Sometimes it's just about getting round

Today SK and I rode, (or should that be tamed?), the Exmoor Beast.

We stayed in a nice B & B down in Minehead so were able to ride the 0.7 mile to the start line at Butlins. It was still dark, but it was also blowing a huge gale and raining cats and dogs, never mind beasts.

The organisers had a man up on the top of Exmoor, some 1500 feet above us, who reported that the weather up there was even worse, and quite frankly, not safe. So the start was delayed for an hour and they decided to cancel the 100 mile ride and get all 1200 of us to ride the 100 km route. 500 souls had entered and decided not to start, and as we headed out at around 8.15AM it was pretty clear why.

The rain was horizontal and the wind was probably 30-40 mph average, with gusts of 50+. Not nice. Then add in the gradients (steep) the leaves and other detritus that had fallen from the trees overnight, the cattle grids and 1200 riders on the road and it all made for a high old time. To cap it all I had not got round to replacing my worn tires, so as well as being literally blown about in the wind, I was also skidding about a bit. On one occasion I was pushed two feet into the road as I cycled past the opening to a field, the cross-wind that came out of it being the culprit.

Going down Countisbury Hill, with a 25% gradient, into Lynmouth (or is it Lynton?) there was a nice steep hill with drops into the Bristol channel, but I'm pleased to say that thanks to hypnosis I am no longer scared of heights. Just wind, water and leaf mulch.

We eventually got to the first feedstation at Simonsbath, after about 3 or so hours, it's only 30 odd miles, but now we had the wind at our backs so flew back to Minehead in 2 hrs 40.

If we had done the 100 miler in those conditions it would have taken about 8 or so hours, and there would have been hypothermics all over Exmoor. I'm glad they cut it down, I'm glad I did it, but ultimately it was a day to get round, get home, get in the bath.

Charlie's stats are in this link (note the ridiculously low average speeds):

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/17717091