Since we'll be in the saddle for long periods, I decide to upgrade the grips on my bike. I have been eyeing these up for a very long time so with the proposed KAW coming up, it seems a prefect time to upgrade. The finish of the grips is of a very high standard and they were a breeze to fit, just need to dial in the angle to make most of the 'miniwing' comfort.
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So front storage has been resolved by the purchase of a CamelChops BLIMP handlebar bag. This bag is custom made to order by a small company located in Aberdeen-shire Scotland. As it is custom made I was able to get it made to match my bike's colour scheme - so a combination of black main body and red end panels. It arrived promptly and it is a great bag, well constructed, nice straps with locking buckles and has enough capacity to consume all my bike tools, spare inner tubes and first aid kit with still a little space for gel or two. The only thing which maybe an issue is how it sits on my handlebars and interacts with the cable routing, though a couple of foam spacers or bar extender could be employed if this is an issue.
Christmas brought a timely gift of the Cycling UK's King Alfred's Way guide book. it's a great guide book, which covers the history of the Wessex and the route.
The actual route is broken up into nine chapters which detail the history and the landmarks along that particular section of the route. This is followed up with a couple of pages covering the Places and Facilities of the towns on or near the route. Suggested itineraries and OS map sections which cover all of the route. In conjunction with the GPX file this will make the route an interesting and easy to navigate ride King Alfred's Way Resources by Rough Ride Guide - A great way of presenting all the useful accommodation, shops and food options available overlaid onto the route. This will be a great planning tool when it comes to organising my accommodation for the ride. In short a brilliant resource collated by the folks at Rough Ride Guide definitely worth looking at their website as well which is also full of useful information not just about this particular route..
Ok, so the goal is in place, we just need a plan to execute it successfully:
The route mapping is very easy as Cycling UK provide a free downloadable route guide and a GPX file as well. I have always normally taken physical OS maps on my adventures from the front door, but this would prove to be impracticable for the number that i would have to carry to cover the 350 km's of the route. So is it really using a GPS application on my phone or a more dedicated solution? Research will be required on this one.
Kit overview well that is just a matter of going through what I have and what I need to add to carry the larger amount of clothing and supplies I intend to be carrying on the route. Accommodation, I think that will come down to how fit I am prior to organizing the dates for the ride, as currently I really don't have much cycle fitness. So the goal for 2023 is to do the King Alfred's Way a 350km off-road cycling route in three to four days. I'll be using my Cube Sting short travel full suspension bike as the King Alfred's Way includes a varied mix of terrain and road surfaces to contend with. It includes the Ridge Way and parts of the South Downs Way, as well as the closer to home Clarendon Way. Previous experience has shown that a gravel bike would be an option, but due to the nature of the often rutted flinty trails comfort will what I am looking for on the long days in the saddle which the Cube Sting will ably provide.
As I'll be doing this an extended bike tour, I'll need to source some additional luggage for food and supplies for the duration of the ride. I normally ride with a small rucsac which normally covers this duty, but will be forgoing on this trip due to the need for addition clothing etc. (Obviously this is in Southern England so apart from the parts that traverse the Salisbury Plain and the Ridge Way, I won't be too far from civilization.) In fact due to the limited options for bike-packing in England I'll be using hotel or pub accommodation for the trip. I also plan to cycle from my front door, so will be looking to cycle south down the Test Way and hit the King Alfred's Way as it traverses the Clarendon Way at Houghton. Cycling over the last couple of years has really taken a back seat in regards my attention. This has been a combination of work and other activities taking precedence. In 2022 we concentrated on walking fitness, as we undertook the Naomi House Clarendon Way Walk for a very worthy local charity. The Clarendon Way is a walk between the two cathedral cities of Winchester and Salisbury and is reported to be 24 miles in length, our GPS on the day showed closer to 27 miles. It provided to be a great physical challenge, which we got us out everyday on the run up to and after the event. So no real focus on bicycling apart from using the bike to shop locally on.
So plans for 2023 are to repeat the Clarendon Way in the opposite direction walking Salisbury to Winchester. On top of that will the something else which I intend to do from the door, but will require a little more organisation..... A change of job has really thrown a spanner in the works when it comes to time to cycle, now back to a normal Monday to Friday 9-5 existence with a side order of on-call has really reduced the opportunities to get out a properly cycle. Sure I us the bicycle to do the shopping in town, but I haven't been out really on the country lanes and bridleways around Andover for quite a while.
But this morning's cycle ride was refreshing as I went out with my son in the horrible drizzle and came back with a huge smiles on our faces, ok it wasn't as fast as I normally go, but it was nice to share the ride for a change. We had the obligatory fuel stop, sheltering from the rain under a large holly tree, and then home aided by the gentle descent from Kentboro into Monxton. In total 21km's in one hour and 19 minutes. The Castle Bike Ride in support of the MacMillan cancer charity is a good excuse to get on the bike. The Route runs south out of Swindon taking in the Ridgeway and Barbury Castle going as far south as Ogbourne St George before coming back to Swindon via the Sustran Route N482 which runs along a disused railway line. This year we choose the Medium route of 20 miles, though it was a shorter distance than I attempted last year, it had the kicker of going over the top of Barbury Castle's steep and chalky crown. As always it was very well organised with a Police escort out of Swindon to the first section of Bridleway. There where also a couple of well stocked food stops along the way with liquid refreshments and cakes and a slightly healthier option of bananas available.
On completion there was a goodie bag of MacMillan items including a certification of completion. As this was a untimed event, it had a rather relaxed atmosphere about it, Obviously there is always someone who want's to be first, or battle against their Strava PR's. |
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January 2023
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