Lewisham - Box Hill - Lewisham

Sometimes ya just got put it all out there! Easy, we're talking bike training now. If ya haven't figured by now I'm mostly a morning trainer so at 5.30am I left sleepy Deptford and whizzed through the various south London streets to South Coulsdon - then up through Chipstead Valley and eventually on to Box Hill. Just me, my thoughts and the bike (accompanied by the occasional clunky gear change and the sound of Continental tyres on various grades of smooth to rough asphalt).

With 7am fast approaching I came across the first Roadie of the day. It was just a few miles from Box Hill and there ahead was the very disctinctive looking Kingston Wheelers Kit. My radar locked on, 53/17 engaged, it was time to find out what he was all about. A few minutes in the sweetspot zone and I was alongside him, I led as we rode to the top of Box Hill and down the descent. A low tuck ensured he didn't come by, not that I was bothered, and at bottom we both turned left but he then made a quick u turn back up the climb. I rolled down to the roundabout and fiddled with arm warmers and tightened shoe straps before turning round. I hit the climb in 53/21 and kept it there whilst trying a few digs in 53/19. I caught the Kingston Wheeler chap just after the last hairpin and felt quite comfortable having taken 6mins 30 secs to get to the top. The KW guy was quick to let me know the show wasn't over and surged past while I soft pedaled and drunk a strange mix of lemonade and Vimto. I didn't see the fella again despite making quite a gallant effort all the way back to Dorking Road.




It was still 20+ miles back to Steph's in Deptford so I pushed hard all the way. As any Addiscombe CC "Box Hill" group will tell you the Chipstead Valley return route must always be taken at full gas - I pressed on despite the slight discomfort from my legs and a blocked nasal passage. I almost toppled over at the South Coulsdon traffic lights leading on to Brighton Road but managed to clip out just in time. The roads were still empty but I noticed a few cyclists just getting going on their morning rides.

On Friday morning (22.05) knee pain had flared up from nowhere but hadn't been present during the ride. However... the numerous threshold efforts had brought it back so I spun low gears most of the way back. I got back at 8.40am - just over three hours. A good challenging ride, I thought ;-) An hour later I went for a more sedate two hour ride with Steph