Saturday, 23 June 2018
Nigel writes:
First, the prelude. On Friday 9th June I took the train down to Exeter, stayed overnight with my bike in the Premier Inn opposite the station, and at midday the next day set off with about thirty other riders on the "Back to the smoke" 400km Audax. This had attracted me as it was, unusually, a one-way ride, starting at Exeter St David's station and finishing at Marylebone station in London.
Exeter Station, the start of my ill-fated "Back to the smoke" 400km Audax
Unfortunately things didn't turn out as I had planned. Despite a strong, fast start through Devon and Somerset, I quickly discovered that I wasn't feeling as well as I should, and by the time I reached Marlborough in Wiltshire, the 200km point, I was struggling: weak, no appetite, and feeling slightly sick. I'm not sure what the cause was: perhaps it was a dodgy pint in Wetherspoons the previous night, or perhaps it was something else.
In any case, as night fell I decided I didn't feel up to riding through the night and instead diverted to Swindon, checking in to a Travelodge just after midnight. I collapsed into bed, exhausted, but after a good night's sleep found myself completely recovered. The next morning I sent an email to the ride organiser to notify him that I was a "DNF" - someone who "did not finish" the ride - before making my sorry way home by train.
Although I knew that this was just one of those things that happens from time to time, my first DNF for over a year hit my confidence somewhat. More importantly, it also left me with the need for me to ride a 400km Audax before I could achieve the exalted status of "Super Randonneur" for the current season. With all the organised "calendar" 400s now finished for this year, that meant riding alone, on a "DIY".
Second attempt
I decided to make another attempt the following weekend, 18th/19th June. However the Saturday night was forecast to be drizzly in south-east England and so I decided to plan the ride further east - in The Netherlands.
A year ago I took the overnight ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, rode a DIY 200km Audax and caught the next overnight boat back home. With quiet roads, superb cycling infrastructure, pretty countryside and a succession of historic towns, this turned out to be one of the most enjoyable days out on the bike I have ever had. A year later, the idea of going back and riding a 400 was something I couldn't resist.
The weather forecast for The Netherlands was dry, but with a 30kph south-westerly wind. After the previous week's discomforts I decided that I wanted this ride to be fun, so on the Thursday evening I quickly plotted a one-way route which would give me a tailwind for most of the way: from Hook of Holland in the south-west to Groningen in the north-east, passing through Amsterdam at the half-way point.
To save time in planning a route I reused part of my route from last year, but most of the route was completely new.
On Friday morning I went online and formally submitted my route to the Audax UK website. I would be riding this as a "DIY-by-GPS" in which I submit a route in advance, follow it faithfully, and then upload your actual GPS track. If the two are a sufficient match my route is validated and my ride is formally recognised by Audax UK.
I then spent the day at work, trying not to get too distracted by my excitement at the prospect of the forthcoming adventure. Eventually the evening arrived and on Friday evening I caught the train from Cambridge to Harwich . By 9pm I was wheeling my bike up the ramp onto the Stena Hollandica for the 11pm departure to Hook of Holland.
On the ferry. The cycle parking area was full, so I was asked to tie my bike up here
I knew I had 24 hours of cycling ahead of me the next day so I had a glass of Heineken in the bar and then went to bed early.
My cabin
The next morning I had time for a large breakfast on the boat before we all disembarked at 8am. I was almost the first person off the boat, and after quickly passing through passport control I paused at the exit from the port to check my route and start my Garmin. I contemplated the weekend ahead: this was going to be good.
0km. Just off the boat: it's going to be a great weekend
This isn't the place to describe what it's like cycling in The Netherlands. But, like the last time I visited, it was a delight. My last two Audax rides had involved some long tedious grinds along busy roads, so it was wonderful to be able to ride 400km with hardly any interactions with motor vehicles. (To be honest it puts me off Audaxing anywhere else).
1km. Last sight of the Stena Hollandica
For the first 100km of the ride, from Hook of Holland to Gouda, I followed the reverse of the route I had followed when riding my 200km Audax last July. This took me east along the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas river for about 23km before turning south to pass under the river using the Benelux Cycle Tunnel.
24km. The Benelux Cycle Tunnel under the Nieuwe Maas. Smooth, wide, absolutely no headwind, and initially downhill. There's actually a 30kph speed limit, but since my GPS device doesn't work underground I had no idea what speed I was going.
I'm not sure what the area I was cycling through is called; it's probably considered the southern edge of Rotterdam, but although it was fairly urban I was mostly cycling through parkland, first along the Niewe Maas and, later, the Oude Maas.
