Another new route in the MBSwindon Quiver for this summer, Andrew has put a lot of time into developing this route so it should be an excellent day out.
This will be another epic summer ride. Starting at the Croft Trail Barbury, we’ll head up Ladder Lane, then along familiar bridleways, byways and cycle paths to Marlborough. From Marlborough we’ll go into the West Woods and work our way around the woods.
Once out of the West Woods its over to Avebury for Café stop to top up on coffee and flapjack. When refreshed we’ll head back towards Swindon along bridleways and byways.
Warning: This is another challenging ride; participants should have a very good level of fitness and stamina to cover the distance and climbing. If you can comfortably ride a hilly 50km (30 miles) off road route then you should be able to stretch to this.
Tips for longer rides:
Preparation for longer rides is key to enjoying it on the day. Before embarking on a longer ride you need be sure of your own fitness / stamina levels. For this ride if you can comfortably ride a hilly 50km (30 miles) off road route then you should be able to stretch to this.
Unless you know your limits avoid any hard exercise / long rides the day before; your body will still be recovering from previous days’ effort – you may struggle on 2nd day.
Eat and drink well the night before; that does not mean 6 pints of lager and a Vindaloo. Avoid alcohol and have a good balanced meal. Have a good breakfast in the morning and plenty of fluids. Bring plenty of water and food for the ride. Don’t experiment with food, energy bars or gels you’ve not tried before; they may upset your stomach – not great on a long day out.
Make sure your bike is in good fully working order and carry enough spares / tools for your bike. This is particularly important if your bike has uncommon components / sizes – you may not be able to borrow spares from other riders. See http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/articles/biking-gear/bike-maintenance/ for advice on what to carry.