Today was the second running of the Cambridge Pork Pie. This was an Audax calendar event, the third to be organised by Nick Wilkinson under the banner of Cambridge Audax.
Around 150 riders rode this 200km event, including many regulars from CTC Cambridge: John R, Mike P, Nigel, Alex, French Seb, Sven, John S, David T and Edmund: special mention must go to Tom N, attempting his longest ride ever after only having been cycling in earnest, after a long break, for 6 weeks!
The start and finish of the ride was in Girton, at the recreation pavilion, and the single control was Melton Mowbray. There was a suggested "classic" route of 215km and an option to take an "extra slice" at 225 km. There were 13h 30m to complete the course (with no extra time granted for taking the longer option).
Gareth was managing the desk with his customary efficiency (photo: Nick W)
For the classic route see the report of
last year's Pork Pie event. For more information about this and other local Audax rides see the
Cambridge Audax website.
CTC types getting ready for the off (photo: Nigel)
Mike's story
Mike P writes: Having enjoyed my slice of pie last year I was looking forward to this year's event and hoping to improve on my earlier time for the run.
Last year my older brother, Mark, came down from the North West to ride the event and I persuaded him to join me again. He's an experienced rider and lives under Pendle Fell just outside Clitheroe and well used to the hilly stuff, and certainly fitter than me.
We also teamed up with our John R thereby forming a "sub team" of three to ride the route together. The plan was to help each other particularly heading out into the stiff Westerly wind which prevailed throughout the day.
As it turned out we were pulled along the busway to St Ives and beyond within a peloton of 15 riders or thereabouts and it wasn't until we were through Sawtry that we were largely left to our own devices.
We arrived at Oundle just after 10.00 am. It was too early for a coffee stop so we headed on to Oakham by which time I was in serious need of a break and a shot of caffeine supplemented by a large lump of chocolate brownie. Sitting outside I texted a short update note to Jayne to report progress and to say how nice it was in the sunshine.
How the British weather can deceive! No more than 30 mins later we were heading towards Melton under an ever-darkening sky. Sure enough, the rain came through and the wind picked up as forecast. Fortunately, it's a relatively short hop from Oakham so we were able to get to our lunchtime stop in town by 1.15 pm where we could dry out and refuel. The café is called cafe@thecentre, on the left just as you enter the one-way system. Omelettes were the order of the day which were excellent. It's the second time Mark and I have stopped here. A varied wholesome menu, great value and served by a group of youngsters who are very welcoming.
We departed for the return trip at 2.00 pm sharp and ran through the entire route stopping only in Oundle to pick up some drinks on the way through. We routed back to St Ives via Sawtry, replicating the outward journey. This is both quicker and more enjoyable than the alternative via Alconbury and Huntingdon.
We arrived back at Girton at 19.22 hrs beating our 2016 time by about 16 minutes. Mission accomplished, although we were all very tired from what had been a long day in challenging conditions. Mark's son calls it "Type 2 fun". It's hell doing it but the feeling is great afterwards….
Fortunately, we had no gear problems throughout the day although Mark had a puncture less than 200m from the finish. As usual John navigated magnificently throughout. My only disappointment is my continued inability to keep up with either Mark or John when the serious climbing starts. Both have better technique and fitness. The challenge for next year is to catch up somehow!
John's story
John R writes: The weather forecast was not looking great but then most audax rides are a challenge, be it distance, terrain, weather or a combination of the afore-mentioned. So I had agreed with Mike P that we would give it a go. Mike's brother Mark was also joining us and with Mark living in Clitheroe (up North!) he was not at all concerned by rain, wind and a hilly terrain.
The three of us arrived at the start in Girton at 7.30am and were greeted by Nick and his family who provided cups of tea and flapjack prior to departure.
Along with over one hundred other riders (including four tandems and two recumbents) we were set off at 8am heading straight into a strong headwind which would essentially persist all the way to Melton Mowbray. As usual before not too long several groups had formed and most riders found one or more groups that were riding at a pace which they found comfortable. The trick is not to go off too quickly as we had a long way to go. Me, Mike and Mark slowly found ourselves in our own little group heading out along (to us) familiar roads all the way to Oundle. Here a number of riders were stopping for a break but after only 30miles and two and a half hours we were feeling good so decided to ride through. As we approached Oakham I started to realise that Mike was not at his usual best and so we stopped for a coffee and cake.
Not long after leaving Oakham we could see dark clouds into the distance and shortly after the blustery rain hit us and we stopped to don waterproofs.
