The elusive 100 miles
When I started training, 100 miles seemed like a pipe dream. I was still thinking in kms back then, and a 40km ride seemed like pretty good going to me! Drag me beyond that and I'd quickly tire, become bored and generally complain bitterly that I was cold/uncomfortable/dying. Admittedly, part of the issue may have been caused by attempting to train with a group of experienced athletes, and I just couldn't (still can't) keep up with their pace.
Now, 40km seems like nothing more than a running distance (it's not even a marathon!) and a bike ride is barely worth it until I'm hitting at least 40 miles. The last few months have been about finding my own pace (I've found it, fyi, and it's a very comfortable 13.6mph*), meeting new riders and generally enjoying the whole experience of cycling.
*Yes, this would mean more than eight hours in the saddle every day for nine days. Think I might need to work on my speed!
Planning long rides
Preparing for a ride into completely unknown territory is always a bit daunting. To date, I've planned round trips out of London based on tried and tested routes, which always include a bike friendly coffee shop and a whole lot of getting lost via Google Maps. Looking at the distance for my latest ride (a cool 85 miles), honestly, I didn't fancy clocking up any extra miles taking wrong turns.
I'd heard other cyclists talk about Strava Route Builder but my experience of similar applications involved plotting a route out point by point, with no real idea of the quality of the road, the traffic or the (horror) elevation. It was super time-consuming and typically resulted in me hurtling down a major A-road for the majority of my ride. Not much fun.
Not so with Strava. Pop in your start and end points and let them do the rest. The route is planned based on data from actual cyclists, the most commonly ridden segments on your trip, and - because you select between road/hybrid/MTB - the road surface best suited to your bike. No more bridle paths, no more public parks, and no more bogs (thanks for that one, Google).
Lessons learnt: Strava Route Builder
- Use a computer, not an phone or tablet. It's quicker and easier that way. If you really have no option, you can also use the web version of Strava in your phone's browser (I had to do this to get home last weekend, having sensibly only planned my route one way...)
- Sign up or Login to Strava (one huge bonus, by the way: you don't need Strava Premium to access this handy tool)
- Go to My Routes and click on Create New Route. Make sure the "Use Popularity" button is selected at the top.
- Zoom in to your start point (or enter your address/postcode) and click. A green circle will appear.
- Move the map to your intended end point (or enter the destination address/postcode) and click again. A white circle will appear.
- That's it, you're done. It really is that simple. Click Save.
- Toggle between Elevation On and Off (bottom right corner) to reveal the ride profile in a grey bar across the base of the page.
Of course, you might like to go via somewhere specific, or you might be planning a round trip. In that case, you just plot as many white circles (they call these "Waypoints") as you like. You can also drag them around if you're not happy with the route.
There are loads of extras to test out. If you're not feeling overly confident on the hills, you can select "Min Elevation" (top row button). If you're interested in the climb intensity, there's a setting on the left hand side called "Climb Category", which allows you to browse the segments on your route. You can also add distance markers (left hand side, settings), so - like me - you can plan your favourite coffee breaks.
April highlights
- 3 April: 42 miles (Essex, Epping)
- 10 April: 40 miles (Surrey, Westerham)
- 16 April: 61 miles (East Sussex, Brighton)
- 23 April: sshhh, weekend off
- 30 April: 86 miles (West Sussex, West Wittering).
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