The Malvern Hills - Elgar route by Graham Dudley

Having a continuing middle age crisis, I decided I wanted to do some more challenging long distance cycling, and booked up on The Malvern Hills - Elgar route; a 200km ride run under Audax rules. These rides are not a race but have to be completed within an average speed of 15 to 30km/h. Nine miles an hour average speed sounds easily achievable but this includes time taken at stops, so the longer you linger over coffee the faster you have to ride.

The route sheet is sent through the post before the event, so it's out with the maps to plot the route. This is not always as easy as it seems, as there are instructions such as turn left after the Texaco garage (which in any case when reached had changed to Shell).

The route did not look too bad although there are some close contours in places, but these looked well spaced along the route.

The weather forecast at the beginning of the week was promising, but when Saturday arrived dull and cloudy weather was predicted with a north wind, but no rain. I could therefore not understand why on the drive to Chepstow, I had the windscreen wipers on. The rain had stopped by the time I reached Chepstow, where about another 120 riders had assembled in the car park below the castle. There was no control point, and I wondered where to check in and collect my brevet card, as did most of the other riders. Finally a van pulled up and there was a rush to form a queue.

There was no formal start, with riders deciding it was 8 o'clock and leaving whilst others waited to check in. I left with the first riders, so for about 30 miles was being regularly overtaken, until I thought I must be last.

The ride from Chepstow to the Forest of Dean did not look hilly on the map, apart from the first section leaving Chepstow, but in reality it felt as if the first 12 miles was up hill. In this belief I was mistaken, as when I returned along this same section of road in the evening found it to be steeper hills in the opposite direction. In the rain and dark which accompanied this section I started hallucinating about the land formation having altered between dawn and dusk.

Crossing the Forest of Dean was hilly, as expected, with one particularly steep hill. Beyond this to Upton on Severn the land was reasonably flat, but the north wind took its toll and by the time I reached the first control I only had 25 minutes in hand, whereas I thought at this stage I would have an hour in hand.

The north wind was cold, and although well wrapped up my legs were cold and my feet were numb, which was to continue throughout the ride.

At the first control I ordered two cups of coffee which I drank quickly, refilled the water bottles and left. I have done one other 200km Audax ride - The Dorset Coast - in which I was over 1 hour up on the minimum time at the first control. This time-cushion was not to be increased throughout the ride as tiredness took its toll. I was therefore concerned that if I was behind time in the first half, when I was fresh, I would not be able to make it up, particularly as the crossing of the Malvern hills was imminent.

The Malverns did not disappoint, either in their steepness or spectacular views afforded, which I was able to appreciate to the full whilst walking up the East face.

Beyond the Malvern hills to Bromsgrove, the terrain was undulating with no respite between hills, and combined with the north wind, this section was hard going, and not being at the halfway point was psychologically taxing. By now my fitness (or lack of it) was beginning to tell, with twinges of cramp occurring regularly in my legs, forcing me to pedal gently.

The pub forming the halfway control was reached with other riders appearing to have been there for some time. I still only had 25 minutes to spare, so time for a quick drink and roll, change into a dry T-shirt and off again with about 15 minutes in hand.

Now beyond the halfway point and with the wind behind (I'm sure it had weakened since lunch time) I was feeling better, and the next stage passed quickly and by the time I reached the next control I was 45 minutes up on time.

At tea, veterans of the ride were full of doom and gloom about the final section of the route, and the size and regularity of the hills. With this in mind and my general fatigue, I did not linger but pressed on. In any case I found that my legs stiffened if I stopped for long.

Darkness was fast approaching and lights were now necessary. Navigation was much harder, both reading the instructions and identifying the turnings. Veterans at tea had not been wrong, with the first climb coming at Little Gorsely which was long and steep. The climb out of Mitcheldean was longer and steeper. Up to this stage even on the smaller hills I was reduced to my lowest gear, so these steep hills reduced me to the lowest gear - walking. It was at this time that the rain which was not due, began and continued to the end of the ride, adding to the challenge. By this time I was so tired I could not be bothered to put my cape on.

The final stage, which returned along the same route from Coleford to Chepstow as in the morning, was now much longer, and being dazzled by car headlights forced a number of detours into the ditch.

The last descent into Chepstow was exhilarating, not only because of the speed of the descent, but also because the end was in sight.

I had my card stamped, and discovered to my surprise that I had completed the ride in 12 hours and 5 minutes, over an hour above the minimum time, which was a surprise after the poor start. My biggest problem was dehydration. Even drinking 6 litres of squash and water during the ride, I was still dehydrated at the end and had to stop on the way home for two bottles of milk.

This ride for me was a real challenge which I enjoyed and will repeat in the future.

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