The Dragon is slain!

We did it! We completed our first-ever Wiggle Dragon Ride. And it was fantastic

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The Wiggle Dragon Ride was, quite frankly, one of the best things I’ve ever done, as well as one of the hardest. Here’s how the weekend panned out.

Despite staying up till 4am drinking wine and vodka (not in the same glass) on Friday night/Saturday morning, I was up on time Saturday, having already packed the night before. The taxi arrived, I said goodbye to The Chap and set off, arriving at Paddington with a good 20 minutes to pick up tickets and find the train.

After securing Florence in the bike carriage, I found my seat, got out my Kindle and settled down for three hours of reading. I got to Swansea feeling rested and not at all hungover – result! And my bike was still safe in its carriage. Unfortunately, however, Biking Buddy Claire had also been up late drinking and wasn’t faring so well as me. She was running a couple of hours late. So I installed myself in the station Costa with some food and a massive latte and settled in to more reading.

Me on the Dragon Ride. I really was that happy. I've bought this photo and ordered a print. 

Claire finally arrived and we secured my bike to the rack and drove off to the airbnb. I really didn’t know what to expect for this, having never stayed in one before. But it was lovely. The house was gorgeous, the people so friendly and welcoming and the position fantastic, right on the Gower. It would be a beautiful place to stay for several days, just enjoying the beach and doing lots of walking.

We walked to a local pub for dinner, treating ourselves to carb-heavy pasta and garlic bread dishes. And then back to the house for an early night.

Race day
I was terrified by this point – convinced I wouldn’t make it all the way round and that the mountains would defeat me. It just all seemed too much. Then inspiration hit: instead of thinking of it as one massive 100-mile ride, break it down. There are two feeding stations and the finish line, so logically the stopping points should be around 30-35 mile distance. So it made much more sense to think of it as three 30-35 mile rides. And we agreed that if either one of us got to a station and felt like we couldn’t go on we’d both stop.

This made me feel much better – 35 miles is absolutely manageable and knowing that I could bail out if I needed to meant the pressure was off. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Once I got on my bike all my concerns disappeared and I just started cycling. This always happens when I’m on the bike. I love it so much it just makes me happy.

The ride was amazing. It was also very challenging, of course, but at no point did I feel it was too much. We did get off and walk for one hill, known as the Devil’s Elbow. It was incredibly steep and long, and lots of riders had dismounted. One chap opined “I’m getting overtaken even when walking!” as we went past him. Other than that we managed all the inclines and had huge fun free-wheeling down the declines.

The scenery was fantastic. We rode through the Brecon Beacons National Park and it was truly stunning. I didn’t have a camera with me, preferring to travel as light as possible, but this really is beautiful part of the country and worth visiting. I may well go back next year for holiday.

The ride was so well organised. Free food and water were provided at each stop. The salted potatoes were amazing – one lady described them as “magic potatoes”, and she wasn’t wrong. Flapjacks, jelly babies, crisps, bananas and pasties were all provided and we took full advantage.

Our time. Top one is me, bottom is Claire.

By the time we got to each feed station I was most definitely ready for some sustenance and a bit of time out of the saddle. Which would imply that the stops were in exactly the right positions. At the very end of the ride we were back on the same roads as we set out on, and it was something of a relief to start recognising landmarks and realise that we were very much on the home run.

There was free pasta or noodles for participants at the end of the ride, as well as a massage area (which you had pay for). I didn’t indulge in a massage, but the food was very welcome.

The ride was amazing. It was also very challenging, of course, but at no point did I feel it was too much

My only complaint is the lack of transport. The last train back to London left Swansea at 1955, which didn’t give much time to get there. Luckily it stopped at Port Talbot Parkway at 2014, which is much closer and meant Claire could drop me off with plenty of time to get the train. However, many people were still finishing as we left, so I guess they either drove or were staying over. This wasn’t an option for me and missing that last train would have had serious work repercussions.

