This week it was the Green and Yellow Fields 400 from Wrabness (on the coast east of Colchester) to Wells-next-the-sea (on the coast east of King's Lyn) and back with a dog-leg to Cambridge.
I left Swansea at 5.30am for a noon start - I was a bit apprehensive as I'd only left myself half an hour at the other end which isn't much if my train was delayed or I missed a connection, but the alternative was to catch the 3.30am which I didn't fancy! However, the trains were all on time, and getting my bike across London on the underground wasn't anywhere near as troublesome as I'd feared.
It was quite strange to turn up for a ride where I didn't know anyone, and of a field of 76 there were only two faces I recognised, and these were people I'd met only once before (and didn't see again after the start of the ride) - so it was back to basics on the socialising front: "Do you do this often?", "Is this your first 400?", "Are you doing the PBP?" ad nauseam.
The ride started very prettily indeed as we went along the coast into Colchester. The weather was cloudy but bright, but on turning north we found a head wind which didn't change all day - a relief when we later turned at Wells! I joined on to the back of a bunch of 20 or so who were making good progress, but they were some of the worst riders I've ridden with. They were riding two or three up on a road that wasn't anywhere near wide enough for this. The road was quite busy as well, so there was a continual queue of traffic behind us. The drivers were amazingly patient though - I kept expecting torrents of abuse as drivers finally got past, but not a bit of it. I think we only got one or two beeps of the horn and the odd "f***ing cyclists" in about 40 miles. Eventually we were caught and passed by a smaller faster group which I jumped on the back of - they were doing evens as opposed to 17mph which was a bit tough but I was glad to be back with some more conscientious cyclists.
I got to the first control at 80k in a village (Quidgely?) at 3.03pm. The tea-room was very pleasant, but I wasn't up to much socialising - I was quite happy though to sit on the village green for a quick munch and a fag or two. The next leg was 77k to Wells - more green and yellow fields and no hills. The organiser had described the route as "undulating" and I suppose relative to the Fens it was. But relative to the mountains of S. Wales it was as flat as billiard table - there was no opportunity to get off the saddle and honk so many of us had aching bums.
The route was quite scenic and after the first control we were in the lanes which I enjoyed, but the green and yellow fields got rather monotonous after a while. (I think the ride should have been called "The Green and Yellow Fields (Only)" :-) I did this stretch with an actor on a repugnant, a guy called George who looked like he was wearing fluorescent pyjamas, and a couple of older riders from Blackburn - all of them doing their first 400 and quite good company. I especially liked one of the Blackburn riders - a big chap aged 55 (he later told me) who was a stereotype "muck and brass" type and very amiable. The stretch to Wells ended with a 23mph burn lead by you-know-who who had taken his turn at the front to the exasperation of others. Oops.
I can't remember Wells at all I nor what time we arrived there, nor the next 80k to the next control wherever that was. All I remember is a main road for about 25 miles, and riding with George all the way. Oh yes, we had a tail-wind and had good fun spending much of the ride chasing down riders ahead of us.
The last control was at 297k which we arrived at after less than 15 hours. I was very pleased about this, but tired and groggy from the night-riding. The route-sheet advised us that the last 103k was the best bit of the ride so we should wait until dawn. I was quite happy to do this and grabbed an hour's kip under a table on the floor wrapped up in my space blanket. I was very leisurely in getting myself watered and fed both in arriving and leaving, and I think quite a few riders didn't stop for as long because there were about 30 riders behind me when I arrived, but more like 12 when I left at 5am - I really felt for the people that were still out there yet to arrive when I left.
The last leg was indeed "the best" in terms of scenery, but unfortunately I was in no state to appreciate it. The bunch I'd been with on and off for most of the ride had set of a few minutes before me which I wasn't concerned about, but I never saw them again and ended up doing the last 100k on my own. I found I was very sleepy after 10 miles and had to stop two or three times to keep my spirits up with a fag and some chocolate. Near Cambridge I stopped at the village green in Finchingfield - really very picture post-card pretty, with a stream, cottages and ducks and geese with ducklings and goslings. It was difficult to keep my spirits up though and the last 50k were a torment - continually worrying about how inaccurate my trip-meter and/or the distances on the route sheet might be.
The final control appeared unexpectedly as I crested a short rise - what a relief! I got in just before llam and felt quite pleased with myself for adding another 400K to my total for the year (now 3,400km!)
I'm not sure I'd do the ride again as a 400. Apparently it's run as a 300 in non-PBP years, and I think that would make a nice "drag-strip" ride like the Chepstow 300.
I had to get back the same day which wasn't much fun. I had decided to be as light as possible and had gone with my rack-top bag only. This meant wearing my cycling clothes from 5am on Saturday until 8pm on Sunday when I finally got back after a train ride from hell which I won't bore you with (engineering work, Sunday service, bus links that don't take bikes, arguments with guards,...)
Anyway, this weekend I'm getting back to my cycling roots with a bit of cycletouring with a couple of guys from the CTC. We're going youth hosteling in Pembroke - I'm really looking forward to a bit of 50-miles-a-day, stopping-to-look-at-interesting/pretty-things riding. It will make a nice change!
© Kilgore's Enterprises February 1997