At 66km I arrived at Kinderdijk, a beautiful area of historic polder with numerous preserved windmills - and a cycleway passing right through the middle. I stopped briefly for a coffee before before taking a ferry back north over the River Lek.
66km. One of a several historic windmills (actually, wind pumps) at Kinderdijk
68km. Waiting for the ferry at Kinderdijk
I reached Gouda (90km), the first significant town of my ride, at about 12.30am, riding right through the middle. I was feeling ready for lunch, but I decided not to stop until I had passed the 100km mark.
90km. The market place in Gouda
107km. Along the Oude Rijn at Bodegraven
The next town after Gouda was Woerden (118km). This looks amazing
on a map, with the town centre on an island separated from the rest of the town by what is essentially a moat, though on the ground this is less obvious. By now it was 1.45pm and I stopped for a pleasant lunch sitting outside a bakery in one of the central streets.
118km. Lunch in Woerden
From Woerden it was a further 26km to Utrecht.
Just after Woerden
A grey heron
130km. De Haar Castle on the approach to Utrecht
144km. Utrecht: waiting for the lights to change
An hour later I reached Utrecht, a lively city whose bars I had enjoyed on a visit last autumn. However on this occasion I hadn't planned to stop for long. I would stop at a small branch of Albert Heijn (a ubiquitous supermarket chain) in the city centre before turning north-west towards Amsterdam. However when I arrived I discovered the area to be crowded with thousands of people celebrating Utrecht Pride, with throngs of people lining the canals to watch a succession of boats pass by with people dancing and generally having a great time. With loud disco music playing I was tempted to join in and turn on my own on-board loudspeaker.
145km: Utrecht Pride
I didn't have a hope of finding anywhere to park my bike outside the supermarket so I abandoned that idea and set off out of town, walking my bike through the crowds until it became possible to get back on and ride.
My route now took me along the banks of the River Vecht for about an hour. This was one of the most attractive sections of the ride; I was now following a much smaller river than the big commercial waterways I had been riding alongside earlier, and it meandered pleasantly past a series of pretty villages and prosperous-looking houses.
162km: Following the River Vecht north of Utrecht. This is at at Nieuwersluis.
After 20km I left the river behind and turned north-west towards Amsterdam. Passing through the village of Abcoude (178km) I passed another Albert Hejn, and I stopped to stock up on food and water for the journey ahead.
At about 6.30pm I arrived in the outskirts of Amsterdam.
191km. Arriving in Amsterdam
196km. Crossing Herengracht in Amsterdam
I was now ready for another stop, and although I passed a series of inviting cafes on my way into the centre I decided I wouldn't stop until I had reached Amsterdam Central Station, which by coincidence was the 199km point.
I had plotted my route to pass the station because I thought it might be be a good place to find a quick bite to eat whilst staying close to my bike. In the event nowhere seemed suitable and instead I stopped at a coffee shop (of the Starbucks variety rather than the Amsterdam variety) a little further on. It was now 7pm, and I decided to award myself a break of nearly an hour. As I sat outside in the sunshine facing the harbour I realised how windy it was: I repeatedly had to get up to chase after things blown from my table. Fortunately the wind was still from the south-west. I was heading north-east. Phew.
I set off again just before 8pm. With half my ride behind me now I was feeling good. I contemplated how I had felt in Marlborough just a week earlier at exactly the same stage in the ride, and felt reassured by how much better I was feeling. This was definitely still fun.
201km. Heading east out of Amsterdam along the Ij river
At Muiderberg (220km) I passed a snack bar that was still open (it was now nearly 9pm) and called in to stock up with soft drinks and water. Although I was due to pass though two sizeable towns later in the evening I had no idea what would be open, and was slightly relieved that I now had everything I needed for the night.
Just beyond Muiderberg I crossed a huge motorway bridge into Flevoland. This is essentially an island, created when the Zuiderzee was drained in the 1950s. In Flevoland nothing is more than about 70 years old, as the whole area was underwater before then.
229km. Riding the Spoorbaanpad through Almere: a superb high-speed route parallel to the railway
234km. Along the Spoorbaanpad the traffic signals defaulted to showing green for cyclists, not drivers
I passed through the two main towns of Flevoland: Almere (230km) at 9.30pm and Lelystad (258km) at about 10.45pm. Sunset was at 10pm today (it was almost midsummer) and it was now beginning to get dark. On my way through Lelystad I paused for a few minutes to eat a pasta salad whilst listening to a rock concert outside the station, and then set off north into the night.
