It’s The Gravelton in a couple of weeks so I’d decided to test myself this weekend and see where I was at. I gave myself a choice. Ride 100 miles or complete 2000m of elevation.
..and as I rode on Star Wars day, I’ve tried to work in 7 quotes from Star Wars films. Some obvious, some not, some shit. Answers are at the end. Enjoy.
I plotted a route that almost ticked both boxes. 90 miles + 2000m. On a mix of familiar roads, roads I haven’t ridden in a long time and plenty of new ones, on paper it looked a decent test. In the days running up to it I was questioning myself to the point I sank 3 pints of Guinness Friday night and was a bit too matter of fact about it which is normally code for I might just bail. Anyway I got up yesterday morning still a bit reluctant thinking ‘I have a bad feeling about this’ but I did just get my head down, sank some coffee, ate my breakfast, pumped my tyres and left just before 10am before I could talk myself out of it.
I’d have been gone sooner but I’d faffed around with what to wear. The sun had come out and it was an arm warmers + gilet day but opted for a lightweight jacket instead. As I rolled down through Catshill, the sun had gone in and it was pretty cool so I was happy with my choice of apparel.
The first few km were regular haunts up through Fairfield via a damp Swan Lane. Although the sun was out I was expecting to find plenty of water and muck in the lanes as it had rained all day Friday. As I headed out of Belbroughton and climbed out of Drayton and it was ‘Hello there!’, the SW headwind I’d have to endure for the first 25 miles. It wasn’t too bad but could burn up your matches if you pressed on too hard so I tempered my effort. ‘Do or do not. There is no try!’
After Chaddesey Corbett I was back into quiet lanes all the way to a busy A448 at Dunhampton. The bank holiday traffic was out. I crossed here and climbed the gentle drag before I dropped down towards the River Severn. More super quiet lanes but one lane was particularly wet, sandy and broken and in 50m I was showered in crap. ‘I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and gets everywhere’. First muppet of the day was a Range Rover driver nearly hitting me head on driving way, way too fast around a blind bend on a single track lane. Dickhead got some verbal. I popped out on the A443, crossed the River Severn at Holt Fleet and enjoyed a queue of cars behind me as climbed away from the River. The main roads were busy. At the T-Junction at Holt Heath, I approached a queue of around 10 cars for muppet #2 in a van to pull roaund me with about 30 yards to go and pull so far left in front he hugged the kerb and prevented me sliding up the inside. Deliberate I think so I passed him (he got ‘the’ look) and the rest of the queue to not even have to stop at the junction and carry on. Kharma is king.
I was only on the main road for half a mile and I was left and off into the lanes again to Wichenford to pick up some new roads that took me onto lanes that seem to get narrower with every turn until I hit the final one which climbed up to the top of Ankerdine, I don’t actually think a car had been down it in years. More of a track which was ironic given I was riding a gravel bike with road wheels.
I eventually popped out at the top of Ankerdine hill. A hill well known in local cycling circles. The Tour of Britain has raced up it as well as plenty of local road race and time trials over the years including me. It was rare to descend it’s 17% slopes but it is actually pretty straight until a right at the bottom and a tight 90 deg left but that comes after 50 yards of flat so you get chance to slow down.
I joined the A44. A few cars passed following a campervan so it looked busy but after that it was pretty quiet. After about a mile I was off and back onto new roads and what looked on paper to be quite a climb up to Clifton-on-Teme. There was a drag up through Whitbourne before a really steep drop to a dead turn left at Little Tedney. This gave way to the steepest climb yet. First gear up through a wood just listening to the birds. The lane then just gradually climbed up onto the Clifton plateau rewarding me with some great views south towards North Hill of the Malverns.
The 2 mile long, steep and fast descent from Clifton I hadn’t done for 15-20 years since I rode a Worcester reliability trial which used to come up from Tenbury Wells. A selection was made on a really steep climb out of Upper Rochford and it was like a road race from there, through and off in small groups. The drop from Clifton was a chance to recover. I’d got it into my head the turn towards The Shelsleys was after the bridge at the bottom but was actually just before so it was hard on the brakes to make it when the Garmin popped up.
