27:21, 12th place road bike.
a3crg P886 Hardriders 10mi, image from Graham Robins
Thought I’d enter a sporting 10 to spice up an otherwise dull, 7hr training ride. I’d entered the road bike event and wasn’t taking it too seriously but left the 404s on the Tarmac and I arrived early enough that I bothered to take off all my audax-esque saddle packs and bottles.
It was freezing and the ride out took a bit longer than expected because of some interesting choices the Garmin made in combination with the largely ignored RideWithGPS route I’d planned. No, I don’t want to ride down muddy cycle paths but equally, did you have to route me down the bloody A3, only to turn up a hill and head backwards?! Sigh, will I ever come to terms with GPS tech?
The race itself went basically as expected. Although being told to take it easy on the way out I only have listened so that when I turned around into the headwind AND the long ass climb I was regretting not going a little easier. I thought I’d be caught by the rider(s) behind but I guess they did the same as me so I wasn’t caught and finished, probably with a bit left in the tank on 27:21. Rode back to the HQ for coffee, cake and presentations and then rode home – bit quicker with the tailwind back and quieter roads thanks to letting the Garmin do all the navigation rather than following RideWithGPS route and its stupid off road trails.