We rode into Melton Mowbray at 1.15pm feeling very wet and in need of sustenance. Our cafe was excellent and we all had cheese and tomato omelette and a pot of tea. Shortly afterwards Sven and his friend came in having been delayed by a bike 'incident'.
Suitably warmed, fed and watered we set off around 2pm saying bye to Seb who had just arrived.
We quickly appreciated the wind which was now, and for the remainder of the ride, behind us - such a good feeling after having battled into it for five hours. We were into what i think is the prettier part of the ride albeit slightly lumpier than the inward leg. At least the rain had subsided and with the wind at our backs we flew over the hills and by 4.30pm rolled into Oundle. Mike was now really starting to feel the efforts of the day and so we set off on the homeward run at a slower pace. As we headed toward St Ives the drizzle returned along with the darkening gloom of night. Fortunately we know the busway really well and so tried to enjoy the final kilometres back to Girton where at 7.15pm we were greeted with fantastic soup, bread rolls, tea and cakes. Mark had unfortunately picked up our only puncture of the day literally as we arrived at the finish so he had to change an inner tube and pick out the offending shard of glass.
Nick Wilkinson's audax rides are excellent and it was great to have a good number of Cambridge CTC riders out for the challenges of the day.
Nigel's story
Nigel writes: I normally do Audax rides on my own or in small groups, so setting off with a hundred other riders is for me still an exhilarating novelty. For the first hour or two I find that my own excitement and the opportunity to draft behind faster riders result in me riding much more quickly than normal. The first stage of today's ride, the 50km from Girton to Oundle, was no exception to this, and despite a strong westerly headwind I enjoyed a brisk and sociable ride.
After two hours and ten minutes I arrived in Oundle. On previous rides I would stop here for breakfast but today I simply sat down on a bench for about ten minutes and ate some food before setting off again. I was now riding on my own, and after a couple of km turned left to follow Nick's new, "extra slice" route to Melton Mowbray rather than the "classic" route that most people would be following. The extra slice is about 10km longer than the classic, and significantly hillier, but since this year I am (for the first time ever) "training" it seemed like the obvious thing to do. I had already cycled the "extra slice" route twice before so I knew what to expect, including that it was also quieter and prettier than the classic route.
The first 20km or so of the extra slice is deceptively easy, and the real hills don't really start until after Lyddington. I paused here briefly to prepare for the challenge ahead. Alex arrived, and we rode together as far as the first climb. None of the climbs are very long, so I stood up and pushed hard to get to the top, whilst Alex took advantage of the extra-low gears on his new superbike to reach the top at a more comfortable pace.
There were far fewer riders along this section of the ride, and apart from a gaggle of Gregarios who overtook me at speed near the beginning I saw few other audaxers. However it was nice to be able to ride solo at my own pace, though much more slowly than before due to the hills and the continuing westerly wind. The temperature was very mild, almost warm, and for a time I felt distinctly over-dressed. However after a while it began to rain and the temperature fell slightly, making me feel more comfortable.
Eventually I reached Melton Mowbray and stopped for lunch at McDonalds, where after a quarter of an hour I was joined by Alex. We ate together for a while before I set off on my own for the next stage back to Oundle. I was now back on the classic route and along the way I encountered numerous other audaxers. The stage between Melton and Oundle is lovely and quiet, but notoriously hilly with a number of short, steep climbs. This had come as a shock the first time I rode this route, but now that I was more familiar with the route, and after the hills of the extra slice route earlier, they didn't seem particularly difficult, especially with the wind behind me at last.
I reached Oundle and stopped once again for ten minutes to spoon down a pot of rice pudding and eat a sandwich. For the final 50km or so from here back to Cambridge I decided to ignore the suggested route back via Huntingdon and instead follow the reverse of the route via Sawtry that we had taken in the morning. Although this is essentially south-east there were long sections heading directly east, and with the wind directly behind me I soon found myself flying along.
A few kilometres beyond Sawtry the sun set and, as is now my custom after dark, switched on the bluetooth speaker that is mounted on my down tube so that I could cruise down the B1090 to St Ives to a playlist of 1980's pop hits.