The night section of any long ride is always a rather special experience and I always enjoy it, though on this midsummer weekend the period of darkness was to last barely five hours. I turned on my music and selected my playlist of classic pop hits. This was a good sign and reflected the fact that I was still riding strongly: I have an alternative playlist of lower-tempo, mellower songs for when I'm tired, but I had no need for them tonight.
About an hour later I made a simple navigational error in the darkness which led me to ride along a grassy track for 5km, but apart from that this was a pleasant, quiet part of the ride. A highpoint was riding along the shore of the Ijseelmeer with huge but barely-visible wind turbines towering over me in the darkness.
264km. Approaching the northern end of Flevoland. At 11.24pm, in the dark, I failed to notice that the cycle route went off to the left (and along the other side of the dyke). Instead I continued straight on along the road. (Photo from
Google Street View).
269km. 4km later the road I was following turned sharp right. My Garmin said I should go straight on, and since I was riding a "mandatory route" Audax I had to keep close to my planned route. So I continued through the gates and along a rough, grassy track for 5km. In the dark I failed to spot the steps on the left (with cycle route sign) which would have taken me to the parallel cycleway on the other side. (Photo from
Google Street View).
As the night drew on I began to feel sleepy and as I passed through the wooded grounds of some kind of country house I decided to lie down and close my eyes for a while. It was 3.45am. Rough sleeping on audaxes (politely called bivvying) is a new experience to me, and I probably didn't choose the most suitable spot: lying on the ground in woodland meant that I soon felt the tickle of insects crawling over me, but I was too tired to move.
338km. At 3.45am, in the darkness, I had a lie down just beyond this gate for 45 minutes. (Photo from
Google Street View).
The sounds of voices a short distance awoke me from what must have been half an hour's sleep. I noticed a couple of cyclists passing by a short distance away. I checked the time: it was 4.30am. It had become light and I realised that my resting place was not as hidden as it had seemed when I arrived, and it was time to move on. I stood up, brushed the leaves and woodland dust from my clothes, and got back on my bike.
Even though this was a very short and not-especially-satisfying rest, it had taken me to the third stage of any 400: the final dozy hours during which I would be riding in the early-morning daylight along completely empty roads, through villages with everyone still fast asleep, whilst struggling with sleep deprivation.
I had spent only a few minutes planning my route for this final 70km section, and had plotted a fairly direct route using the Dutch "numbered network" of cycle routes. Taking this approach had until now resulted in me riding along near-perfect cycleways or quiet roads (apart from that navigation error earlier). However for this final section the quality of route deteriorated markedly, and I found my Garmin taking me along an endless series of poorly-surfaced (or even unsurfaced) tracks. This came as a surprise: I had come to expect that any cycle route in the Netherlands would be excellent, but in this quiet rural area the routes - despite all being on the Dutch numbered network - were closer to the kind of off-road track you might encounter in Britain. In normal circumstances this would have been tolerable, but it was definitely not what I wanted after over 300km.
However it's worth being clear here: if it hadn't been for my tiredness and the poor surfaces this would have been a delightful part of the ride: empty roads, wooded tracks, silent villages and a long section alongside a sleepy canal.
Eventually I arrived on the outskirts of Groningen, the largest city in the north of the Netherlands. After making a second navigation error which led me along another grassy track (when the cycleway I wanted was running parallel on the other side of a drainage ditch) I arrived in the city centre. It was 8.30am and I made my way to the empty market square where my ride formally ended.
The only place that seemed to be open was McDonalds (it was Sunday), but this was just fine: a perfect place for a tired, scruffy cyclist to rest quietly in a corner over a coffee and McBreakfast.
Later I took the train back south to Rotterdam, cycled the remaining 30km back to Hook of Holland (into a headwind this time) and caught the overnight ferry back to Britain.
So, that's my 400km Audax done for this year, and despite sleepiness it probably couldn't have been easier. Assuming my GPS track is validated successfully by Audax UK, this completes my third "Super Randonneur" award. No more long audaxes for me this year, not until I start riding my qualification rides for PBP (Paris Brest Paris) early in 2019.
Nigel Deakin
Total distance 407km (253 miles). Elapsed time: 24 hours 30 minutes. Moving average speed 22kph (13.6 mph).
Here's the ride on Strava. This ride increases my Eddington number to 88.
You can download this route (and I would recommend reviewing the final 80km to avoid some rough sections) from
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27798327.