Prudential RideLondon 2014

What a difference a year makes!

Anna is expecting our baby, and is due in October, so cycling 100 miles wasn't really an option for her. On the night before the ride, the weather forecast for the day was looking really atrocious, so naturally, lots of people dropping out, so naturally I decided I'd go.

I got up at the usual unnaturally early time, packed up in the dark (this was my first mistake), and headed for my car for the drive to Kensington. I was meeting some friends from London Dynamo cycling club for a warmup 10 mile ride to the start line.

Got there in plenty of time, and it wasn't even raining. Unpacked the bike, got my shoes and the rest of my wet weather kit on, but where was my nutrition? Where were my cycle glasses and contact lenses? Oh yes, all packed nicely at home in a separate bag. Damn. I had water on the bike already, but no food for 100 miles is asking a bit much. I would also now be riding in my normal glasses - not a good look, but at least I'd be able to do it.

Uneventful ride to Olympic Park, except for the rain starting and getting steadily heavier. The organisation at the start wasn't as good as last year. Unlike there being a big central area where everyone could meet, we were corralled into zones, so there was little chance to buy food or meet other friends.

I'd estimated a fast time, so was in one of the first groups. We were also first to find out that Leith Hill and Box Hill wouldn't be included in the ride due to safety concerns; the rain had stopped again, but I guessed that that was temporary, things must be looking bad. Only 84 miles this year.

Saw my first crash after only 5 minutes, somone hit a plastic bollard. I got caught up behind it and lost the fast riders. It was very fast through the City, West End and along Embankment but a group formed and I joined it. No holding back this year.

The first food stop was at Hampton Court. I knew I'd have to stop somewhere, so decided to make it here. Second mistake. By the time I'd stuffed my pockets, the group I was riding with were gone - no one else stopped. I tried to ctach them, but it was impossible and so I spent a lonely time battling the elements at a much reduced speed.

I did find a few smaller groups and shared the load with them as the weather go worse. Going downhill after newlands Corner with rain pouring down, and spray pouring up into my face (with my small glasses which gave no protection) was tricky. I saw another crash at a wet corner, but it was just behind me this time.

I spent a lot of time riding alone - I tried to jump on the back of some riders who passed me but couldn't quite manage the increase in pace needed. I was feeling pretty tired and was quite glad the hills had been cancelled - I didn't even enjoy the climb out of Wimbledon. I made it to London and had a clear road - almost no one on the Embankment - but it was hard to enjoy the moment being wet to the skin. I passed a couple of people, and then I was in the Mall, alone.

I finished in 3:46 for the 86 or so miles


placeholder for some links - thought I'd done this.

http://speakthinkblog.speakmedia.co.uk/2014/08/12/ride-london-2014-rankings-and-average-times-did-you-beat-chris-boardman/

12th Woman was Anna Korbacz

H10/2 30/07/2014

New PB 23:57

A change from the norm tonight. Instead of the usual Maidenhead & District Cycling Club (MDCC) Thursday time trial, I came on Wednesday and raced with Middlesex Road Club (MRC). Same course, and same rules. It's a rather more low key event - I arrived at my usual time of about 7pm, and got assigned number 10 (last week I got No 33) The total competitors present was only 13, and one of those was riding a (very fast admittedly) tricycle.

I had had a good cycle on Tuesday evening, a good warm up cycling over to the start, and was feeling pretty good. That all changed as soon as I hit the first roundabout and turned left, uphill into the wind. The starting adrenalin rush disappeared, my legs started to hurt, and my breathing got laboured. I decided I would probably stop.

Obviously, I didn't stop. I'm used to this feeling and only three or four minutes later it had passed. The wind was against me on the outward leg, so I knew my average speed at the turnaround would be lower than last week's 40km/h. I tried my best to get it as high as possible, and made it to about 39.4km/h. I had a good turn, no cars, and not long after that caught No 9, which is a good feeling. The tail wind wasn't pushing me hard, but I was able to maintain my speed and not let the average drop. It is uphill a lot of the way back and my lowest point was 39.3km/h - up on last week.

