KW - Sumners Ponds the Bidders way

 Let me start with a short guide on how to stress me out.

Let’s plan a 4.5 hour “steady” ride for Sunday with Bidders.

Join JFW’s game on Saturday riding to Devil’s Punchbowl (https://www.strava.com/activities/13695818164) and make sure you end up well tired.

Find out when you return from your ride the route Bidders has chosen for the “steady” ride is a route to Sumners Ponds.

Didn’t look at the route but whenever someone suggest a ride to Sumners Ponds this post of mine from more than six years ago comes to mind (​​https://www.unbiciorejon.com/2018/10/you-need-to-read-this-if-you-are.html) “That was an easy ride to Sumners Ponds...Said no one. Ever.”

He has posted the route on the KW forum and added me to it. Start time 8am. Zero chances anyone else is going to join us.

Dead wrong. 

Saturday 22:19 The Pope sent a message. “Will join”.

I saw the message laying in bed, when I was about to go to sleep. Another sentence from my post came to mind “there is something about riding to Sumners Ponds that always slaughters the weakest rider of the group”.

I had nightmares last night. 

When you don’t sleep well your levels of stress go up. My god I was stressed this morning.

But things can always take a turn for the worse. 

Today, at LW, 8:06 the trio started the ride. 

I turned left. The Garmin beeped, The Pope shouted. I was wrong. The route was going to the right. 

That’s not the normal way of going to Sumners Ponds…

If not knowing the route stresses me out it would be wise to study the route before agreeing to ride it. Right? Well, I didn’t study it. 

Beyond knowing we had two hard, steep climbs at the end of the ride and knowing how Sumners Ponds cafe looks, I knew nothing about the route. 

To make my levels of stress skyrocket I found myself at the front, riding next to Bidders, while he was explaining to me he had chosen the route in such a way that we had head wind on the way out and tail wind on the way back (to climb two hard, steep climbs, I remind you). 

It shouldn’t be difficult for you to imagine Javier panicking and trying to find a way to fall back and sit on Bidders and The Pope’s wheel.

But The Pope was doing his usual thing. Riding a few meters back. Making it impossible for me to drop behind him without being absolutely clear about my intentions. 

My levels of stress were record high. 

But I was still playing it cool. I’d be such a great poker player if I ever learn the rules of the game.

All this and we were still in Epsom (no way this route would take us to Sumners ponds).

In Epsom we stopped at a traffic light and The Pope called my attention to the fact that I wasn’t carrying bidons (those two bidons in the picture I left ready next to the bike but, inexplicably I forgot at home). 

My stress levels were now record high. 

Heading to Sumners Ponds, not knowing the route. Without water and too arrogant to ask for it. The only gels I was carrying were the GU ones we got in that shop in California, that, of course, needed to be consumed with water. I was the weakest rider but I was sitting at the front into a heavy head wind and I knew we were going to finish the party with two hard, steep climbs (no idea with ones though).

Tears came out of my eyes but it was because the (heavy) wind got in my eyes.

It is fair to say that is a great way to stress me out.

All for nothing though. 

Bidders was true to his word and managed to keep a “steady” pace in a leg breaker route. 

It was amazing. I really enjoyed it. 

The fact that I didn’t know the route became part of the enjoyment. I found myself constantly surprised recognizing parts of the road and, still, having the feeling I had never ridden those roads in that direction.

The Pope did his thing in each tiny, little and big climb we went through but Bidders and I kept it nice and easy.

Scone with cream and jam at the stop. Not a drop of rain. Nice tail wind on the way home.

Five stars review for Bidders as a ride organiser. 

But don’t let my great experience trick you. This route is a killer. 

I know it doesn’t look much when you look at the numbers (123km 1400m) but, believe me. Ridden at the usual K2 pace of the Saturday gang this is a very hard route. 

So much so that at the coffee stop we fantasized with whom should we trick into riding it (TY your name was mentioned knowing your training in Florida would be great for this route)

So, yes. I’m saying “That was an easy ride to Sumners Ponds”, something I thought I would never say. But don’t expect that to happen to you. Especially if the plan is to follow this route.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13705065574

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González 

No more sprinters allowed in the Saturday gang

 That's it. 