After passing through St Ives I reached the start of the busway, and settled down to ride the final 45 minutes or so to Girton at a comfortable pace. The tailwind had made this an easy ride back so far. Somewhere near Fen Drayton I was interrupted by the clang of a bell and a small fast-moving paceline came up alongside, including two tandems, with a shouted invitation to tag along. I'm never one to waste the opportunity to draft a tandem so I slipped into line, checked my companions were OK with my music, and joined the convoy. The final half hour back to Girton was exhilarating, very fast indeed, and exhausting as I struggled to cling on to the others.
I arrived back at Girton Pavilion at 7.30pm exactly, shattered by that final sprint, and with a face covered with filth thrown up by the wheel in front, and an overall time of 11h 30.
Alex's story
Alex writes: As we set off from start the tandem crew of Alice & John took the lead. I couldn't resist drafting a tandem so latched on to its rear wheel for a very fast transit through Girton. Then we turned onto the busway and the speed increased to 40 km/h. This was way too hot for me so I eased off and cruised until I could hitch on to a more moderately-paced group.
This first leg to Oundle was characterized by a bothersome headwind, nevertheless progress was reasonably easy so long as one kept to the groups. Shortly after Oundle I turned left to take the "Extra Slice" route option which adds around 10km of distance and 300m of climbing to the course. Immediately things got tougher because there was no advantage from group riding, I battled on, trying to maintain a decent pace and wondering what toll the consequent intensity would take later.
Despite the wind, it was mild and my long-fingered gloves too hot. I took them off and rode bare-handed for the rest of the ride. At Lyddington I came across Nigel, who had stopped to de-layer too. He informed me that the serious climbing started here and duly shot off up a fierce slope. I preferred to take it a bit more steadily.
This ride was my new bike's first audax and proved a good opportunity to test some of its features: I clicked down to the 36T rear sprocket on the steep sections of the Extra Slice, and had a chance to warm the brake rotors on the steep descents, touching 73.8 km/h (a new personal record) on the drop down to Launde Abbey.
At McDonald's in Melton Mowbray I found Nigel already happily installed and well into his Meal Deal. Like me, Nigel was using the ride partly as preparation for London-Edinburgh-London and we were both riding with a one-stop strategy to approximate to the LEL stage lengths. As I set off, a few minutes after Nigel, I found the rain we'd had just before lunch had stopped the wind now behind us: the return leg to Cambridge looked an easier prospect than the ride out.
After a while I saw a familiar figure ahead of me: Seb! He was going well and we rode together for a while, winching up the hills and zooming down, until Seb punctured. I left him to fix it while I pressed on to Oundle where I paused to don an extra layer and check my lights. Glancing in the Beans Café I noticed Sven having a break and we chatted for a while. But I wasn't stopping oh no. I set out opting to return through Sawtry rather than horrid Huntingdon.
Maybe not stopping wasn't so wise as I found my energy down, and that if I didn't pay attention my speed would drop to 18 km/h. I ate the few remaining nuts and raisins in my tri bag but without much help. I felt I was running on fumes.
At the start I had set myself an informal target of getting round in 12 hours, so decided to use this to set my pace and keep me busy with mental arithmetic. The distance rolled by uneventfully and I arrived back at Girton with several minutes in hand. The welcome as usual was excellent, and Ewa's cakes were proudly on display in their own cabinet.
I enjoyed some carrot cake, and then an extra slice: chocolate & banana cake. Both were superlative.
For good reason this event is getting a reputation as an early-season classic – and I can thoroughly recommend the Extra Slice which makes for an even prettier run to Melton Mowbray than the classic route.
DM'ing the wife afterwards: message reads "all done. that was tough" (photo: Nick W)
Sven's story
Sven writes: This was an early start to my audaxing this year, with only my second ever 200. Having survived and even enjoyed, last years Cambridge Autumnal 200 to Framlingham, I was in excellent spirits for this ride, heading northwest up to Melton Mowbray and back.
I had convinced a good friend of mine to ride as well, and after attending some minor brake-related issues at the start, we headed off to the busway a good fifteen minutes after the 'peloton' had left the Girton Pavilion. We made good headway and before Oundle started catching up with other riders. I was slightly worried about our high pace, which we maintained up until Melton Mowbray. We settled into the first Cafe where we met John R and others from the CTC. Another regular from the Cambridge Cycling Club, Terry, shared our table. It transpired that he had serious plans for the summer, with the London-Edinburgh-London ride on his calendar. We were duly impressed.