Approaching the last couple of kilometres, I knew I had a chance of a PB (personal best) for this course. I pushed and pushed and my average speed finally topped the 40km/h I needed.  I got to another landmark, the pub on the right, which means the downhill is finished and it's a final slight climb up to the stopwatch. The PB was in the bag as long as I kept my speed over 40km/h, and I knew I could do that. But I looked at my time, and suddenly realised my other goal, to beat 24 minutes, was possible.

So rather than a strong and steady 40-42km/h to the line, which is hard enough, I had to try my ultimate. The finish line is always further than you think, there is some kind of odd perspective vortex that shifts it away from you. All that you can do is pedal faster and hope you get there before your legs fall off. Analysing my Strava record (linked below) I can see that going up that last hill I got steadily faster until by the time I hit the line I was going at 46.1km/h. I did it. I beat 24 minutes by a whole three seconds giving me a new record of 23:57, not only for this course, but for 10 mile time trials anywhere. (I did a 24:03 last year on a faster course)

Very pleased.

Results MRC Strava

PS - As my friend Matthew has pointed out, comparing my best time last season with my best tonight, I have improved by approximately 4%. I've made a lot of changes to get here, but it is hard to say which one worked. I am almost sure it is a combination of them all, but also, in the back of my mind, I do still think that it might just be a mental thing.

H10/2 24/07/2014

New Record 24:08

After a couple of weeks off (one due to road works on the course) it was back to the A4 in Maidenhead for another try at H10/2

Experimenting more with my warm up, I cycled over quite early (10 miles) and picked up number 33. It was over one hour until my start, so I went and cycled nearly the whole route. I kept my heart rate medium, but didn't go slow, and was fairly tired when I finished (another 10  miles).

It was a fine evening, sunny, but with a slight breeze (11mph SW). I prefer the wind to be on my back on the return leg of the race, but it felt more against me. I wasn't confident, and resigned myself to a hard ride.

In the first 5 minutes I felt tired, convinced I warmed up for too long. I pushed hard though knowing that I needed a faster outbound leg to compensate for a predicted slower return into the wind, and got some good speed. Annoyingly, No 34 caught me just before the roundabout. I tried not to let this affect my pace and didn't try to chase.

The return was hard, it always is. I was looking at a very good average speed and it never dipped below 39.2km/h. I think the wind had died down. After the last small hill I thought my legs were about to give up, but the slight descent after it allowed me to recover, and I pushed my speed back up 40, 46, 50km/h! My average speed inched towards the magic 40km/h.

Along the final straight I saw Anna waiting - she said something as I went past but I couldn't respond. 39.9km/h - slightly inaccurate as I start the timer 10 seconds before I set off, so I knew I was probably over that. Finished in 24.08 with an actual speed of 40.01km/h, and a new record for me for the course. I even came 11th overall, my best place by far. I still need to beat 24 minutes though...


Results MDCC : Strava

H10/2 03/07/2014

As well as competing in long, mountainous sportives, I'm also working hard at my speed cycling. I do an unofficial TT with Evolution Triathlon club on a Friday evening, but the main target is Thursday night's 10TT with Maidenhead Cycling Club.

The course varies, but the fastest one is on the H10/2 on the A4 between Maidenhead and Twyford, and I'd done it two times this season so far, beating my PB only a couple of weeks ago with 24:47.

I was concerned that after the hard riding in the Alpes at the weekend my legs would be tired, but I also thought that maybe after three days rest they would be stronger. As the weather was perfect, I could think of no excuse for not going, so I got prepared for the race, and set off on my bike to the start. I have been experimenting a little on my warmup, and as it is 10 miles to the start I do that now.

Unfortunately, disaster struck. Rear tire went bang half way there when I hit a pothole. I always give myself a bit of time, but I suddenly realised my race may be over as I had neglected to pack tyre levers. I scrabbled around at the side of the road, looking for strong twigs or something, and found a bit of broken plastic. But it didn't work. I had a brainwave and took out my house keys. It wasn't easy, and I think I scratched the wheel rim a little, but I got a little bit off, and as the tyre was warm and pliant I managed to rip it off with my fingers. I was running out of time, but if I hurried I'd get to the start line in time to sign on.

