Sorry I missed the memorial ride today but I'm riding an unusually long training ride once a month as early preparation for the 24 hour next July and today was my scheduled long ride day. I'm really enjoying these long rides as they take me on roads I've never ridden before and I must say that the more I ride in Shropshire the more I like it as it's superb cycling country.

Back in January Caroline and I stayed at a nice hotel in Church Stoke near Montgomery and we went for a great bike ride on scenic and quiet roads so I planned a 142 mile route out there on quiet B roads and back home on faster A roads. I left home at 8am and there was very little wind and I went out via Whitegate, Church Minshull, Wrenbury and Whitchurch, reaching Wem in 2 hrs 12 minutes and feeling good at a nice steady 17mph pace on 81" fixed with a heavy saddlebag. I'm deliberately riding all Winter on a heavily laden bike on a reasonably big gear so when the days get longer the bike will get lighter and I'll feel the benefit.

I continued Due South towards Shrewsbury but turned West just after Harmer Hill to take some back lanes via Bomere Heath and Montford Bridge to by-pass Shrewsbury. This was interesting as I memorised the route the night before from a map and from Harmer Hill I was on new roads to me, for the next 50 miles. Despite negotiating quite a few back lanes I actually managed to stay on course. By 50 miles the wind had well and truly woken up and it was directly in my face until the turn point at Church Stoke at 70 miles. 65 - 70 miles was also largely up hill and at times it was getting a bit grippy! By way of compensation the roads were very very quiet and the scenery in the Shropshire hills was breathtaking.

I rode Due East for about 5 miles to Bishops Castle and then turned North on the A488 towards Shrewsbury. Unfortunately the next 3 miles were up hill on a climb to about 1000 ft but the decent through Hope Valley was excellent and due to the wind my legs were spinning out for about 3 miles. I had my first stop for 2 minutes at 80 miles to change bottles as I had a second 750ml bottle in my saddlebag. I rode through the centre of Shrewsbury on the way back and I crossed the Severn in the City Centre 95 miles into the ride. Navigation was easy after this as I stayed on the A49 from Battlefield to Weaverham and a strong tailwind the whole way. At Prees Heath I stopped for the second and last time for 5 minutes to get a bottle of water and a butty from the petrol station as the café closed 5 minutes before I got there at 3:05PM!!

It started raining as I left so I put my jacket on and switched on my lights. From Whitchurch to Beeston the rain steadily got heavier but it was not cold and by the time I got home I was like a drowned rat, but still felt OK. Legs knew they had done a ride after 142 miles in 8hrs and 22 minutes with just 7 minutes off the bike but I'd managed to maintain my 17mph average the whole way partly thanks to the 67 mile tail wind finish! There was 7277 ft of climbing but a great route out. The route back was not intended to be particularly scenic, just direct but actually most of it was enjoyable as the A49 was not particularly busy. The Garmin gadget tells me I averaged 190 watts for the ride and I burned 2562 calories, average revs were 78 rpm and I maxed out at 201 rpm down Hope Valley, but it can't measure that pleasure / pain feeling you get after and epic day out on the bike.

So if you don't fancy the high mileage, drive out to Wem or Shrewsbury and go for a ride around the Shropshire Hills and you won't be disappointed.

Cheers

Dave