Stevenage Summertime Reversed Audax
Posted on Monday 26 October 2009 by John Snuggs
What a great ride!
About eight of the Purple Peloton turned out including me, Stephen, Keith, Naomi, Phil Magnus, Rogers C and F and Kay (apologies to any I’ve missed).
I arrived at King’s Crustacean to find my seat pack had decided it didn’t want to hold on to the saddle rails any longer, but the cable tie supply at the start in St Evenage persuaded it otherwise.
The weather was superb – almost completely dry and sunny, if a bit windy.
I was in the 10.00 departure group and had my picture taken with the Mayor. I was amazed to get to Hare Street in just over two hours, and even more amazed to get to Saffron Walden before the rush – on leaving Hare Street the queue for the control was huge and hordes more riders were arriving – despite having been passed by the Flandrian Three.
Thanks to the tailwind, I rode the bit from Hare Street to Saffron Walden at an average of more than 25kph.
So, I thought, with that wind the ride back will be slow and painful. Not entirely so.
The next bit to Therfield was hard, including a long uphill drag with a howling crosswind, but I was still in good time.
The last stage back to St Evenage just seemed to fly by, although the weather turned cyclonic for a while and I stopped to get my race cape out (which caused the rain to stop in a couple of minutes, of course) and tell a couple who stopped at the same time they’d missed the Therfield control. There were great views from the tops of the climbs, with superb visibility and huge skies.
After the rain, the sky cleared and the wind dropped. Judging by the wet roads, I’d missed the worst of it.
Coming into St Evenage is IMHO the most difficult bit of navigation on the ride, especailly now thet they’ve changed the numbering system for the underpasses, and I came across a few lost, puzzled-looking souls.
I got back to Costello’s at 15.55 – my best time ever for this ride – and was in the bath by 1745. I did 122km on the day in 5h50, not including food-and-faffing time.
Thanks to Jim and all the St Evenage mob (and Therfield WI) for their usual excellent organisation.