The participation ride 2006 - post-ride analysis and comment: 04: Stages 1-5

Stage 1 - Track and Map - Land's End to St Wenn

This was a very enjoyable ride and easy first day. I did use all the gears but there were no really long, difficult hills. You will see from the map that I decided to go into Bodmin "for old time's sake" and then cycle back on myself to my B&B for the first night. This detour turned out to be a mistake (see the Stage 2 posting). Rule 1: Stick to your route.

Download log file (text format): S00D01a.log (Penzance to Land's End), S01D01p.log (Land's End to St Wenn)
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S00D01a.trk (Penzance to Land's End), S01D01p.trk (Land's End to St Wenn)

Only stage today
Distance (miles): 73.21
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 5:09:19
Average speed (mph): 14.20
Max speed (mph): 40.8
Cumulative distance (miles): 83.62 (includes Penzance to Land's End)

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.

June 08, 2006 in 04: Stages 1-5, 07: Days 1-2, 12: The Analysis | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stage 2 - Track and Map - St Wenn to Okehampton

This was the toughest stage of the whole trip for several reasons: 1) The length of the stage and the terrain 2) A lack of planning on my part 3) Inexperience with the GPS 4) Over ambition!

Yesterday I went further than I needed to and visited Bodmin. Today, after cycling 28 miles, I went past Bodmin again! Very soul destroying. Just look at the route I took. I just punched in the lunch destination into the GPS and I think it routed me the fastest way by car!

This was always going to be a tough day with a total of 120 miles to cover and two climbs to 1,000 feet in the first stage and I made it worse by not putting enough time into planning. Rule 2: Half a hour's planning can save you hours of cycling.

Download log file (text format): S02D02a.log
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S02D02a.trk

First of two stages today
Distance (miles): 67.44
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 4:48:18
Average speed (mph): 14.03
Max speed (mph): 38.2
Cumulative distance (miles): 151.06

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.

June 08, 2006 in 04: Stages 1-5, 07: Days 1-2, 12: The Analysis | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stage 3 - Track and Map - Okehampton to Taunton

I was very tired when I finally started this stage at 4pm from the Plymouth Inn, Okehampton. Again my over-reliance on the GPS let me down and a lot of the time I wasn't sure I was cycling in the right direction.

Although the vertcal profile shows a downhill trend, there were some nasty climbs in this stage. Saddle time was about 4.5 hours but I didn't get to my accommodation in Taunton until 10:10pm, 6hrs 10mins after leaving Taunton. This was due the fact that: 1) I had had it! 2) I kept having to stop to check the map and 3) I got my first puncture which I decided to repair in the side of the road (I needed the rest!).

I am not sure what I would have done without the GPS at the end of this stage. It took me straight to my accommodation. A farmhouse in the middle of a 'low-cost' housing estate. I would never have found this place in the dark especially given my physical and mental state. Brilliant! With a little more intelligence the GPS was going to be very useful.

As I left Okehampton, I knew I wasn't going to get an evening meal tonight. So I consumed Go-Bars. When I started this stage I liked Go-Bars. By the time I got to Taunton I hated them. This whole situation was worsened by the fact that I feel asleep without quite getting around to cleaning my teeth (yuk!) and the go-Bars were still with me in the morning. My consumption of Go-Bars plumetted during the rest of the trip.

Download log file (text format): S03D02p.log
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S03D02p.trk

Second of two stages today
Distance (miles): 54.51
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 4:19:45
Average speed (mph): 12.59
Max speed (mph): 36.3
Cumulative distance (miles): 205.57

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.

June 08, 2006 in 04: Stages 1-5, 07: Days 1-2, 12: The Analysis | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stage 4 - Track and Map - Taunton to Whitminster

I was in a fragile state when I started this stage. My confidence had been severely dented yesterday. If my sister-in-law and her lovely new toddler had not been meeting me for lunch in Okehampton, I don't think I would have made it.

Anyway, there were other pressures today: I knew I had to do more planning and I needed to start early as I was being met by my first co-cyclist just north of Bristol. These two pressures were difficult to reconcile. But, despite the late night, I got up at 6am and got the maps out and started putting more waypoints into the GPS. This allowed my to use the 'satnav' capability of the GPS to navigate in bit-sized stages. This was essential for this stage as otherwise the GPS would have taken my on the Motorway! It's amazing that a device aimed at walkers and cyclists cannot be told to avoid motorways!

Anyway, the first couple of this stage were the perfect antidote to the previous day. As the profile shows, I was cycling on level roads. They had also been recently resurfaced and were perfect for cursing in top gear! By 11am all the psychological damage had been repaired. I can do this!!

I was meeting Tricia at Whitminster which Tricia had described as being 'just north' of Bristol. It turned out to be further than I thought. But anyway we met up at about 2pm and I was in good form. Tricia had brought an amazing picnic. Lunch went on for a while! With 2/3rds of today's distance already done this was not too much of a problem and now I had company!

Download log file (text format): S04D03a.log
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S04D03a.trk

First of two stages today
Distance (miles): 74.11
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 5:10:39
Average speed (mph): 14.31
Max speed (mph): 32.8
Cumulative distance (miles): 279.68

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.

June 08, 2006 in 04: Stages 1-5, 08: Days 3-4, 12: The Analysis | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stage 5 - Track and Map - Whitminster to Bromyard

This stage was always going to be fun as Tricia was going to join me as my first co-rider of the trip.

It started with a fantastic picnic provided by Tricia.

We didn't start cycling until after 3pm but only had around 40 miles to do. I met Tricia in 2002 when we were part of a fantastic group of people who cycled across the Yucatan in aid of Acorns Children's Hospice. This is documented here. We got on really well and many of us have stayed in contact. Another co-rider, Adrian who is to join me on the next stage, is from the same Yucatan group.

You can see from the profile that the stage got more difficult towards the end and 5 miles or so out of Bromyard Tricia's husband, Alan, caught up with us in the car and the temptation was to much for Tricia so I did the last few miles on my own. Tricia and Alan were at my accommodation when I arrived and we went out for a great meal. A great end to a great day and real contrast to yesterday. Thanks guys!

Download log file (text format): S05D03p.log
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format): S05D03p.trk

Second of two stages today
Distance (miles): 42.09
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 3:50:29
Average speed (mph): 10.95
Max speed (mph): 33.5
Cumulative distance (miles): 321.77

Notes:
Click on the images above to see them full size.
For details of how vertical profiles were derived from log files and the structure of the log files see this posting.