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
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