The ride back went more briskly, now with the wind behind us. We gathered the company of Dean from Harlow when Daniel suffered a puncture. The three of us later teamed up with another lad who joined us as it got properly dark. Just within the gates of Hemingford-Abbots it was Dean's turn to need a new front inner tube, so we stopped to tend to his puncture. I used the last 16 km of guided busway back into Cambridge to expend any residual energy I may have had and we covered them in high tempo. We made it to the arrivée at around 8:50pm and were warmly greeted by Nick and Ewa and their astonishing assortment of treats. A day well spent, well organised and to be well remembered.
Seb's story
Seb writes: Really enjoyed every hill and every piece of cake. Best organisation from Nick and all involved. I look forward to next year's already!
Edmund's story
Edmund writes: This was my second 200k event so I approached it with a little more confidence than the first. The first stretch to Oundle wasn't too bad and we four of John S, David T, Tom N and self - otherwise known as the Wayward Laggards - managed what I though was a quite respectable speed, although we were towards the tail end if not at it. But it was going to be a fun day out, wasn't it and we weren't overly bothered about time.
Then the going got tough for me and I was forever hanging on. We reached Melton Mowbray around 2.15pm and after a quick snack chez Nigel's Cafe we tackled the return.
By now I was feeling the strain and despite some exhilarating descents from some strenuous ascents I was puffing by the time we took a break at Oundle. And at 9.20 when we finally crept into Girton I was pretty exhausted but a couple of mugs of delicious soup soon restored the spirits.
I found this a very challenging day, hampered by adverse weather but all in all highly satisfactory in that I completed it. It is rewarding to succeed outside one's usual zone of comfort.
Thanks to John S for superb leading and navigation and to all for support and encouragement.
At the start (photo: Nick W)
David's story
David T writes: First, thanks once again to Nick and his team for organizing another successful event.
Apart from the fun of riding into the wind, rain and hill after hill. Where did he find so many hills ? ! My overriding feeling was that I need to take responsibility for navigation, and not rely on others to lead the entire route. Must do better! (Sorry John).
Tom's story
Tom N writes: I couldn't sleep well the night before. The wind whistled around the house and trees were creaking in the distance.
Am I really going to do this as my first Audax? Are just 9 rides with the club sufficient training after 2 years off the bike, particularly having never done 100miles before??
Dawn broke. The wind had eased marginally. A blanket of grey cloud covered the morning sky. I checked the weather forecast. A 15 knot headwind to Melton Mowbray and rain in the afternoon.
That means the wind should push me home I thought. Let's go for it!
It was great to see some familiar faces at the start. I immediately joined up with those in the team looking to do the slower ride. Edmund, David and myself set off up the guided busway to St Ives and then beyond to Oundle, joining John S and Seb along the way . The wind, though less than the night before, was still punishing us for our endeavours.
10.45 am Oundle:- time for coffee and cake. Let's not rush this chaps (I had this premonition that I might not keep up with the "slow group" once the hills started so I made sure Edmund knew it was fine for everyone else to go ahead if I elected for the "leisurely pace"). And so it was. Time to get the paper route instructions out, drop a gear (or 2 or 3) and enjoy the ride.
I meandered over the hills and far away. Slow on the uphill, quick on the descent. Beautiful towns, lovely countryside, fantastic wildlife. I had the time to see it all.
Funnily enough, not many cyclists though! Where had they all gone? I didn't have to wait long. Some were now heading back. I checked my watch. Time to pick up the pace, perhaps.
A short stop at Melton Mowbray and by 3.15pm the wind was behind me. No stopping me now. Having paced myself slow and leisurely against the wind I knew the finish line was achievable - but by when? Somehow I did a little "extra slice" of my own by misreading the route guide. Another charming hill and a few extra miles near Harringworth Viaduct (just to try and compete with some of the fitter riders who took a planned "extra slice") and, having seen enough of the viaduct (amazing though it is) it was good to get back on track.
I rolled down the hill into Oundle at about 6.45pm. Not too bad for a freshman (to these events) in his 50's, I thought. But after Oundle it all went wrong. A loose fitting front light to fix, missing signposts (hard enough to deal with in daylight hours) and poor navigation added an "extra extra slice" for good measure. As I came into St Ives I appreciated, for the first time, how much better it looked in darkness than in daylight. 9.45pm: Time to grab a pint and give Nick a call from the local pub to tell him I am running a little late.
After a pint (lemonade and lime if you believe me) I glided down the busway to Girton. Nick and his wife were still at Girton, having had a full-on day organising this event.
It was great to get some calls the next day from the club to check I had survived! I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be back next year.
Ewa and her amazing cakes (photo: Nigel)