Riding Time: 30hrs 41 min
Highlight: Following the Olympic Road Race
Low Point: Snapped chain while 2 at the Chichester
Challenge
The first two weeks of July were dedicated to my fatherly duties, with
one exception – the Chichester Challenge. Unfortunately poor preparation, awful
weather and a bit of bad luck meant it wasn’t much of a treat! The second two
weeks were the exact opposite of the previous two. I rode the bike almost every
day, commuting to work and back. In the end the mileage and riding time isn’t
far short of what I would normally do in a month. The difference being that
those miles are made up of almost entirely flat 1 hour bursts between
Chichester and Portsmouth.
On Sunday I did spend over 5 hours in the saddle riding up to the Olympic Road Race in Surrey. It was a fantastic day out, one that will live long in the memory! Just being part of the atmosphere was incredible, it was inspiring to see so many people out to watch a cycle race. However, the highlight was undoubtedly riding on the closed roads to the cheers of and shouts of the crowded pavements. Possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity. At least it is certainly unlikely that I’ll get to casually ride the wrong way up a dual carriageway on a sunny Saturday afternoon again!
Truth be told however, I was exhausted by the time we neared Petworth. If there had been one more hill I’d probably have been off the bike walking. So looking ahead to this weekend and the 6 hour Brighton Big Dog race, I have no idea how I’m going to go. On previous form I would be targeting a top 10 finish, but with limited riding over the last 6 weeks I don’t know how my stamina will hold out. So I go with limited expectations but the intention to enjoy myself and savour the chance to ride my mountain bike for a change.
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