I raced to Maidenhead and made it, out of breath, and paid my money for number 39. I now had 50 minutes to wait so did my old routine of resting and occasional sprints up and down the side road.

The ride itself is less interesting than my journey there. I now have a Giro Advantage Aero helmet and some Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels, and I'm getting more confident that they really are making a difference to my speeds. The course is basically 5 miles one way, mostly downhill, then 5 miles back, mostly uphill. I got in position and hardly noticed the westerly 10mph headwind - I was going well, pushing not too hard but maintaining a good speed. I would have been struggling with my previous setup I think.

I hit the roundabout which is the half way turnaround, and started to push harder. And I actually speeded up. I love having a tailwind, and checking my speed I knew I was faster than I could remember doing up these inclines. My Garmin 800 wasn't showing average speed as I had managed to reset the field by accident, so I was unable to really compare previous races or know for sure how I was doing. But I've done the course a lot, and my speeds were definitely good.

At the penultimate roundabout a car pulled out and I lost a few seconds, but powered on down the hill quickly getting my speed back quickly. I was maintaining 45-49km/h until the final small uphill bit to the finish where it fell to 40km/h. I pushed as hard as I could, feeling good still, and finally crossed the line. Unofficially I knew I had a new record.

Very pleased when I found out I had actually taken 28 seconds off my old record. New record is 24:18. What does this say about hill climbing and TT performance? I'm not fully decided.

Links
Strava
Results

La Vaujany Master 2014

The cracks of thunder and heavy rain at 2:30am did nothing to ease my apprehension the night before my attempt at La Vaujany Sportive's 173km of hilly French Alpe roads. I had come out woefully ill prepared for bad weather, as well as being tired from lack of sleep and house moving the previous week. For some reason, I had also thought it a good idea to accompany my London Dynamo cycling friends on a pre-breakfast assault on the 21 famous bends of Alpe D'Huez before breakfast the previous day (just over 56 minutes - not too shabby). Basically, I was shattered, and my legs were even having trouble climbing the four flights of stairs at our accommodation.

Tim from my my cycling club had organized everything, and we had taken over the whole of Chateau d'Oz in the town of Oz En Oisans. At the early breakfast, it became obvious that a lot of people were wisely going to drop out, or ride the shorter Vaujany Senior route at 109km. I am far too stubborn, and have an unblemished record with no DNS (did not start), or indeed DNF (did not finish) markers to my name. This wasn't going to be the day.

Breakfast  banana, small coffee, porridge, bread and cheese, scrambled egg. I should be OK after having lots of pasta the previous day.

I got scared by talk of freezing conditions and decided to wear everything I'd brought, even borrowing Anna's leggings. Neither of us had overshoes so I was going to have wet feet. I had a jersey, sleeveless gilet, sleeved gilet, warm jacket. Nothing rainproof. We cycled down to the start in light drizzle, reaching the line just after 7am and got good positions near the front. The rain stopped. It felt quite warm. I spent nearly 10 minutes faffing around with my jackets, eventually pocketing the sleeveless gilet and warm jacket, which I carried around with me for the next 174km.

The start was frenetic. 20km of fast descent on good roads. However the rain started again, and the spray in my face was constant. I was completely drenched to the skin within five minutes. I got dropped by the Dynamos who raced ahead, and got overtaken a lot by the other riders. But I did find some groups doing my pace and we helped each other to the bottom of the first climb. I kept well within my aerobic threshold. My plan was to never get out of breath, and to not get carried away on flats and descents where it is tempting to push the pace to catch up from lost average pace on hills. I was so tired and badly prepared that I knew I also couldn't attack on hills either, like I usually want to.

Smiling on the inside

Col De La Mort was about 14k of climbing and took me just under one hour. I overtook a couple of Dynamos and said 'hi' as I went past, but when I caught Stephen he decided he wanted company and wouldn't let me get away. So we climbed nearly the whole way together. I don't usually climb with anyone, but it was a good distraction. At an average of 7% gradient it was possible to talk and ride, and the time passed quickly. We were under trees most of the way, with big drops of water falling from leaves. I got rain and sweat in my eye which stung a lot for a while and I was worried about my contact lenses, but I managed to dry it a little and it was OK.

