It's been an awesome ride over to Glossop today. Started with a loop down to Endcliffe Park to watch friends on a Re-Uni-On racing then progressed through Hallam & Fullwood to the A57 and over to the snake pass.
A lovely climb up the snake was completely ruined by face-on hailstones riding down the other side. In 40 mph winds combined with my 43mph travelling speed, I had to stop, put my cap on, pull the visor over my eyes and spend the entire descent just trying to stay between the white lines.
Thankfully through Hayfield and Chinley, the sun came out and rewarmed the shot-blasted skin layers after the top layer had been swiftly removed by little balls of ice.
I turned off for my ride through Wash totally expecting to have to get off and walk the steep 1 in 3 hills. Instead I took a breather half way up the first hill before continuing to ride it. I rode all the way up the second and on to Rushup edge which is a breeze after the Wash climbs.
Final climb up through Surprise View above Hathersage was painless. I was more pained by the Cinelli / Rapha boys who'd obviously driven out to the Foxhouse only to come spinning past me at the top of the hill. Fortunately the last one was really fat so I drafted him for a while before he dropped away from me like a stone on the descent.
I took a turn and wiggled my way through the lanes back to the Rivelin Road where I battled more headwind to get home. I am pained, convinced that I'd had a headwind on my way out. I mean I wasn't imagining the pain of hailstones in my face.
Momentarily I was tempted by the climb up Hagg Hill to bring me to my house through the nice flat-ish Bole Hill Lane instead of having to fight my way up Walkley Hill. Presented with the reality that I'd need to push my bike, I headed through the allotments instead, choosing to run up the steps cyclo-cross style instead. When I put my bike down I discovered by saddle was loose and opted to realign it a little. Much better on the tri bars now. Slightly less over-extension of the old ham strings.
60 miles, almost 2000m climbing and 5hours, 10 mins. I'm happy with that for a hilly course as it would bring my less hilly IM time in at 8.5 hours.
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