The participation ride 2006 - post-ride analysis and comment

Vertical profile tool finalised

This is an update to the Excel spreadsheet discussed previously here.

The spreadsheet takes 'Track Log' files created by the Magellan eXplorist 600, derives 'distance covered' data and then generates a vertical profile chart. The spreadsheet contains instructions and a sample set of data. It can be downloaded here. If you download the file and find it useful please consider making a donation to the good cause here. Many thanks.

If you have any questions about the use of the spreadsheet please leave a comment.

Vertical profiles on their way

Sorry nothing has appeared on this page for a while. I am preparing the vertical profiles but it's taking a while with this sunny weather as a distraction.

This image is the profile from Day 2/Stage 2 - the toughest one of the whole ride - from St Wenn to Okehampton. Click on it to see it full size.

A couple of video clips and several photos have been posted up. The photos go straight into the album which you can get to by clicking on the lower picture to the right.

I have back-dated the videos to the date they were taken and so these haven't appeared on the homepage either. Click on the top right image to see these.

Sorry - I lied about the miles!

Here is a summary of the ride stats. Click on the image to enlarge it. The first thing to say is that going through my notebook I found a mistake in my total miles calculations (I put it down to low blood sugar!).

The total mileage was in fact 980 miles. Other highlights are:
- overall average speed: 13.60 mph
- time in the saddle: 72 hrs 2 mins 49 secs
- maximum speed: 46.4 mph
- maximum daily mileage: 129 miles
- minimum daily mileage: 64miles (last day)
- ride duration: 10 days

I will posting the vertical profiles for each stage shortly.

Where are your panniers?

This often-asked question highlighted one of the advantages of choosing a Moulton for this journey. I was travelling light and all my luggage was stowed 'in-line'. In bags and in the frame itself. This is shown in this 'walk around' the bike. This video was taken more than 800 miles into the ride.

A few additional points not made in this video are: 1) the pedals were reversible - flat on one side and with clips on the other. I was clipped in 99% of the time; 2) I was carrying a foldable tyre in the back bag which was fitted just north of Glasgow; 3) I had spare spokes taped to the rear triangle - look out for these in the video; 4) The zip ties stayed on the frame and formed loops and clothing was tucked underneath them - long velcro traps would have been better; 5) I had a pump clipped to the bottle holder on the underside of the frame; 6) If it had rained I had re-sealable polythene bags to wrap things up in.

[The video may take a few moments to load and appear below - if it doesn't appear you might also want to try and view the video directly on the YouTube site. To do this click here.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stage 6 - Track and Map - Bromyard to Whitchurch

After the meal with Tricia and Alan I got really good night's sleep and the route to Church Stretton for lunch was really straight forward and the GPS picked it straight up. Unfortunately I forgot to switch the tracking on so the first 15miles or so went unrecorded.

The Old Cow Shed where I was staying was difficult to find (but again my GPS had taken me straight there the night before) and it took a few phone calls before my next co-rider, Adrian and his wife, found it.

So it was about 8:30 before we were on our way. The two of us met up with Andy who was waiting in Bromyard itself. Poor Andy had to wait a while - sorry Andy. So now we were three. A very pleasant ride along the Welsh border to Church Stretton for lunch.

Here we were guests of the Mayfair Community Centre. This is an amazing centre teaming with voluntary activity. Jackie Mantel who is in charge of the IT activities and ruralnet|uk's contact for the net:gain programme. There was a photo call after lunch for the local press.

Here my work colleague, Simon Marshall, joined us and Andy had to leave for the return trip to Bromyard and his car. So we were still three!

The afternoon started well but included the very busy A49. As we had had an alcohol-free lunch our kidney bells started ringing at around 3pm and just as they did we spotted a sign to the Albright Hussey Manor Hotel (open to non-residents), an unexpected oasis off the hell that is the A49.

There we stopped for an hour or so to soak up the sun and Guiness and banter. In retrospect we stayed a bit too long! We didn't get to 'Ash Hall' outside Whitchurch until 7:30pm and getting a evening meal provided less than straight forward. We were helped by some very generously-minded people and this is documented here.

We said goodbye to Simon at Whitchurch Station where he loaded his bike into his car and was off.

I went back to the station at about 11:30pm, after our meal, to meet my son Luke off the train. He was to join us for the next 250 miles. So we were three again!

Download log file (text format): S06D04.log
Download track file (Magellan MapSend format):
S06D04.trk

Only stage today
Distance (miles): 74.63
Saddle time (hh:mm:ss): 5:34:09
Average speed (mph): 13.40
Max speed (mph): 33.3
Cumulative distance (miles): 396.40

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.