Descents today weren't much fun. As I was wet, it felt chilly, especially my hands in fingerless gloves. The road surfaces were treacherous so cornering needed extra care. My fingers were sore from braking by the end of the day. I never actually felt as cold as I expected though; never close enough to want to put on the jacket I was carrying.

Stephen and I lost each other on the descent, but he found a fast group on the flat and raced ahead with them. I stopped at 60k for some food, but struggled to find much I wanted. I neglected to put some powerbars in my pocket, and they didn't have any at the next and final food stop, so that was a mistake. Hardly anyone was stopping, and not for long. The Wiggle Dragon Ride in Wales was completely different, almost a party atmosphere at food stops. Perhaps they do things differently in France and that's why the stall was so poorly stocked.

Col d'Ornon (c)Tim Pygott

After a bit of flat, the climb to Col d'Ornon started. Not steep and 9-14k depending on where you think it actually starts climbing. I chatted with another Dynamo rider here, also called Stephen (are they all Steves?). Half way up the climb our paces gradually separated us I found myself at the front of a group of about seven chasing down another group, how did that happen? We caught that group and I thought we'd stay together, but everyone pulled away from me again and I climbed the rest of the way alone. Then another descent which was the coldest of the day for me. The gentle drizzle was giving way by now and I was drying a bit.

At the bottom of the Alpe d'Huez (alternate route) climb the road split for riders to go left for the 109km finish, or right to go up the hill for the full 173km. This wasn't an option for me unfortunately. After only 5 minutes, I saw Stephen #1 and another Dynamo racing down the hill in the opposite direction. Discovered later that they had both decided to go short, but had missed the turn off point. I was very envious.

Descending in the wet

I soon came across another Dynamo, Alex and overtook him. The gradient was steeper on this climb, going up to 14% in places, and we were both suffering.  My poor planning meant I expected to be climbing for about an hour. That time came and went and I was still going. After maybe 90 minutes I reached the second and final food stop in Huez. I had a bit of most things (ham baguette, coke, jelly sweets, banana) but the orange segments and dried apricots didn't appeal).

Cruelly, when I left the stop, I was still climbing, which was annoying. There was a small descent, then I looked up and saw the Col de Sarenne climb clearly ahead stretching up to the clouds. This 8% gradient ascent was probably my darkest time during the day (the final climb at Vaujany was harder, but I knew it was the finish so it didn't hurt me mentally in the same way). I felt a bit light headed on this one, and had to slow to practically walking pace. Some people were actually walking. Looking back it may have been the altitude getting to me. It only took just over 15 minutes, but if you include the food stop time, I'd been climbing for just about two hours by the top and I was as close to cracking and just sitting at the side of the road as I ever have been on a ride.

Anna Ternheim sings a song called "To be Gone", the main refrain being "I just wanna be, wanna be gone".  She is Swedish, so I think she is talking about suicide. I wasn't suicidal, but I'd had this line running through my head all day long and never more clearly than now. Why was I here? This wasn't fun.  The sun started to come out just after this, but I was still wet, especially my socks and legs. I just wanted to be gone.

Approaching the final climb in Vaujany

I had ridden 130km now, and had 40km of descending in front of me before the final 5k ascent to the finish line in Vaujany, which I was dreading. My legs were dead and I cycled slowly, apprehension building. Vaujany has a steady 9% gradient. I wasn't sure I could make it. So I didn't even enjoy the best section of the day - fairly dry conditions, sunshine, descending.

When I finally reached the bottom I met my last Dynamo of the day, Mark, who was looking a lot happier than me. He climbed confidently ahead of me, and I just churned out this last section. Stand up on the pedals for as long as I can, sit down and push for as long as I can, stand up, sit down, repeat. Hot sunshine now but I can't take off my light jacket as I have nowhere to put it. I ride into what shadow there is under trees, behind buildings, slowing even more so that I'm out of the sun for longer. I do find enough strength to go over the finish line with a bit of speed and a smile on my face. Done.

