
The furthest Martyn and I had cycled was 38 miles during training and we were about to do 100! That suddenly seemed like a large leap and I felt sick and concerned about not being able to finish. I was used to nerves at the start of races but had never felt like this before, my stomach was tying itself in knots and as we edged closer to the start line with our bikes it felt very real!
Load ‘S’ went off to the sound of The Jam playing and I knew we were next. I don’t recall what was playing as I was too busy trying to focus on not stacking it into the other cyclists around me as we all pulled through the start.
Riding up through London on closed roads was an invigorating feeling, all the worries and nerves seemed to float away and I knew we would be fine.
We had talked about needing to keep an average speed of 14mph to finish in our predicted time of 7 hours 20 minutes. As I expected, we went off at a blistering pace around 21/22mph for the first couple of miles before we settled down to a more comfortable 17/18mph, still above what we wanted, but the crowds seemed to be pulling as along and it felt effortless. We were both buzzing on the high of what a truly special occasion this was.
At 14 miles we stopped for the loo and water stop which took longer than expected due to, as always, a que! We got back on and again set a fast pace as we caught up and over took people who had overtaken us whilst we were stopped.
We carried on drafting from time to time and cycling next to each other. It felt almost naughty taking up the whole road, cycling on the wrong side of the road and running every red light. Whilst biking through Blackwell Tunnel everyone was whistling and cheering, it was a atmosphere ill never forget and we all shared the experience together.
Coming up through Richmond Park the wind felt very strong and we took it in turns to draft one another so we could rest, this worked really well and I was so happy to have Martyn there as company and support.
At 22 miles the Garmin sadly cut out, so from then on we were data blind. We kept checking with other cyclists around us on the time and distance as we had devised a strict eating strategy for each hour and had enough snacks to last us until the end. Our snacks consisted of peanut butter and jam sandwiches, Eat Natural bars, High 5 and SIS energy drinks, bananas, Clif energy bars and most importantly jelly babies!
Leaving London and moving out into Surrey we talked about the hills to come and decided to take it slow and steady and then give it another burn once we were back in London. The view changed from streets lined with houses and spectators to open fields and trees. As we meandered our way through small villages there were crowds of on lookers shouting and spurring you on up the next hill, the landscape had changed but also the road surface, we were now on pot hole watch and passed lots of people with punctures!
We turned a corner and were greeted by a large hill. Not knowing what to expect we were puzzled as to whether this was Box Hill, it turned out to be Newlands Corner which we found out at our stop at the top at the Hub where we again refuelled and used the toilets.
This was also nearly the half way mark at, 45 miles and at 11.00 put us an hour ahead of the broom waggon, which was the bus coming along to pick up people not able to make the 9 hour window to finish the race, this was a relief and meant we could take it easy for a little while knowing we had time.
The next large obstacle came in the form of Leith Hill nick named ‘lethal’ by our fellow cyclists. The hill was narrow and full or weary cyclists now on two feet pushing their bikes. I stayed in the middle pushing upwards, Martyn’s tactic was to cut up the gutter, this was working well until the person in front of him stopped forcing him to also stop. I carried on up and soon Martyn back on his bike was motoring up the hill to the top. Leith Hill was steep and seemed to go on for ever, it was a relief to get to the top and was thrilling going down the other side, it felt so fast even with my brakes on the speed just seemed to gather!
Going down was fantastic, but I was very aware that all this down meant there was a lot of up to come, in the form of a three hair pin bend called Box Hill. I had heard people talking about the three bends and relayed this to Martyn. We decided to go at our own pace. The start didn’t feel so bad as the large decent carried you part way up the first of the three bends that was until yet again we were met with a wall of cyclists! I lost Martyn as he seemed to have a boost of energy and sprinted away up the hill. I soon caught and over took him but waited after the second bend and we rode the last one together.
At the top we took a quick refuelling stop and admired the view before making our way onwards and again upwards. After Box Hill I felt sure London was not far away, we had covered 70 miles and were feeling slightly weary but generally good.
At Esher the refuelling station was at Sandown Park race course where we got High 5 Mojito flavour energy drink, my now personal favourite, it seemed to give me a spike of energy and again we picked the pace up. The sign for 90 miles eventually came just before Wimbledon. The scenery once again changed to houses and shops and spectator’s waving flags and shouting, this perked us up and we rode faster carried again by the crowd. The JDRF supporters were great and really screamed and shouted it was an awesome feeling.
The last 10 miles were a blur. We pushed the pace and kept each other going through each corner, now out of snacks the conversation, when we could catch a breath to speak, turned to what we should have for dinner?
