Ipswich - Haverhill - Cambridge - Newmarket - Ipswich

Bike: Felt
Distance: 124.51 miles
Time: 7 hours 12 minutes
Average speed: 17.2 mph
Maximum speed: 34.3 mph
Odometer (at end): 512 miles

Phew! (I did 99.2 miles in total yesterday as well, for a 225 mile weekend)

Shotley - Brantham - East Bergholt - Raydon - Hadleigh - Monks Eleigh - Lavenham - Boxford - Hintlesham - Ipswich

Bike: Felt
Distance: 53.57 miles
Time: 2 hours 59 minutes
Average speed: 17.9 mph
Maximum speed: 34.1 mph
Odometer (at end): 53 miles

The weather was fine, and most of the roads had dried out, so I headed out to Shotley with cycle gear and hopped on the bike I bought in the January sales (and have since tricked out with Ksyrium Equipe wheels). It's my first full carbon road bike (and fourth road bike overall since 2000) and the position is much more sporty/lower than the Condor, so it will be better for time trial training. It is also very quick and corners extremely well.

All in all, a fun "shakedown", although I stayed out for too long given I have a race tomorrow (I did a recce of the course as part of this ride) - there is some noise, which may be the BB, chainring bolts, pedals, stem or cassette, and the chain hadn't been oiled, but other than that, I think I'm going to get along well with this bike. Except it's bright white, and will be tricky to keep clean :)

Ipswich - Henley - Wickham Market - Blaxhall - Snape - Tunstall - Chillesford - Woodbridge - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 48.18 miles
Time: 2 hours 49 minutes 59 seconds
Average speed: 17.1 mph
Maximum speed: 29.5 mph
Odometer (at end): 11456 miles

A grey, blustery day - not as much fun as yesterday, and my legs felt pretty tired. Got to Snape for my usual coffee and was treated poorly - ignored for 5 full minutes by the staff despite there being no queue. I've been stopping for coffee at Snape on bike rides on and off for the best part of ten years, but will look for other places now.

Over 100 miles for the weekend then - looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.

Ipswich - Grundisburgh - Bawdsey - Martlesham - Gulpher Road - Felixstowe Ferry - Old Felixstowe - Martlesham - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 66.29 miles
Time: 3 hours 40 minutes 32 seconds
Average speed: 18.0 mph
Maximum speed: 28.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 11408 miles

Sunny, first time out with short sleeves and shorts - lots of cyclists about, a bit breezy but nothing compared to recent weeks. Stopped off after 45ish miles at 'Winkles at the Ferry' at Felixstowe Ferry for double espresso and Mars Bar. Roads getting dry, so cornering is much more fun.

Ipswich - Claydon - Coddenham - Wickham Market - Blaxhall - Snape - Tunstall - Chillesford - Woodbridge - Bucklesham - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 56.66 miles
Time: 3 hours 06 minutes 35 seconds
Average speed: 18.3 mph
Maximum speed: 37.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 11304 miles

A good bike ride on the best day of the year so far weather-wise. Pleased with average speed, and pleased with performance on some of the climbs en route.

Ipswich - Barham - Coddenham - Gosbeck - Ashbocking - Westerfield - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 22.72 miles
Time: 1 hours 27 minutes 23 seconds
Average speed: 15.5 mph
Maximum speed: 25.5 mph
Odometer (at end): 11247 miles

Always a good idea to head out as (a) night is falling (b) gales and rain are sweeping in.

Ipswich - Martlesham - Bucklesham - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 18.76 miles
Time: 1 hours 08 minutes 31 seconds
Average speed: 16.3 mph
Maximum speed: 27.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 11196 miles

Damp and blowy!

Ipswich - Henley - Coddenham - Wickham Market - Blaxhall - Snape - Tunstall - Chillesford - Woodbridge - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 49.49 miles
Time: 2 hours 50 minutes 35 seconds
Average speed: 17.4 mph
Maximum speed: 30.5 mph
Odometer (at end): 11177 miles

Reached Snape at 18.9mph average, before completing the rest of the ride into a strong headwind.

Ipswich - Martlesham - Bucklesham - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 18.76 miles
Time: 1 hours 07 minutes 40 seconds
Average speed: 16.5 mph
Maximum speed: 30.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 11078 miles

Ipswich - Tuddenham - Grundisburgh - Ashbocking - Gosbeck - Henley - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 21.74 miles
Time: 1 hours 15 minutes 20 seconds
Average speed: 17.2 mph
Maximum speed: 27.5 mph
Odometer (at end): 10900 miles

After a lavish two day period to recover from Saturday's epic, this was a fun pootle round some "quaint" Suffolk villages - Tuddenham is lovely, and Grundisburgh has a ford. Tough headwind heading back into town.

Ipswich - Haverhill - Cambridge - Bury St Edmunds - Woolpit/Elmswell station

Bike: Condor
Distance: 101.27 miles
Time: 6 hours 20 minutes 26 seconds
Average speed: 15.9 mph
Maximum speed: 29 mph
Odometer (at end): 10879 miles

More on this later... had to abandon at Woolpit owing to apocalyptic weather!

