Upper Thames 200km audax

The new season started last weekend and as I'd one of my local rides to do my first audax was this week.

The Upper Thames ride was the first 200km+ audax ride I ever did and I've done this ride 4 times now. Each time forgetting how hard it actually is.
As it starts at Sonning Common a few km north of Reading at 07.30 I'd decided to book the Friday night off work and cycle down to stay in the Travelodge at the M4 services. These rooms can be had for as little as £10 if booked online in advance, I got one for £20 and was sharing it with another rider.

I left home about midday and headed for Aylesbury and Thame, not wanting to cross the Chilterns too high up I decided to go Via Benson and Pangborne. This wasn't too bad as it only meant climbing halfway up the hills and not having to cycle through Reading town centre.
The rain held off for most of the journey but it was a headwind all the way, the zip on my bag gave up which meant I had to lace it shut with the cord from the top of it. Not very waterproof but it had to do. I got to the Travelodge at about 5pm damp and a bit tired.
In a way the heavy rain at the end of the ride was good, it meant I wasn't going to go down the pub a mile or so away and stayed in the room eating a Burger king royale meal instead. Not sure if that was any better though!!

Alarm was off at 05.45 which was better than the 04.45 that driving there would have meant.
Out into the darkness at about 06.30 through a quiet Reading and up the hill for the start at 07.30. Just time for coffee + biscuits, toast + jam, say hello to friends etc.
Then back out again and away with the bunch of just under 100 riders, most of which left me on the first hill and the start of the climbs through the Chilterns before dropping down from Christmas Common to Watlington at eye watering speed.
The first control was at the cafe at Waterperry gardens Northeast of Oxford where it was just a quick stop for coffee and cake and away again for the next round of hills up to and past Long Crendon and Ashendon but bypassing Brill by going through Luggershall instead.
Comfort break at Bicester services and more drink purchased for the next rolling leg to Chipping Norton. This was the first time I've managed to get there before the chippy shut so it was pie and chips eaten outside the Sainsburys for me :-D

Next leg was again rolling through the Cotswold hills and down onto the flat area past Brize Norton to cross the Upper Thames just south of Bamford. I was going well on this section and was doing nearly 40kph when my rear tyre exploded!
This didn't take long to sort as I always carry spare tubes and bits of old tyre to cover the hole from inside which would otherwise mean a long walk or a damaged rim.
Tube and tyre fixed I was away again with only about 10 minutes stopped.

It was starting to get dark by the time I reached Milton and the garden centre cafe. 1st time I've managed to get here before it has shut and in almost daylight. More coffee and cake consumed.
Coat, gloves, hat + head torch, lights etc put on as it was dark and the temperature had dropped, glad to be moving again as standing about with sweaty clothes on was starting to make me shiver. My GPS didn't like the next section and wouldn't route maybe because of the lanes used at the end not being on there. It kept freezing and the only way to fix it was to take the batteries out and start it up again. Luckily I had a tracklog on there as well as the route so was able to follow it, the route sheet in my bag also helped.

The lanes around Didcot were dark and started to go upwards again as we came back around to the start and re entered the Chilterns.
I was starting to get tired at this point maybe due to the extra kms on the Friday, so I stopped at the start of the last hill for an energy bar (which surprisingly tasted good compared to the usual ones I've eaten) and some drink. Then it was off again for the last few kms to the finish.
I took the main road again this year as I have done every other time, maybe I'll try the quiet lane/hilly route next time. Maybe not :-D

I got back in at 19.30, not the quickest of times I've done this route in but about my usual time out for a 200km ride.
Excellent soup at the finish got me ready for the ride downhill to the station and train back to London.

1st train I missed as I was at the wrong end of the platform :-D never been on one from Reading before. I got on the next one as they are very frequent at about 1 every 5 minutes it seemed.
A quick ride although not the quickest route from Paddington to Euston gps route took me above Regents park and not along the Euston road. Onto the 22.30 Bletchley bound train which was packed just like the tube with no room to move, again luck was on my side and most people got off before I needed to, I had visions of not being able to get the bike past the crowd and having to go all the way to Northampton!!

All in all a good weekend.
Now just need to find a new rear wheel, a new tyre and a new seat (starting to crack) before the ride up to York at the end of the month.