Riders have two selections when shivering within the shadow of winter’s darkish wall: chip away at it on the indoor coach till the primary shards of spring sunshine pierce the mortar; or, try and make associates with it. Having been a agency advocate of the previous over the previous couple of years, I made a decision that I’d head into the winter months this yr with an open thoughts and acquaint myself with the colder, wetter aspect of biking.
The UK is excellent at doing unhealthy climate. It is the perpetual drizzle that maybe units it aside from the climes of different nations. Add to {that a} biting southwesterly and impenetrable cloud cowl and you’ve got your self fairly the little Hades. However we’ve obtained shut on six months of this – time to make the most effective out of an extremely unhealthy state of affairs.
Journey of Chalk Horses
The White Horse Spherical’s 117-mile route is made up of fifty/50 bridleway and tarmac. Looping by way of the UK’s Wiltshire, it passes six white horse etchings, carved into the chalk; the primary of which (when you start from the official begin) is the Westbury White Horse, which seems at mile 15 and was restored in 1778, with historians believing the unique dates again to round 1172. I began in Chiseldon and my first was the Devizes White Horse.
As a way to actually get beneath winter’s pores and skin I hurled myself headlong into an FKT (Quickest Identified Time) try. Scattered throughout the globe, FKTs are comprised of lengthy, multi-terrain parcours typically taking in breathtaking however difficult terrain often in nationwide parks or Areas of Excellent Pure Magnificence (AONBs). After finding out the intensive listing of potentialities I finally pinpointed The White Horse Spherical in Wiltshire, UK, for 3 very particular causes: it had the least quantity of vertical acquire of any of the opposite choices on the listing (6,000ft); at 117 miles – 50% on byways – it is one of many shortest FKTs you are able to do; and, it’s close to my home.
So on a Saturday morning in early November, I set the controls for Chiseldon in South West England’s Wiltshire, with a view to not solely recalibrate my conceptions of the colder months, however to additionally add my identify to the hallowed listing of FKT holders.
The time presently on the high of the listing was 7hrs 11mins, which means an common pace of a minimum of 16.5mph could be wanted to beat it. I harboured loads of ill-advised confidence. The route was virtually flat, in spite of everything. And, ought to I fail to hit the required 16.5mph, I might nonetheless set a ‘winter’ FKT – any try happening between November and February – since, no time had but been set. Time to imagine an aerodynamic, TT worthy place on my Big Revolt X Professional gravel bike and let rip.
To your studying pleasure, right here, are the (largely) unfiltered journey notes…
117 miles to go
I set off from Chiseldon after having parked simply behind the Spar comfort retailer. This was a strategic transfer. That Spar could be getting the remedy later. I’d spared its cabinets for now although. Unsupported FKT makes an attempt include a thick roll of pink tape, commandments if you’ll: ‘thou shall not cease and purchase meals or water throughout the problem’. I’d damaged the behavior of a lifetime and approached this journey with a semblance of organisation. Already secreted about my particular person have been about 10 kilos price of flapjacks and a diabetes-inducing quota of Haribo Fangastics. I additionally had water in two 750ml bottles and an extra 1.5 litres on my again. Sufficient. In all probability.
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‘Thou shalt not search help from bike outlets’ was additionally on the listing. My bar bag had all of the requisite instruments to assist me within the occasion of most mechanicals – it was only a disgrace I didn’t know the right way to use them. Aside from the pump. Present me a damaged chain and I’ll recoil in confused horror. Present me a flat tyre and I’ll have that child inflated earlier than you possibly can say Joe Blow.
I clicked ‘go’ on my Garmin and hit Britain’s ‘oldest highway’ – The Ridgeway – exhausting. The Ridgeway runs 87 miles by way of Wiltshire and Berkshire and has been utilized by travellers for over 5,000 years. Right this moment it was being utilized by me and a bunch of dust bikers. I watched as they plunged out and in of puddles the width of the trail and virtually as deep. I had 117 miles left to pedal. I needed I had a dust bike. I used to be manner off tempo. This was going to be a protracted day.
109 miles to go
(Picture credit score: Future)
Eight miles of driving on The Ridgeway and its centuries’ price of damage hadn’t executed any favours for my pace. I used to be presently averaging 15mph. I’d pored over the parcours previous to driving and highlighted every highway part – that is the place I’d be placing down the ability and making time. I’d given every tyre round 50psi so as to optimise tempo on the blacktop. Sure, this might imply rather less grip on slippery singletrack, however there was only some miles of the actually gnarly stuff to barter. How exhausting might it’s?
103 miles to go
Very exhausting. That’s how exhausting. I’d discovered the opening part of singletrack. It was basically a rut about six inches extensive set a few foot deep into the bottom. The rut consisted of a tough and slick chalky substrate, which got here with the added complication of being located on a descending gradient that rendered my brakes completely ineffective. With each entrance and rear utilized to the hilt I started an intrepid luge-esque tour down the path – my remaining vacation spot alongside this greasy avenue unknown, utterly out of my management. If this ended rubber-side down I’d be astonished and grateful in equal measure.
Midway to the underside I seen a thick elongated clump of stinging nettles materialising on the left hand aspect of the trail. “I hope I don’t fall into that thick clump of stinging nettles on the left hand aspect of the trail”, I assumed to myself. 5 seconds later I fell into that thick clump of stinging nettles on the left hand aspect of the trail. Issues have been going badly. I wanted some asphalt and I wanted it quickly.
