Solo To The Trent

Solo Ride - Trip To The Trent And Back, 50 Miles - 07-03-15



The River Trent At West Butterwick

Given the choice I would always prefer to ride in a group or with somebody else. Unfortunately sometimes things get in the way. Things like work. I couldn't do the Cottingham Road Club ride at the weekend as I was working nights.

So on the Saturday before my first night shift I needed to get out and do a 50 mile ride.

The weather was a bit of a double edged sword. On the plus side, it wasn't going to rain and the temperature was going to be a balmy 9 to 10 degrees. On the minus side the wind that had been around all week would not go away and in fact was picking up. We were back to 20 to 25 mph steady winds with gusts up to 35 mph. The wind direction was south westerly.

The route I had in mind was pretty simple. From Barton-Upon-Humber to Brigg and Messingham and then hit the River Trent at the village of West Butterwick. Then follow the river for a few miles south before doubling back and returning more or less the same way I'd come.

THE ROUTE

Horkstow Road is a quiet single track road that can get you across from Barton-Upon-Humber to Horkstow without the need to travel on much busier roads. The only down side is that it is exposed and slightly uphill all the way so if the wind is against you it can be tough going.

I was less than a mile into the ride when I started up Horkstow Road and I was met with a really strong wind in the opposite direction. 1 mile in and I was doing about 11-12 mph and my heart rate was telling me I was working hard to achieve even that.

I got over to Horkstow and took a left turn, the wind was still against me. I went through Worlaby and got to the T junction where you turn right for Wrawby. I turned right. The wind was still against me. I got to the outskirts of Brigg and took another right. The wind was still against me.I went through Brigg and headed for Scawby. The wind was still against me.

It had now sunk in that I was going to have to go all the way to the Trent before I got any relief from this wind.

 

SEE THAT POWER STATION ? I USED TO WORK THERE

 

Before I got to Scawby I went past Brigg Power Station where I used to work. Briefly I toyed with the idea of dropping in and saying hello. They would give me a nice welcome I'm sure, they would dress it up as abuse of course but I knew they loved me. I could have a coffee and maybe get the bike thrown in the back of the pick up and taken home ...no, no, no ! Come on, how is that going to get you to where you want to be ?! Knuckle down and press on.



Brigg Power Station - Any Chance Of A Lift ?

So through Scawby, Greetwell and down the hill on the way to Messingham. Once I got to Messingham I knew in my head that I was going to do the 50 miles.

Quite simply it wasn't far to go to the Trent and once there the only way to get home would be to complete the distance of 50 miles.

So in a strange way even though I had not yet done half distance I kind of thought well I'm gonna do it now.

I like the last few miles from Messingham to the Trent. Turn left past the filling station and down the hill to the traffic light junction with North Moor Lane. Go straight over and carry on down Butterwick Road towards the Trent. This road is flat and inviting and I don't know how it does it but most times you can end up doing a decent lick down it....but not today because the wind is still against me.

THE TRENT AND SOME BLESSED RELIEF

Fellow Cyclists On Their Own Journey At The River Trent

At last I arrived at West Butterwick and The Trent and decided to have a stop, take a photo and have a bite to eat. The number of cyclists going past had increased markedly. I said hello to a couple of guys as they came by.

I hoped they wouldn't  mind and I took a photo of them for the blog. They couldn't mind because one of them is waving or was he gesticulating ?!

I don't truly get relief from the wind until I go a few more miles down the Trent and turn left at Susworth. I make that just under 27 miles with a headwind or close to a head wind.

GOING BACK THE WAY I CAME......BUT FASTER

 

Leaving the Trent I am soon in Scotter and then turn right onto Brigg Road which is going to take me back to the town of that name. The  roads are flat or undulating and with the wind now behind me it was much more enjoyable.

It is still hard work but with the wind behind your hard work results in greater speed and a feeling that maybe you could just survive in a proper peleton.

I had a decent little hill to climb up to Greetwell for which I got a personal record and give a big thank you to that back wind.

Through Brigg, Wrawby and over the rail crossing I go heading for Elsham Hall. The sun is shining and I can see my shadow on the left hand verge getting creased and bent as it moves over the bumps and clumps of grass. But then it is not just my shadow but someone else's shadow I see on the left hand verge.

It seems I have been hunted down by a fellow cyclist who has set his sights on me and reeled me in. I am about to turn left on the road to Worlaby. I ask my possible new friend if he is turning left, we could do some miles together ?

Unfortunately he is going straight on and so as quickly as he had arrived and set my pulse racing with a possible alliance he is gone.

I go up the hill at Worlaby slowly and steadily. I am not breaking any records here. My legs are getting tired now and I can feel that possibly they may start to cramp up if I do not take it easy.

My caution is cast away though on reaching the top of the final climb up to the top of Horkstow Hill. I am looking down the easy incline of Horkstow Road that will take me back into Barton.

Going in the opposite direction some 3 hours ago I had chugged away at 11 to 12 mph against that dibilitating head wind. Now it was payback time with that same wind behind me and a warm cup of tea and bath just minutes away.

With the wind I averaged 26 mph with a maximum of 31 mph.

AND SO TO WORK

 

Doing the bike ride before nights was not ideal. I wasn't able to get any sleep before the shift as the adrenalin was still pumping round my system for the rest of the day.

I anticipated hitting a low point during the shift at some time but I am an experienced shift worker and this is what we get pa.......zzzz.......zzzzz !


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