Obviously train times are nothing to do with the event organisers, but maybe they could talk to the train company to get a couple of later trains put on. Also, transport from Margam Park to the station would have been very useful.

What next?
So we slayed the Dragon and rode 96 miles in mountains. What will be the next challenge? There are longer rides and I’d like to do one. I wasn’t dead on my legs after this one and I did feel that I could go on.

And, of course, this ride wasn’t quite 100 miles. It was close enough, but I can’t in all honesty say I’ve done the century. So Claire and I have both signed up for the Epic ride in The Only Way, a 100-mile ride through the Essex countryside. After conquering my fear of mountains, this largely flat sportive mostly sounds like a lot of fun. We did the Dragon Ride in 8 hours 27 minutes including stops – I wonder how much quicker we’ll be on much flatter ground?

Elsewhere, some friends did the Tour of Cambridgeshire on the same weekend as the Dragon and if that runs again next year I definitely want to take part. This is a 100-mile closed-road gran fondo through Cambridgeshire.

Slaying the Dragon

I’m taking part in the infamous Wiggle Dragon Ride this Sunday, and I’m scared

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After last year’s 60-mile London to Cambridge I really wanted to do something longer and more challenging. A 100-mile ride was the obvious choice. I applied for the London 100, but unfortunately didn’t get in. It’s a hugely popular ride with many thousands more applying than can be accepted.

So when my bike buddy Claire said she’d signed up for the Wiggle Dragon Ride, I decided I’d give it a go too. I left it late to sign up so had to apply via the official charity, Macmillan Cancer Support. This meant I had to raise a minimum of £200 in order to take part. The generosity of my fabulous friends and family means I’ve actually raised more than this.

There are four main options in the ride: Corto, which is 43km; Medio Fondo, 153km; Gran Fondo, 226km; and Dragon Devil, a whopping 302km. There’s also a women’s only Cycletta of 43km. Claire and I have gone for the Medio. I’d love to do something like the Devil, but I’m not sure I could manage it in a day. Maybe that’s something to work up to …

There’s also a three-day Dragon Tour, which takes places over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday involves riding 102km, Saturday 96km, then on Sunday riders choose one of the distances above. So the really intrepid could do a total of 500km in three days. Wow.

I have to admit I’m really quite nervous. In fact I’m nervous about pretty much all of it! Going to Wales on my own (I’ve never been to Wales), getting my bike to Paddington (I’ve never taken my bike on public transport in London), even using airbnb for the first time (I didn’t even know what to do about breakfast!).

It’s hard to train for hills in London – we simply don’t have any

So I’ve been breaking it all down into more manageable chunks. My train tickets are booked and I’ve got a bike space. The airbnb is booked and I emailed about the breakfast – she puts out some cereals, bread, eggs, fruit and so on and we just make our own. I’m probably going to take a taxi to Paddington. So all my fears are being conquered one by one.

Which just leaves the ride itself. And it’s terrifying. It’s not so much the distance I’m worried about. I’ve not ridden 153km before, but my longest solo ride was 101km. It’s easier to do it in a group with support, so I’m pretty confident I can do the full 153.

What I don’t feel prepared for, though, is the hills. It’s hard to train for hills in London. We simply don’t have any. Not proper ones. I’ve changed my routes into and from work to incorporate a few up-and-down bits and I’ve been trying to take these faster and in higher gears to strengthen my legs, but there’s really no substitute for the real thing. And let’s face it, up-and-down bits in London are nothing like the hills I’ll encounter in Wales. My rides out into the Essex countryside have also included some hilly parts, but again not Welsh-style hilly parts.

I’ve put in a lot of training and I rack up a lot of miles over a week. My general fitness is really quite good and my legs are pretty strong. Despite all that, though, those hills really do scare me. This is going to be an incredibly challenging ride, and I hope I’m up to it. Will I slay the Dragon, or will it slay me? I guess there’s only one way to find out!

By the way, you can still sponsor me via my Just Giving page.

Me having finished the London to Cambridge. Look how happy I am!