This was my first attempt at a 300km audax. The distance seemed unachievable but I was determined to have a go. Weather forecast was very poor, with snow and high winds forecast. It was tempting to be a DNS but I had accommodation booked in Oxford so I decided to just see how far I could get. My club mate John was also signed up for this ride and was equally unsure of starting. He decided to ride his tricycle given the uncertain weather conditions. I caught the train down to Oxford on he Friday evening, meeting another audax rider, Lee who was on the same train. I was booked to stay at YHA Oxford and after checking in ordered a pizza and sat in the reception/lounge area.
A young girl asked me for help finding a homeless shelter and after some discussion I learnt that she had run away from home that morning. She was clearly very upset and vulnerable and I was frustrated with myself for being unable to persuade her to confide in me. I felt like I was talking to my teenage self, how would someone have gained my confidence? I drew a complete blank. She refused offers of food but eventually agreed that I could pay for her to stay at the YHA. This plan fell through when the YHA staff refused to allow her to stay without parental consent as she was only 17. Bizarrely, being over 16 she was free to do as she pleased and they could offer her no other help except to direct her to the local homeless shelters. She thanked me and walked out into the night.
I hardly slept at all, I was filled with guilt and frustration. A 4am alarm and I crept out of my dormitory to make breakfast. Retrieving my bike from the store I noticed an audax uk sticker on another bike and hurried back to reception to pass on the key.
I arrived at the Pear Tree Park and ride 15 minutes before the start, a few cyclists huddled in a bus shelter. John arrived with his tricycle.
"Are you aiming for a fast time" the organiser asked me as he handed me a brevet card,
"I'm just hoping to get back alive" I replied
I followed the trail of red lights out of the car park. I had planned to get to the first control at then review the conditions. We cycled through a flurry of snow but I was feeling more confident now. Arriving at a garage at Stow on the Wold I bought a bar of chocolate and persuaded John to continue to Winchcombe. We could divert back to Oxford from there if needed. John was significantly slower than me on the tricycle and and briefly, a kilometer or so ahead I thought about carrying on alone. Shortly after that my rear brake appeared to freeze on and I stopped to adjust it. We reached Sudbury Hill and diverted off route following my directions to Lechlade. A strong cross wind made progress slow but soon we were sitting in the cafe recuperating with tea and cake. My phone battery had run down meaning Paul had lost my strava beacon. We rode back to Oxford and I collected my belongings from the YHA and got the train back to Birmingham. At the end of my road my rear brake froze again, locking my wheel and I had to carry my bike to my house.
The stories from other riders who had made it further than we did were heroic. In the weeks after I continuously questioned my decision to abandon. I had dropped out in anticipation of being unable to finish rather than reaching a point where I could no longer continue. I promised myself I would ride the Dean as a DIY when the weather improved.
Glucose results: High overnight, generally okay in the morning then high for the remainder of the day. Once I reached the cafe at Lechlade I just ate loads of cake!
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