Buckinghamshire Off Road Sportive - 83km

Here are some statistics, just in case you are curious :

- 81km (that's a piece of news !),

- 7H30 minutes in total of which pure cycling time was : 5H43mn

- 11km/h speed average for the whole event but a very solid 14.5km/h average when cycling.

- average pace was 4:05 minutes per km

- speed max : 55km/h

- height gain : 1154 metres

This is an average of 202 metres of climb per hour of cycling. 

Monday 2nd May - First Time to Ashstead

A Monday ride rather than Sunday it was Tom Hewitson and Ed Hems who left Chorleywood trying to blow out the cobwebs of a long weekend of good living.  Without the normal time pressure of a Sunday we headed to Ashstead and took the route through Latimer, Ley Hill, Ashley Green and Berkhampstead.  The road out of Berko into Ashstead we understood the meaning of a good hill and it was a strong climb up to the top but it was worth it.  Beautiful May day with green fields and yellow rape seed everywhere.  Awesome.  We took the turn into Aldbury and discovered another beautiful village setting up their village fete (and without a Cafe) and carried on into Wigginton and then down the hill to Chesham.  As we were so close to home (Seasons that is and not Chorleywood) we dug deep and kept going up the Hyde Heath road to the back of Amersham where we enjoyed the Red downhill slope into Old Amersham.  Tom won the downhill with a speed fractionally in excess of 45mph - the granary toast was calling.  After the ride Seasons deserved a Michelin star and it was hard to head back to Chorleywood.  Life is good and what a great morning.  38 miles.

Saturday 23rd April 2011 - Windsor Ride

A leisurely ride out to Windsor with Tom and Ed.  Along to Denham and the usual route out on a great morning.  Rather than go through Slough we skirted around and went through Datchet for a different arrival point which was equally impressive to see the home of the Monarch.  With a small wait for our usual cafe to open had the obligatory toast before coming back through Fulmer and Gerrards Cross.  Great ride in 2 hours 10 minutes.

Sunday 17th April 2011 - Training Ride to Windsor

After meeting at Christchurch at 7am it was sad that after going to Tom's gaffe to wait for him to mend his front tyre it burst on Blacketts Wood Drive again and he retired from action.  The rest of us continued to Chalfont Common to Gerrards Cross to Slough to Windsor at reasonable pace.  With Andrew Morley, Adam Kirkham, Kevin Watson and Steve Bailey it was a good pace and we arrived in Windsor at around 8:30 for breakfast.  Alas the coffee shop where Adam's professional carrot cake testing friend (seriously) had told us served the best carrot cake in South England was closed and we went to Costa for a quick coffee before heading back.  It was a sunny morning and the weather was really warming up as we headed back through Datchet, Iver, Pinewood Studios and Fulmer before going into Gerrards Cross and Chalfont St Giles and home.  Quick pace and around 38 miles at 16 mph.

10th April 2011 - Dash out to Berkhampstead

After a wine fueled raclette evening with Tom and David and spouses we met at top of Green Street at 7:10am with Andrew Morley, Steve Bailey and XXX.  We decided to go out to Ashridge and went through Latimer and up to Ley Hill.  On the road there we had a temporary loss of Tom and David and with the luxury of mobile telephony we agreed to meet up with them at Chesham Prep.  Although it was a clear morning it was quite chilly and we kept going to Berkhampstead where we stopped in Costa Coffee for a chat.  As there was time pressure to get back we turned for home rather than going into Ashridge we wend south into Hemel and found a great single track road to Chipperfield and back.  Another good run of around 30 miles and home for 9:45.

Sunday 3rd April 2011 - Mothers Day Ride

Tom and David go out while Ed shames them and makes Isabelle breakfast in bed and adds to his already large quantity of Brownie points.

Sunday 27th March 2011 - Short Ride around Amersham

Tom was back in the saddle after his knee op and Tom and Ed headed into Amersham and around the back before a coffee and toast in Seasons.  The jet lag after the America trip, a night out before and the loss of an hour meant Ed was not in good shape and we leisurely cycled back into Chorleywood all the better for a ride out.