My final time was 7:43:12  - I wasn't too far down the field at 102nd of 268 finishers. I'm pleased I did it, but it was a very hard day and I wouldn't want to repeat the experience. More rest and sleep in the days before a long, hilly ride are definitely needed, and being prepared for the conditions wouldn't hurt either. I had a brilliant weekend overall however, met some great people and did some awesome cycling in the sunshine on the other days of my trip - maybe I should have written about that instead.

Links
Strava
Results

Wiggle Dragon Ride 2014

I told myself that I wouldn't ride this if it was pouring with rain. I'm not really a fair weather cyclist, but the idea of sitting on a cold wet bike for over eight hours, only to end up with a slower time than last year, just didn't appeal. However the forecast improved at the last minute, and it was dry and sunny in the morning, so I was hopeful. Port Talbot cruelly punished me however, but more of that later.

Woke up at 5:30, ate a banana, and went downstairs in my hotel for continental breakfast of coffee, toast with honey, and crunchy nut cornflakes. Anna helped me with my faffing around to get ready, and trying to decide what to wear. Settled on bib-shorts, jersey, arm warmers, with a sleeveless waterproof gilet in my back pocket. There was a big London Dynamo contingent present, and I don't know many of them, so I wore their colours to get me recognised. I know my Evolution Triathlon Club friends well enough.

Arriving at Margam Park was a struggle this year as all the traffic trying to get in was competing with cyclists heading out on the extra long (300km) Devil route. So the best laid plans for meeting up with the first Dynamo group fell through. I did find a smaller group so it was nice not to be alone for the first few kilometres.

At the start, me on the left :)

Had a caffeine gel, and we were off at 8:22am. For the record, I carried 750ml + 500ml energy drink, 2* Nutrigrain bar, Isogel+, 2 spare tubes and a set of patches, along with mobile phone and wallet.

We made good time out along the dual carriageways, but when we reached some some less even tarmac in a tight group, suddenly someone hit a pothole, someone else braked, I hit the pothole too, and I found myself careering into the pavement. Years of cycling with cleats meant that my left foot was out instantly, I hit it quite hard against the kerb, and I managed to come to a stop without falling off. I'd even lifted the front of the bike at the last minute, so didn't damage my wheel. The group were gone, but I slowly gained on them, and then we were climbing the first real hill of the day, Bwlch.

I liked Bwlch, it had a nice even gradient and the views were spectacular the higher we got. It was amazing to look back at the other riders snaking up the hill behind as I neared the top. I had dropped the Dynamo guys, but found myself keeping pace with another rider, we had a chat as we jockeyed for position - hi James, I don't remember your number.

Down the other side, and then straight into the second big climb, Rhigos. Legs still quite fresh, so this wasn't a problem. The first food stop provided Jaffa cakes, some pretzels, a banana and power bar for my pocket, and a little water to top up my 500 ml bottle. I wanted to make the stops shorter this year, so really rushed.

Everything went well, and I was feeling good. My average speed looked OK in the 27-8 km/h range. I was mostly cycling alone, occasionally drafting, occasionally being drafted, feeling good that no one was passing me on the ascents, and only letting a few overtake descending. It seemed like there is very little flat riding - just slow climbing, then breakneck descents.

The hairpin at Devil's Elbow

Then the steepest climb - The Devils Elbow (Sarn Helen). This is a timed 'King of the Mountain' race to win a prize, but I wasn't interested in that. If you overstretch yourself, you can kill your legs and never recover. Today for me was all about finishing strong and happy. I had a hard time here last year, but it wasn't an issue today. I got to the top looking forward to the nice fast descent I remembered, only to be met with a strong headwind. The road was quite crowded with cyclists so got some protection and tucked in :)

Food Stop 2, nearly half way. Another 500 ml fill-up on my bottles, and some salty boiled potatoes which I'd been looking forward to, and back out quickly. Caught up to Steve from Evolution who told me another friend Matthew was up ahead. so the chase was on. I enjoyed the climb on open road up past the Cray reservoir and finally caught Matthew about five miles from the 3rd food stop. An ambulance that had recently overtaken me was there, and a rider was lying on a stretcher - hope he was OK.