Ipswich - Woodbridge - Wickham Market - Clopton - Swilland - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 35.70 miles
Time: 2 hours 07 minutes 49 seconds
Average speed: 16.7 mph
Maximum speed: 28.5 mph
Odometer (at end): 10777 miles

Decent enough training spin, but slowed down a fair bit towards the end. Roads pretty foul, owing to heavy rain earlier.

Ipswich - Stowmarket - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 34.12 miles
Time: 2 hours 00 minutes 08 seconds
Average speed: 17.0 mph
Maximum speed: 28.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 10742 miles

A great, but very cold and foggy, hack around the countryside. Went out to Stowmarket via Henley and Stonham Aspal, and came back via Needham Market and Coddenham. Fingers and toes suffered, but legs felt pretty good. I think I've lost ~800grams of weight so far this year, which is pretty good going. I'm aiming to lose over 6 kilos by April/May to get under 80kg again.

I've gone out on a fair few rides, including a 97-miler, in the past week and will have to find the time to sit down and update the blog.

Ipswich - Martlesham - Bucklesham - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 18.78 miles
Time: 1 hour 05 minutes 13 seconds
Average speed: 17.2 mph
Maximum speed: 28.5 mph
Odometer (at end): 10707 miles

This was quite good fun - a gentle spin out to Martlesham via Playford Road, then back again via the Bucklesham Road. I have been using the Playford Road recently as a relatively quiet way to get out of town to the east, and today I got onto it via Humber Doucy Lane rather than the busy Woodbridge Road. So now I have a pretty safe 'exit' from Ipswich which also adds on some handy mileage.

Ipswich - Eye - Halesworth - Southwold - Leiston - Woodbridge - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 96.91 miles
Time: 5 hours 52 minutes 56 seconds
Average speed: 16.5 mph
Maximum speed: 28.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 10689 miles

Some great base miles, but I'm not going to mark this as a century, as I was over three miles short.


I used to ride to Southwold from Shotley and take the same route back as this gave me a perfect century ride. Now I live in town, I had to find an extra 20 miles - so I designed a more looping route. I'm glad I did: the first half of the ride on the 'new' route was really interesting, especially the B1117 from Eye to Halesworth. A lonely, blustery road, dotted with small villages and massive churches.


I got most of the headwind out of the way on the first half of the ride, so the journey back along the familiar route was fairly straightforward and I kept myself reasonably hydrated. Was pleased to clock in under six hours for a training ride in breezy conditions.


The sea at Southwold was quite rough and I watched some impressive waves as I had a cup of coffee at the pier (no chips - am trying to lose some weight).

Ipswich - Henley - Crowfield - Framsden - Ashbocking - Witnesham - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 24.19 miles
Time: 1 hour 27 minutes 52 seconds
Average speed: 16.4 mph
Maximum speed: 28.5 mph
Odometer (at end): 10592 miles

Ipswich - Hadleigh - Whatfield - Somersham - Bramford - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 26.38 miles
Time: 1 hours 40 minutes 06 seconds
Average speed: 15.7 mph
Maximum speed: 26.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 10567 miles


Great fun - got lost at Hadleigh, and cycled home in the dark (which made this seem like a longer ride than it was). Beautiful sunset, big skies and ominous clouds.

Ipswich - Witnesham - Coddenham - Barham - Ipswich

Bike: Condor
Distance: 19.46
Time: 1 hours 08 minutes 46 seconds
Average speed: 16.9 mph
Maximum speed: 29.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 10541 miles

North of Ipswich country roads

Bike: Condor
Distance: 35.81 miles
Time: 2 hours 05 minutes 24 seconds
Average speed: 17.1 mph
Maximum speed: 30.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 10522 miles

 

Cleaned my bike yesterday and promptly got it mucky again on a fun, fairly speedy ride around the country lanes - some great climbing too (on the map above, I did the big loop in a clockwise direction and the small loop anticlockwise).

Orwell Estuary hopper

Bike: Condor
Distance: 66.41 miles
Time: 4 hours 11 minutes 09 seconds
Average speed: 15.9 mph
Maximum speed: 30.0 mph
Odometer (at end): 10486 miles


Toughest ride of the year so far - started off well, heading out towards Martlesham/Kirton/Felixstowe in nice crisp weather. When I got to Landguard Fort, I realised I'd been helped by a tailwind. Cycled across Felixstowe along the beach roads as much as possible (including some fun hills), and arrived at Old Felixstowe. Got back to Trimley via Ferry Road/Gulpher Road (v. muddy) before taking the old Felixstowe Road back to Ipswich. Cycled up the Wherstead Road and then hit the A137, the ski slope hill was super tough. The A137 was OK, except quite a lot of glare on the wet road. Turned left at Brantham, to go via Stutton, Lower Holbrook and Erwarton to Shotley. Went down to the Marina, peered out at Felixstowe docks for a bit (as I'd been there earlier in the ride...) before cycling back up Bristol Hill and stopping off at my parents. Nobody home, so had a cup of tea and some cake before getting some speed up on the last 10 miles back into town. Ouch!