Chalke & Cheese 200
A Paris-Brest-Paris Qualifying BRM

I wasn’t planning to do this, I had the Poor Student lined up, but then had to cancel that because I had a training course on the same day. However, I had a lot of fun doing Will’s rides last year, so I thought I would give this a go. Stayed in the faded grandness of the Arnos Manor Hotel, in a room up and down several flights of stairs which had stairs down to its bathrooms and stairs up to a connecting room. Discovered that the reason my tyre was going down was a socking great blackthorn picked up from cycling the roads canals of Basingstoke on the club run the previous weekend. Fortunately had packed a spare tyre and extra spare tube, so did a repair in the comfort of my hotel room. It was a 5 mile ride through the heavy mizzle, brisk wind, and deserted streets of Kingswood to the start, where a crowd of cyclists was gathering. After a cup of tea I manoeuvred my way to the back of the first group off and headed along a cycle path that was soon parting the inland sea of the flooded River Avon. I was glad to follow riders with local knowledge as we weaved through some streets to get to the railway tunnels. (I had been in the opposite direction on Bill’s Easton connection the previous year but after 18 hours and 4500+m of climbing my brain was somewhat addled).

Am carrying 5kg extra at the moment, so started the first hill slowly until the diesel engine kicked in and I could reel in a couple of lighter but less powerful riders, but that just gave me the pleasure of a wet crosswind. However as we weaved towards Westbury the wind generally helped. I rode in company for a little while but then noticed a pothole had shifted my pannier, so was back to a solitary experience. When we got to the outskirts of Westbury I picked up the route of the Col de Neue Chevaux Blancs (a great 300km permanent from Alresford, which views all of the Wiltshire White Horses). The Westbury horse was concealed in the mirk but the hill was a lot easier after 50km than 200. Then it was the Wylye Valley and the first cafe stop. I wasn’t going to stop here, but the cakes looked good and it was good to see Tony Hull stamping the cards (he was the rider to finish immediately after me on my first 300 – the 3 Moors, back in 2003.

A tailwind gave brisk travel down the Wylye Valley to the info control in Wilton. I slogged up the next hill, for the plumber in the sky to test full soaking mode (which worked very well). Fortunately the rain eased before the next cafe stop, in Broadchalke, which serves as the village shop, cafe, Church of England and United Reformed Church chapel. Good on them. They also served Dorset Apple Cake, which was perfectly okay because I had my medical the day before, so its impact on my blood sugar wouldn’t be noticed.

The Ebble was like the Wylye, using the full width of its valley, as rivers should do in winter. At one point a farmer had made a temporary sheep crossing using culvert tubes and sandbags. It was almost but not quite flowing down the road, but by that stage we’d had plenty of experience of cycling through floods. The bigger problem was the wind. It was 81km to the next control and headwind all the way. I felt I made good progress up Donhead Hollow but stopped at the top, certain that this would need an info control. It didn’t, so I had fun descending Zigzag Hill and leaving the car that was following me behind.

The B3081 was quite busy, and windy, and the rain came back again just before Bruton and the brutes of hills that follow. If there had been a cafe in sight I would have stopped but there were just two pubs at Cannard’s Grave. Perhaps Cannard had actually died looking for a cup of tea? There was a rider ahead who I almost caught but who was better at hills than I was. Then I caught them up in Dulcote because the cycle path was closed. She was talking to a couple of riders who worked out the alternative. They set off into the wind like a couple of Belgians with me labouring to stay in touch until I got back on route. Then it was into the wind. I lost distance at a set of lights and then the man with the hammer set about me as I hadn’t eaten enough. I reached Wedmore pie-eyed and barely able to turn the pedals, a condition that was fixed by a pasty, milkshake, crisps, and a tailwind to follow. We sat outside and got cold, and I clearly hadn’t fully recovered (Strava told me I had a personal best on a sector – by 1 second – the only other time I had been this way on Strava was 350km into the Brimstone). However, following better climbers up Cheddar Gorge warmed me up and my legs came back into function for a glorious sail over the Mendips with a solid tailwind.

My 2002 vintage Roberts Audax still handles beautifully, so was able to pass a couple of riders on Harptree Hill and caught two more the descent to Pensford. There was just one last hill. The two riders I caught demonstrated they could spin up hills quicker than me, but when the gradient levelled out, my height and upright riding position acted like a sail to blow me up to them. It was getting really dark, and I only had my commuting lights on – as the Lumicycles are nicely adjusted on the Enigma Machine which is sitting at home, waiting for when the weather and my diary allow me to restart the occasional London commute.

It was just a few miles back to the busy pub, to get my card stamped, and then an easier slog over Kingswood and weave my way through the busier traffic back to the hotel, which was equipped with a huge bath, Hobgoblin beer, and their last pizza.

All in all, a very satisfactory start to this year’s PBP campaign. I need to get lighter and fitter to ride with the vedettes again, but that will be the plan as I prefer the earlier start time and the more disciplined group riding.

Worth the travel down from Suffolk – plenty of Wind & Rain, punctures and gear failure, one to remember. Will come back some time and do it in the summer months, great route. A starting point for PBP 2023 and great to see relatively young people enjoying Audax.

A great route starting out along the cycle path from Warmley, by frozen and iced up railway engines. The route was great and took us on a real mix of lanes and side roads. Mainly rolling hills and lumps to begin with. Well organized controls and cafe stops made all the difference. The 2022 ride was really cold, down to -5 at the start, so I kept stops to a minimum and tried to keep some body heat going. I was ridng solo, so went at my own pace, and it was a great atmosphere among all of the riders, which it invariably is in the depths of winter.

There are a few of “Will’s hills” in the last 30k or so, with Cheddar Gorge as a warm up, then a couple of super sharp but short hills before popping out somewhere near Keynsham, via some beautiful out of the way villages.

There were a few busyish roads in the route, around Wells and towards the very end, but that was probably just in comparison to how quiet the rest of the route was. A great way to spend a January Saturday on the bike.

On a cold windswept day in January I chose this as my first audax of the year. It was great fun riding this one, some roads I was familiar with and others not. The ride out from Warmley station on the Bristol to Bath cycleway was nice and then onto the two tunnels trail emerging from the second tunnel into daybreak.

Once over the Mendip hills it was gentle rolling countryside through into Wiltshire with a stop at the Ginger Piggery for coffee on the way to Wilton. Heading west there was a few more cheeky hills as we crossed into Dorset including a climb up onto Bullbarrow down that tested the legs. Onwards west we rode into somerset with another of Will’s hills just after Bruton and then finally after a dash across the levels we ascended Cheddar Gorge. I was one of those that climbed it in the dark which added an interesting twist. But don’t thinks it’s all downhill back to Warmley as there was a couple more Will’s hills thrown in at the end.

On the whole it was a great ride, would I do it again? Most definitely yes!

Some familiar and not so familiar roads for this winter Audax which I enjoyed immensely.