We stopped at the same place last year - going in the opposite direction. I got so much clay in my cleats that I couldn't ride, and the same thing happened today, but I was ready and cleaned them before I set off. Lost a couple of minutes though. I got another banana, and Powerbars, ate some cakes and potatoes, and filled my bottles. This was my last stop. I knew from experience that this would be more than enough to get me to the finish and I'd save 5 minutes not going into food stop 4.

I rode with Nick (1820) for a while, someone I'd met earlier. I pulled away from him and thought I'd lost him, but then he came flying past drafting a strong rider and told me to get on the back, which I did for a fun 5-10 minutes. The most beautiful stretch of road was this bit, under some dense trees that had sunlight shining through, and a babbling stream on our left hand side.

I knew there was one big climb before the end, and suddenly we'd started it - Black Mountain. It had been so much fun descending this last year, but the reverse route meant we were climbing now. There is almost 6 miles of constant ascent, and it took me around half an hour. I passed a lot of people which made me happy and kept looking behind to make sure no one was gaining on me. The views became more stunning the higher we went, but the wind decided it also wanted my attention. So at the steepest section, I wanted to stand up to pedal, but the wind tried to blow me back, so I sat down, but it was too hard to pedal, so I stood up. And repeat.

Over the top, and as with Rhigos, the descent was a disappointment. I pedalled hard and only reached 40km/h downhill into the wind. This was not helping my average speed much at all after the thirty minutes of slow climbing had battered it. At the bottom I got stopped at some traffic lights where an impromptu group of about seven or eight of us formed. There were a couple of guys who wanted to be in the lead, and kept overtaking each other, pushing the pace. The rest of us hung on, and occasionally took a turn when the traffic and the other cyclists caused holdups. There were a few annoying temporary traffic lights on this section, which were always red. I hit the front on the ascents, and formed a breakaway of one on a longer hill, but as I was riding into the wind alone after that the peleton eventually caught me.

Going out of Neath, I saw a '20km To Go' sign, at the  bottom of a 2k climb, not a long one, and the last of the day. My temporary friends (though interestingly none of us had actually acknowledged the others) dropped behind me, and this time the hill was long enough that I decided I could make enough space between us that maybe they wouldn't catch me. The terrain was undulating now, and I made good speed. I didn't feel tired, had plenty of food and fluids and was feeling happy. My knees were complaining a little, but not enough to worry me.

Suddenly the sky started to look ominous. I pedalled faster. Out onto the dual carriageway and I knew I was close to home. I caught a big group, maybe ten riders and thought I might get a rest behind them, but they were riding at 28km/h against my 31, so I overtook. Spots of water on my sunglasses. More spots. Less than 5km to go and after over eight hours riding I was not going to escape the deluge. Within seconds, the heavens opened, rain lashing so hard into my face I couldn't see where I was going. I glanced behind me, and was surprised to see the group I'd passed. I had assumed they were long gone, but they had grabbed my back wheel and I'd been pulling them for a few minutes, not hearing them over the sound of the headwind. Well done guys!

I completed last year's ride in 8:18, and knew from my Garmin that I was really close to beating this. It was a different longer course, but I still wanted to do it. Wet already, and chasing a time, I left my gilet in my back pocket and ploughed on faster, losing my new followers in the process. This was horrible. The road got steeper. There was another roundabout I didn't remember. I kept having to wipe my eyes to see through the rain. I had to swerve a few times to avoid slower cyclists who I only saw at the last minute. And I realised I probably wasn't going to beat my time after all.

I was glad to finally reach the park entrance, and raced to the line, though not too fast, this would be a stupid time to skid on the wet road. I finished to cheering fans (not really) with a time of 8:19:42 - only a minute off 2013's result. There was an extra 15k riding so I'm very happy to have ridden faster and finished less tired. I still had loads of food in my pockets and one litre of energy drink so I got that right too. The rain stopped, but I was still very wet, and started to get cold, so went to the tent for my pasta and to wait for Anna. We'd planned to meet at 5pm, and I was a bit early.