Coming into the Mall was incredible! I remember watching the road race in the Olympics and seeing the crowds on the TV and this looked just the same, We agreed to sprint and it was like all of the last 99 miles had fallen away and my legs felt fresh and raring to go. We crossed the finish line together emotional and full of pride, we had done it! 7 ½ hours ago we had started on a journey together in the Olympic Park and now it was over standing in front of Buckingham Palace.
Words cannot describe the feeling of accomplishment and joy when you look back over what you have just achieved.
Our total riding time was 6 hours 28 minutes an hour quicker than we had estimated.
We collected our medals and goodie bags and sat in Green Park, soaking up the atmosphere for a while before making the journey to the Thames Clipper. This turned out to be a two hour wait so after cycling 102 miles we decided what’s another 10! And cycled back to the hotel.
Our first 100 miles and we are hooked! We want to do more and are hoping to again take part in Ride London in 2014. London to Paris sounds quite inviting too !! Watch this space….
by hattenburrow | Mar 16, 2013 | Biking Adventures
Travelling north the drive although gruelling and bum aching at times, was an interesting way to sample Scotland’s nature and wilderness, with rolling hills and snow-capped mountains which towered over vast lochs. There was no people or sign of civilisation for miles. Our destination was Glenuig Inn on Lochaliort, a secluded and magical place where family friend Steve Mac runs the Glenuig Inn. Arriving at the Inn after a journey of epic proportions we were greeted by the smiling face of Steve and wagging tail of Isla his dog. We were happy to not be spending the night under canvas and the temptation of a hot well cooked meal was an appealing thought.
We went exploring the area surrounding the inn, Steve took us up to the highest point above the inn to see breath-taking views over the islands, looking out over Eigg, Muck and Rum places my Dad had described as being stunning and wild. I had seen pictures and thought it had looked idyllic but seeing the scene first hand was truly impressive. As the heavens opened we retreated back to the Inn and a hearty meal of well-cooked scrumptious food. With Steve busy preparing for filming the next day with Country File, we said our goodbyes that evening before getting a good nights rest ready to hit the trails the next day.
Arriving in a soggy Fort William, home of the UCI downhill biking world cup. We went straight to Ben Nevis. The plan was to bike the ‘Ten under Ben’ but the weather was not exactly ideal. We seized the opportunity to make a run for it when there was finally a break in the clouds. As we rode out into the clearing of trees the sun started to shine just in time for our decent. We twisted and turned through the for
est trail over boarded sections and tight switch backs reaching a technical section named ‘Nessie’, the crash mats and netting in the trees said it all, get this one wrong and its probably going to hurt! After this adrenalin busting section the trail returned to a more tame approach treating us to a glorious downhill ride all the way back to the car in time for a well earned hot chocolate.
The day was still young and we decided to go up a little further and try out the Wolftrax. From the car park the trail gave nothing away, however, once making our way to the highest point our journey descended into boulder fields, and rocky bridges. Each corner we were met with a new challenge and yet more rock crossings. The trail was fast and adrenalin pumping and most certainly worth the journey to find it.
We spent our last night in the wilderness of Scotland cooking a mountain of sausages and pasta on our little stove before withdrawing into our tent to stop the rampage of midges which had arrived since the rain and wind had calmed.
The next day we started the long journey back south around Loch Lomond to Glentress, the last stop on our biking adventure. I was really looking forward to this ride it sounded challenging and fun and the sun was again shining on us as we set off. Along the way up the track wound its way upwards throwing obstacles such as tree crossings and rock jumps to practise on. This trail has many surprises including rocky drop offs, berms, table tops and jumps. It’s a fantastic for downhill and cross country bikers alike with loads of features to suit both rider styles.
After a week of leg busting, lung burning climbs, sweet decents and plenty of bruises and laughs along the way our adventure had sadly ended. Packing the car for the last time we headed back to Southampton with some fantastic memories and promised one another that we would return another day to the wilds of Scotland.
I would recommend biking in Scotland to anyone who has a passion for single track and loves a challenge.
by hattenburrow | Mar 6, 2013 | Biking Adventures, Training
So the good news arrived this week I have got a place on the JDRF team to Ride London in August.
My younger brother Sam was diagnosed with diabetes when he was five, I was 11 at the time. I have watched him grow up with the challenges of living with diabetes and am so proud that he is now at university, studying a sports science degree, playing rugby and leading an independent life like all his friends. He has only got there however from the constant support from his parents and diabetic team and it has not always been a comfy journey.
I believe that diabetes as a disease is sometimes disregarded. Children’s perception is that their friends are allowed snacks in class and teachers sometimes feel ones diabetes needs are an “excuse to get out of class”. However the reality of living with diabetes is very complex and is often not understood properly even by adults.
I have five months to raise my target of £1000 and also train around my cross country races for the 100 mile journey.
If you would like to sponsor me please visit my sponsorship page.
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Sam and Me