No more sprinters allowed in the Saturday gang.

I miss a Saturday ride and another sprinter joins the group. 

Ibrahim and Moira didn't go for any sprint today. Everyone else was sprinting for everything.

We had JFW on the ride so I was expecting some sprinting fireworks. What I was not expecting is everyone joining the party. 

A green sign with white letters? Is that really a town sign? Who cares? Let's sprint for it.

Someone is at the front and we pass a town sign? Let's celebrate it with an arm in the air to make it count.

And that is a problem. 

It is a problem because half way through the ride I had lost count of how many points everyone had. 

I knew Ibrahim and Moira had 0 points.

Now, was JFW leading the sprinting competition? Maybe. Although he probably lost the lead in the second half of the ride. 

Was DD ahead of Dai? Probably. She was fearless in the competition. Risking her life was not a problem if that meant taking from me my first points (duly note taken).

I wouldn't say Chris T. (the new joiner) was in the lead. He definitely took a couple of well contested sprints but not knowing the route and his inability to invent sprint lines was holding him. 

Me? I also had a big, fat 0 in my score so it would be difficult for me to say here I was leading the sprinting points without any of my riding mates calling me out in Strava (believe me, it wasn't difficult I wouldn't hesitate to make such a claim).

So this is it. It is hard enough to be a sprinter that doesn’t take any sprints. Not being able to keep the sprinting tally to manipulate it in my interest is a step too far. This is too stressful for me.

From now on, if you are a sprinter, you’ll have to wait until we lose one of the sprinters in the Saturday gang before you are allowed to join us. 

If you want to make it look like an accident, get in touch with me. I have my suggestions in priority order.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13695818164/

Take care

Javier Arias González

KW - Jo.Co

Fantastic ride. 

Riding steady. Moderate efforts up the hills. Feeling easy for the whole ride. 

Great coffee stop as well. Very good coffee and two pastries for me (can’t resist the temptation of a good Pastel de Nata).

I was forced to sprint for Juniper’s KOM when JFW got in parallel with me. For a second I panicked and put a stronger effort than strictly needed.

At Horton roundabouts I played it safe. I let JFW and Denis take turns at the front while I was taking the free ride.

It felt very comfortable. Although it is fair to say we were taking it easy at the roundabouts as the tarmac was wet. 

Being an experienced sprinter I moved to second position at the right time. JFW at the front. Denis behind me. Perfect positioning when we entered the final straight.

I still had time to fill my brain with doubts. I couldn’t tell if JFW was completely cooked or if he was pretending to be cooked. 

I moved parallel to him and looked at him. He looked completely cooked to me.

I looked again to my left. He was definitively cooked. There is no point in sprinting. I can just turn the pedals two or three times a bit stronger and I’ll take the sprint. 

Looked at him one more time fearing he was tricking me. That is how much I trust the man. 

I looked at the front right on time to see GC Denis passing us both and taking the sprint. 

Not really a big fan of this new breed of GC riders that get involved in the sprints. Huge distorsion to the results.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13572446557/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

The Pope in killer mode.

True to tradition, he arrived at his typical time. 

Something tells me he was in a hurry. Maybe he had to be back home at some impossible time.

He let us lead the first few kilometers so everyone had a nice warm up. 

Then he hit the front.

And that was the story of the whole ride.

The Pope leading, everyone else praying their favourite litany. 

He took all the KOMs and all the sprints.

All but the one DD took.

He didn’t take the Esher sprint either.

He was going to, but he had me on his wheel all the way and he didn’t. 

Not because I passed him in the last 10 meters, arms in the air celebrating just another amazing win in my fantastic cycling career, but because the sprint was neutralized due to too many cars.

I feel for him. All that effort wasted, without reward. 

I don’t feel too much for him though. He was not in my team today.

Still, I’m such a nice guy that I hope he wasn’t too late back home.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13509476294 

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González