Hank, Matthew,Paul, Alan, Lars, Stuart, Rob, Robert

Matthew came in next, and Anna bought us a beer to celebrate, which went down very quickly. I went to the car and changed into dry clothes, but came back and watched the rest of Evolution club finish. Lars, Emily, Paul, Hank, Stuart, Rob and Alan all finished and we got together for a group photo before making our tired way home. Lars said he really enjoyed his 300 km, so I wonder if I should try the Devil next year?




Links
GPS Route
My Strava Course
Human Race Results

Winter Cycling Camps in Spain

Ready for a day's cycling

Cycling Camps:

Anna and I have now been on two Spanish cycling camps together, one in Denia on the mainland near Alicanti, and one in Majorca, so even though this isn't an exhaustive survey, I thought it would be good to explain what a holiday like this is like from our experiences. If you have never been on a winter training trip here are some of the things you can expect, and why you should go:

Cost:

These vary a lot, but can be as cheap as £320 per person per week for half board shared room during January-March. This will cover accommodation, all you can eat at breakfast and dinner, possibly local beer/wine as well, and the bike camp services (see what's included below). Flights are booked separately, Easyjet or similar will be as little as £100 return, but a bike box is currently another £70 return. If you want to reduce the stress of packing and transporting your bike, for not much more than £100 you can hire one.


Accommodation:

Store room in Majorca

If you have been on a Spanish package holiday then you won't be surprised by the accommodation - clean and uncluttered, white tiles everywhere. There will be a working lift, but don't expect to be allowed to take your bicycle to your room - if the hotel has a policy against it, they will have a store room where bikes can be kept locked overnight. You will probably need to take your bike box/bag up to the room once you've built your trusty steed though.

There may be a pool, but it is likely to be outdoor and unheated. This is not much use if you want to do some triathlon swim training, but is good if you want to freeze your calves and thighs after a hard days cycling.

In Denia we had a working kitchen in our room, which included a washing machine - very useful indeed unless you happen to have seven pairs of bike shorts. But in Majorca there was no such luxury, so a trusty bottle of travel wash, and a hanger on the balcony worked just as well. Our hotel offered a special cyclists laundry service, but we didn't risk it.


Food and drink:

The food will be buffet based. Breakfast will have coffee and brightly coloured fruit drinks that taste almost, but not completely, like what the labels on the dispensers claim ('tropical' is the reddish orangy one)

There will be eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, cereals and milk, maybe porridge, fruit (including bananas - the cyclists' ambrosia), toast, cheese, and sweet biscuits. This will be exactly the same every day. Fill your face, you may not see solid food for another five hours. Sneak some banana, or bread rolls and cheese out in your pockets if the staff aren't looking - can be useful if you get back home from your ride early.

Typical lunch break

Somewhere after 12noon, and 3pm, depending on the route, group, or bike lead's masochistic tendencies, you will get a lunch break. Spanish cafes know about cyclists, and many have bike racks outside. Ask for a baguette with cheese and ham as that is the fastest thing to get delivered, and provides carbs and fat and protein. Coffee, with or without milk, for the caffeine hit you need. Maybe a coke instead, though why I saw so many fellow riders ordering the diet variety I can't fathom. Get some water as well to refill your bottles.

In Denia the camp offered an extra service; we had a van that met us midday. We could place a goodie bag in there in the morning with extra nutrition and pick it up later. They refilled our water bottles as well. This was really great and something all the camps should do.

The evening buffet can never come too soon - but try to pace yourself when you arrive. It is too easy to just fill your first plate to overflowing with chips and burgers/chicken/fish with veg of the day, and shovel it in like the cheap fuel it is. Try to have a bit of salad and soup first. I know you think you deserve it, and the puddings are also part of the free buffet, but you probably do not actually need more sugar after all the energy drinks and gels you had during the ride. I burned three or four thousand calories a day on the bike, but came home exactly the same weight as I left. I'm blaming the ice-cream (not the limitless glasses of lager, oh no, not those).

Be a little wary of the seafood. Buffets are notorious for food poisoning, and I heard first-hand from four people who suffered - most blamed the prawns in the paella.


Bike Leading:

This is what you are here for - local knowledge of the best routes in the area, some company and/or competition on the dusty roads and scenic hills, and new friends to compare experiences with.