The Shelsleys road runs parallel to the River Teme. I’d routed myself to cross at Shelsley Beauchamp and track the river on the other side. I hadn’t realised the Shelsley Walsh hill climb was on which I managed to avoid. Hundreds of cars and vans were parked in the fields at the bottom and you could here the odd car roaring up the famous hill in the distance.
Did you know? Shelsley Walsh is the oldest motorsport venue in the world. First used in 1905
Eventually I dropped into Stanford Bridge and began the early part of the Stanford Bank climb before turning off onto a lane I’ve only ever ridden once before. It continued to track the River Teme and and is peppered with loads of little kickers and descents to sap your energy and pops you out 6 miles later on the outskirst of Tenbury Wells.
I could have stopped here, I was about halfway but I’d decided to stop for lunch at about 60 miles at Arley so I carried on and took another new road that climbed to Cleobury Mortimer via Milson. This was quite a tough section for me. The road never eased. It constantly seemed to climb a steep hill and then you’d lose all your elevation on a steep descent. Then you’d have to do it again and again. Hard work. The sun was out now too. It was hot and I was baking in my jacket and beginning to feel the ride in my legs too. The road did ease off and offer some restbite before Cleobury which was welcomed but the town was just clogged with parked cars, spoiling a nice village-feel. I got held up with cars having to wait for oncoming traffic, the road was just not wide enough.
Dropping out of town I turned left and picked up the Bridgnorth road. A better surface but the constant climb, descent returned. I got a nice long drag when I turned towards Bewdley and then from Buttonbridge it was a descent to Button Oak through the Wyre Forest and then left and a steep drop to Arley to cross the River and stop for lunch at the Tearoom there.
It was lovely sat by the River in the sun munching some beans on toast. I took my jacket off and ‘aired’ myself for a bit. I thought 6hrs total for the ride would be ok so here was about 100km so I would have been happy with 4hrs. I was 107km in and 3h 59m so bang on but I knew I had a fair bit of climbing left to do.
It always takes a bit of time to get the legs going again after a stop and ths was no exception notwithstanding the steep climb out of the village and all the way to the first of two Romsley’s. I was in the lanes which were pretty rough and broken in places. These brought me into Kinver and the steep climb past the Farm Shop and descent to Blakeshall and Caunsall.
I was beginning to struggle a bit now and willing the energy from Lunch to kick in. I was approaching 5hrs in the saddle and doubts about climbing Clent and Romsley (#2) were beginning to seep in. I was weighing up my odds but told myself, ‘Never tell me the odds!’ and just kept pedalling following my Garmin and I just ended up on the climb up St Kenhelms pass. I did find it hard but it wasn’t that long and the descent to Wynwood Heath Lane helped I think as that climb, although much steeper and harder was ok. The food had kicked in and I just tapped out a rhythm. Plus I think knowing you are near the end and completed the worst of it is always a boost too.
Just three more climbs to do. I dropped off Romsley too a dead turn and climb up Dayhouse Bank. The worst of the climbing was done now. I managed to get a lick on descending through Frankley to Rubery and a lane that connects the old Birmingham Road. The climb kicks up under the dual carriageway to Rubery. That was ok, lunch was now flowing through my legs. The last one was a drag up and around the back of where I live to keep me off the A38. I actually stopped at the top to enjoy view across to the Malverns before right and downhill all the way home. 90 miles + 2000 elevation done. ‘Chewie, we’re home!’
I was quite happy with the ride and gives me confidence for The Gravelton in two weeks time. If you doubted me, ‘I find your lack of faith disturbing!’
Today is a chill day in the sun with friends at Upton-on-Severn.
Adios for now.
Answers
Did you get them?
- I have a bad feeling about this
- Hello there!
- Do or not do. There is no try!
- I find your lack of faith disturbing
- Never tell me the odds!
- I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere
- Chewie, we’re home
Source The Hollywood Reporter – ‘Star Wars’: 20 Memorable Quotes From the Iconic Films