The White Horse of simply exterior of Denzies
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Only one mile later, I noticed my first white horse of the journey. Sadly on the time it materialised on a North Wessex Down simply exterior of Devizes, a misty drizzle had set in and I used to be nonetheless in a big quantity of discomfort after having acquainted myself with the biggest nettle patch in WIltshire. Nonetheless I took an image for posterity and continued, glad to have ticked one of many route’s omnipresent equines off the listing. Onwards.
81 miles to go
(Picture credit score: Future)
My bike seemed prefer it had gone 12 rounds with Worzel Gummidge (a giant scary scarecrow when you’re not previous, or British, sufficient to remember), coated in leaves, mud and cattle waste. This route was chosen by dint of its purported 50% ‘s price of paved parcours – it was additionally speculated to be comparatively flat. I used to be but to see proof of both. I appeared to be capsizing quite a bit, there’s no buy on these trails, and the argument for flat pedals was rising ever stronger. When not falling over, I used to be lugging my steed up leaf littered rock gardens in sneakers with the grip of a billiard ball. I used to be not averaging 15mph anymore, with two gears obtainable: gradual and actually, actually gradual. Nonetheless, Bradford on Avon and Bathtub have been simply across the nook, and with these locations comes 20 miles on the flat and hopefully quick Kennet and Avon canal towpath.
65 miles to go
Somebody alongside the Kennet and Avon towpath shouted one thing at me. I circled and mentioned: “Sorry?”.
“I mentioned get a f***ing bell”, he replied, to which I responded: “The additional weight of a bell might very effectively compromise my FKT try.” He mentioned nothing. I’d clearly baffled him with verbiage unique to the biking fraternity.
He was proper although – half the folks of Somerset have been out taking a day constitutional alongside the towpath, and the place I assumed I’d make up slightly time became an impediment course of canine, kids and the aged. I spent the next 20 miles parting with exaggerated coughs to announce my presence and obtained to the tip of the canal part unable to speak. Come Bathtub, I laboured my manner by way of a flapjack and checked on my progress. My Garmin delivered the information deadpan: common pace 13mph. Until I miraculously acquired the Vo2 Max of an Alaskan Malamute this was very a lot a doomed quest. And the hardest part of the route was but to return.
49 miles to go
(Picture credit score: Future)
The hardest part of the route – Fosse Lane close to a spot known as Bathampton – started on benign blacktop that metamorphosed by way of hardpacked byway, muddy bridleway and ultimately ended its transformation with what can finest be described as a swamp. It was a bit just like the reverse cycle of a butterfly: begins with magnificence, ends with one thing you have a look at and go “eueww”. To make issues immeasurably worse the entire thing performed out over a 1.2-mile hill the place gradients touched on 20%. Biking turned one thing I used to do. Strolling, falling over and swearing quite a bit was now what I did.
27 miles to go
At nightfall it dawned on me that the White Horse I noticed on the slopes close to Devizes was the one one I’d seen to date. I used to be unlikely to see any extra both. Not that I frankly gave a toss – this was severe FKT enterprise, not a tour of an antiquated donkey sanctuary. I turned on my helmet and handlebar lights, ate my remaining flapjack and continued punching out as a lot energy as my ebbing ranges of vitality would enable.
“This was severe FKT enterprise, not a tour of an antiquated donkey sanctuary”
An absolute FKT was now out of the query. However a Winter FKT – certainly one which has by no means been set on this course – could be established. It had grow to be my obligation to finish the journey in a time that wouldn’t garner an excessive amount of ridicule, however that ship had kind of already sailed.
18 miles to go
The purpose was to finish the journey Unsupported, with simply the foods and drinks I had on me
(Picture credit score: Future)
I might comprise myself now not, and succumbed to the magnetic pull of a Meal Deal. The acquainted sensation of quickly depleting glycogen shops mixed with the sight of a Co-Op comfort retailer rendered an Unsupported FKT try kind of out of date.
There are three totally different sorts of FKT, you see. Unsupported signifies that all meals, water and important package should be carried and meals caches and outlets aren’t permitted. Self-supported signifies that you’ll be able to refill on meals and necessities throughout the try however don’t have any assist from second events. Lastly, Supported means you’ve got a devoted crew readily available to maintain the problem operating as effectively as potential. So after burying my face in a BLT I left the little village of South Cerney satiated however solemn. If I’d packed an additional flapjack or two it might have put paid to these late starvation pangs. You reside and also you study.
4 miles to go
I assumed I’d arrived in Swindon to a ticker tape parade. My very presence appeared to instigate a wild frenzy of merriment, mirth and a sequence of opulent firework shows. I prefer it right here, I assumed. Then I remembered it was the start of November and that no one on the earth aside from me cares concerning the truth I’ve simply engaged in a 100 mile battle with the weather. Nonetheless, having fun with Swindon’s annual Man Fawkes evening fireworks show was a pleasant technique to conclude the journey.
117 miles, full
(Picture credit score: Future)
What I got down to obtain – an Unsupported All-Time FKT of round 7 hours, it transpired, was not achievable. However, what I did set was a Self-supported Winter FKT for the White Horse Spherical, in 10hrs and 38 minutes with a mean pace of 12.6mph.
I took on this journey aboard a really succesful gravel bike, however situations have been such {that a} hardtail mountain bike would’ve been infinitely extra environment friendly. There are not any actual protracted sections of highway on which to open the faucets, certainly many of the asphalt is brief transitional lengths between byways and bridleways. If I have been to make the try with the advantage of hindsight, I’d’ve additionally taken extra meals, extra water and, in a great world, misplaced about 20kg earlier than beginning off. However a quick time was inconsequential. Extra importantly, the sensation of driving by way of a whole day, from daybreak to nightfall and past, has given me a style for winter outings – and as quickly as I’ve regained the sensation in my toes I’ll take into consideration planning one other.