There will be many people of differing abilities, and your camp should have at least three different groups - nominally called slow, medium and fast. A lot will depend here on the types of people who have turned up, and the numbers. If a cycling club have block booked, then expect the fast group to be a pretty intense, take-no-prisoners affair. Familiarise yourself with maps of the area, as if you get dropped, you are cycling home alone. You might cycle 100 miles a day, averaging 20 mph.

The slow group will be a friendly place, a haven if you have tired legs, or simply want to take your time enjoying the scenery and drinking coffee and eating local cakes. You will still cover up to 75 miles in a day, so it's not for complete beginners, but the pace will allow you to manage the distance comfortably, and the 'lead' will stay with the slowest rider, and everyone will wait at the top of any significant climb until the group is together before moving on.

The medium group will consist of some people who want to progress from slow, and those who would like to be in fast but just can't hack it. So there will be a lot of mad dashes on the flat, followed by waiting around in the hills. You will still cover long distances and do all the big climbs that the fast group do, but hopefully you will get home with the group in once piece. If you just can't keep up, you'll be asked to join the slow group - if you are lucky and aren't the only one that day, one of the bike leads might accompany you home, but don't count on it.

In our Majorca camp, the medium group had as many as 40 riders, and 5 leads, slow and fast groups had about 10 riders and 2 leads. The Denia camp was smaller, and so the fast group was more accommodating.

You can mix and match groups, depending on how you feel each day. If you go with a partner or friend and you both naturally fit in different groups, you can both just take an easy day in the slow group together if you like, and there is nothing to stop you taking off by yourself if you feel confident of the geography later in the week.


What to take:

Think of spring in England. One day it may be a sunny 18 degrees, the next you may be drenched or battered by hail. Things in Spain are exactly the same. Hopefully you will be lucky, and need nothing but shorts and jersey; on our first camp in Denia I only needed a light rain jacket on one day. But remember that there will be hills, and weather changes quite rapidly there, and it's always a bit cooler.  In Majorca I needed a base layer every day, arm warmers most days - and a small gilet for descending (there are no crowds at the cols handing out newspapers).

When the sun is out it is warm enough to burn, so wear sunscreen on exposed skin. The good weather is the main reason you are doing this camp rather than taking time off in the UK to cycle, and you would be very unlucky to get more than a couple of days of poor conditions - you are far more likely to have temperatures in the 14-18 degrees centigrade region, and warm beautiful sunshine.

You might want shoe covers, or leggings. I didn't have any with me, but spent a chilly 30 minutes one day wishing I had. Find out from your lead what the weather is expected to be that day - I decided that if heavy rain was forecast then that would be a rest day. We were lucky, but heard some stories from fellow riders who had gotten caught out like this on previous camps, and even heard about snow last year

If your hotel does have an indoor pool/spa then take a swimming costume and swim hat, and some goggles. Don't forget the hat or they will make you purchase one.

Variety:

Sea view from our balcony in Majorca

It's nice to relax in the sun and discuss the days riding for 20 minutes when you get back, and as you have ready made transport anyway, take a short ride to a coffee shop. Keep some extra Euros in your jersey pocket, get a round in for your peleton to thank them for protecting you from the wind all day.

Unless you are on a shoestring budget, try and make a point of getting out of the hotel at least once. Local restaurants can be of a very high standard, and at a fraction of UK prices for similar venues. Check opening times and book in advance  - we found everywhere was closed on Monday evening. Your taste buds will thank you, as although the hotel food is plentiful and filling, it does not have much flavour, and the presentation is as basic as the menu. You are on holiday after all, so enjoy this aspect as well.

You can cycle every single day if you like, but we took a break mid-week and caught a bus to Palma for some sight seeing - it was nice not sitting on a razor sharp saddle for 6 hours that day.

Conclusion:

Both weeks we spent in Spain we cycled over 600km in sunshine, in March, through beautiful countryside, and up spectacular hills with amazing views. We came home with a great base fitness, as this kind of trip gives your training a real kick-start, and builds confidence in your abilities for the sportives you might have planned for the summer. I really recommend doing this, especially if you can guarantee rotten, cold and wet weather in the UK.

Links:

 - Stuart Hall Cycling
 - Train In Spain