Sorry guys, I knew I shouldn't have joined Strava.... I've become a geek (leave it!)
I've just set my winter training loop as a Strava segment, all welcome to join in with the frosty fun. I used to ride this regularly after work when I taught in Uphill, it's a great route in the dark.
The start/finish is at the Uphill junction, just above the cutting on the A370. From there it follows this route...
- Down A370 then right at Anchor then along Accommodation Rd
- Over railway bridge then right before Lympsham, stay on road all the way to Brean
- Left at T-junction, past the leisure parks into Berrow
- In Berrow, turn left at the Triangle and past the RSPCA
- Over railway bridge then around sharp left hander then stay on Rd as it skirts around Brent Knoll
- Left just before East Brent into Lympsham
- Left at T-Junction in Lympsham and through to Accommodation Rd
- Left at the Anchor, back up the A370 to the finish at Uphill junction
Try this link, it might work...
http://www.strava.com/segments/8451352
All of these are roads that we know, so I think it's a pretty easy to follow route.
16.5 of yer best English with 46ft of climbing, so you can see why I like it! The roads are just about the safest I know of in winter conditions, pretty wide and quiet and, given that most of us live a few miles from the start/finish, you can warm up/cool down before and after the loop and get a good 20/25 in.
I'd suggest an 19mph average as a good par in cold, damp, dark winter conditions, I managed 22's a couple of years ago (according to my Cateye oracle) but that was on a warm, still summer's evening. I rode it today as a steady recovery ride and managed 18.5, 3rd overall to Rob Spurling (well done Rob.)
You'll need good lights but the road surface is pretty reliable and most of the junctions are left handers so you can maintain speed pretty well; also, being flat, you can control your effort evenly, making it great for endurance training (unless it's windy )
... beats the turbo!!!
So roll up, roll up; let's give ourselves something to hasten those horrid winter months and maintain what little fitness we have, ready for next Spring.
I've just set my winter training loop as a Strava segment, all welcome to join in with the frosty fun. I used to ride this regularly after work when I taught in Uphill, it's a great route in the dark.
The start/finish is at the Uphill junction, just above the cutting on the A370. From there it follows this route...
- Down A370 then right at Anchor then along Accommodation Rd
- Over railway bridge then right before Lympsham, stay on road all the way to Brean
- Left at T-junction, past the leisure parks into Berrow
- In Berrow, turn left at the Triangle and past the RSPCA
- Over railway bridge then around sharp left hander then stay on Rd as it skirts around Brent Knoll
- Left just before East Brent into Lympsham
- Left at T-Junction in Lympsham and through to Accommodation Rd
- Left at the Anchor, back up the A370 to the finish at Uphill junction
Try this link, it might work...
http://www.strava.com/segments/8451352
All of these are roads that we know, so I think it's a pretty easy to follow route.
16.5 of yer best English with 46ft of climbing, so you can see why I like it! The roads are just about the safest I know of in winter conditions, pretty wide and quiet and, given that most of us live a few miles from the start/finish, you can warm up/cool down before and after the loop and get a good 20/25 in.
I'd suggest an 19mph average as a good par in cold, damp, dark winter conditions, I managed 22's a couple of years ago (according to my Cateye oracle) but that was on a warm, still summer's evening. I rode it today as a steady recovery ride and managed 18.5, 3rd overall to Rob Spurling (well done Rob.)
You'll need good lights but the road surface is pretty reliable and most of the junctions are left handers so you can maintain speed pretty well; also, being flat, you can control your effort evenly, making it great for endurance training (unless it's windy )
... beats the turbo!!!
So roll up, roll up; let's give ourselves something to hasten those horrid winter months and maintain what little fitness we have, ready for next Spring.