I haven’t posted here in ages. It isn’t as if I haven’t been cycling much: I’ve done a lot of very long-distance commuting and ridden further to see my son in Derby a few times; and there has been a lot of quaxing about especially with my daughter on the tandems.

This blog was never really about that kind of cycling though. It was about the other kind.

I rode the Chirk 200 yesterday, organised by Fliss Matthews of Peak Audax. It was a fine route including some really awful road surfaces and a little gravel climb including two short tunnels. There is even an aqueduct!

The wind was the opposite of favourable (tailwind out, headwind back) and visibility was low. It didn’t rain. Apart from losing it a bit on the last bit into Poynton (and even more on the ride home) it was very straightforward: no mechanicals and a nice long day out on the bike.

I see spent much of the previous few weeks sorting out all my kit and my bike. Then I changed my mind and repacked everything on my Genesis. I was right to do so: 700*44 Rene Herse extralight tires and a less aggressive position certainly helped (and offset the huge weight penalty). A bit of knee and neck pain but not more than usual.

I wonder how some would cope with rather more aggressive set-ups, but as usuals there was a variety on show at the start including two tandems (both passed me in the last 50 km).

The best bit of the ride was the climb through Glynmorlas. Felt nicely distant from everything. Which I really needed! I was mostly anti-social but exchanged a few words with an unknown rider on the gravel climb and with Shaun Hargreaves who I last crossed paths with on my last failed attempt at the Old 240.

In conclusion a happy and fairly brisk ride, despite the weighty bike and headwind during the second half. Fantastic organisers.