Unlike Aldeburgh, Southwold, which was my other goal for the day, was bustling with activity. There seemed to be some sort of small market in the town centre and the stall holders were doing a brisk trade. I headed along the North Parade, pausing to take a photo of the Impulso and the pier. Then it was time to continue onwards to Beccles, Bungay, Halesworth and finally back to Diss. But let me share a little secret with you. Leaving Southwold, I had to stop at that same set of traffic lights. And do you know what? I gave the citizens of Southwold another nice little ditty. Well, it would have been rude not to. Sadly, or even perhaps fortunately, this time I had no audience.
Saturday 3 December 2016, 108 Miles
That’s So Last Century (C#60)
Well, here we are. The sixtieth and last ride in my Sixty Centuries Series has arrived. I’d thought quite a lot about what to do for it. Should I try and get a chain gang together to ride with me? Or perhaps ride somewhere other than East Anglia? Maybe the Chilterns, where I started riding as a teenager? Eventually I decided to keep it simple and ride locally. After last Monday’s foray east to the coast I figured I would head in the other direction today, west to the Fens. When planning the route I realised that I would pass right by Daren (Nairo) Morgan’s house so I persuaded him (it didn’t take much persuading) to join me for part of the ride. Daren has ridden more of these rides with me than anyone else, so it was great to share this last century with him.
By 8am the sky was light enough to ride without lights and the grey clouds overhead meant that there was no frost to worry about. Opening the back door to my garage I was nearly knocked over by the rush of my Bianchi family who were all eager to do the ride. Cries of ‘Mee’, ‘Meeee’, ‘Meeeee’ broke the silence as the Impulso, Infinito and Oltre vied for my favour. The great thing about Bianchis is that they always want to go for a ride. In the end, my trusty Impulso won the day, mainly because I had already fitted my swan neck guard to it to ensure my bum stayed dry. The Impulso and the Oltre took things with reasonably good grace and didn’t sulk too much.
At 8:05am sharp I sent a text to Nairo and I was under way. My sixtieth and final century of the series had begun! I made good time for the next 25 miles and found Nairo riding slowly ahead of me along the road by his house as I approached. Perfect timing. As I reached him I mimicked a hand sling but he wasn’t biting. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve last ridden together so we caught up with some chatter and natter as the miles ticked by relatively effortlessly. Our first landmark was the sugar beet refinery south-east of Downham Market. It’s quite a distinctive feature at this time of year as it’s the peak season for beet deliveries and there’s always a cloud of steam streaming from chimney. Depending on the wind direction it can get quite smelly too! I was interested to see that the entrance signs were written in several Eastern European languages including, with the help of Giggle Translate, Russian, Croatian, Romanian and Polish (I think). I can’t quite fathom why, though, as the beet is hauled locally from East England farms. Surely we’re not importing raw beet from Eastern Europe? It might just be that there’s a higher proportion of Eastern European drivers working for local haulage firms? Anyway, time to move on!
From the beet factory we headed over to Denver and then on into the heart of the Fenlands. As always, this sweeping open countryside, where you can see for 20 miles and more without interruption, takes my breath away. On days like this, with grey skies and cold temperatures, the Fens take on a bleak and forbidding atmosphere. But at least today the light wind was in our favour. Riding a 5 mile (or longer) straight into a headwind here is a pretty tough call.
Most of this part of the route is at sea level and even below it in places. As we rode along, our chatter turned into a bit of a history lesson about how the Fens were originally created. I won’t bore you with the details as there’s loads of information on the Interweb. Suffice to say that we rode several miles whilst discussing the subject! Our nattering was sharply interrupted by the arrival of that exceptionally rare thing in these parts. I’m talking about a gradient, or what in these flatland boonies substitutes for a hill. Now, readers, those of you who know this area will of course realise that I am grossly overexaggerating. But after many miles of riding on a pan-flat surface reminiscent of a snooker table, the prospect of a 5 per cent incline can and does get me excited. Ten yards at 5 per cent! That’s all it takes – wow! I was so fired up by this that I turned around and rode it again so that Nairo could get a few photos of me in full climber mode. By my reckoning this was definitely a ‘Sous Category’ climb.
With several more miles of flat ahead of us we needed to keep moving. Our route took us southwards, including a navigational challenge. Well, not exactly a challenge but rather more the result of me not paying attention to my Garmin so we had to double back, adding an extra 4 miles to the route. Once we were back on track we passed through Little Downham with its ‘California’ suburb before reaching Littleport, where we stopped for a quick drink. From there it was a steady pull past Queen Adelaide, Prickwillow and Isleham before parting company at Freckenham. Nairo had now ridden with me for about 50 miles and it had been great to have his company.
After a quick handshake and a final few words of wisdom we each headed our separate ways, Nairo northwards and me eastwards. I used the last 30 miles to think back on my previous rides, thoughts and motivations. Rather than write about them now, I’m going to pause for a few days and reflect before trying to sum the series up. Arriving back at home I found the Infinito and the Oltre waiting to greet me. So, to mark the occasion, we all had a little sing-song which had one of my neighbours looking at me as if I had lost my marbles. And to celebrate I decided to christen that rather fine espresso cup that Uncle Andrew and the cousins at Bianchi Towers in Bedford presented me with when I rode from there (C#48, 13 October).
15. SIXTY CENTURIES – SOME REFLECTIONS
It’s just over a week since I completed my the last of my Sixty Centuries Series rides and I’ve been thinking quite a lot about them. During the rides a lot of people asked me a lot of questions about the rides, so I thought that instead of writing a reflective piece about them I would cover some of my answers in the form of a fake interview. And I hope, readers, you don’t think I’m being too self-indulgent here!
Why did you decide to ride sixty centuries, Mark?
At the start of the year I set out to ride one century a month. Although I’ve ridden a century in every month of the year, I’m not sure that I’ve ever ridden a century in every month of the same year. Some time around the end of March or early April, when I think I was in the pub with a few mates, I decided to celebrate my forthcoming sixtieth birthday by riding sixty centuries. I can’t remember if the idea was wholly mine or, more likely, it came out of our beer-fuelled banter!
After a quarter of the year had already passed, you then decided to start the challenge?
Yes, that’s right. But I was relaxed about it as I never said I would complete the series by my birthday (31 December). It was much more important to me to enjoy each ride than to chase a target. If I ended up doing a few after my birthday, then they could still be part of the celebration.
Did it ever become a target?
Absolutely not! Most people assumed that I meant completion by my birthday, and every time I explained the aim it sounded a bit like I was giving myself a get-out. Enjoying each ride was the only important consideration for me. However, as I got closer to the end I could feel the boy racer in me fighting to get out. I had to work quite hard to keep him in his box!
Did you enjoy all the rides?
Oh yes! Although some rides were more challenging than others I can honestly say that at the end of each one I never had any thoughts of giving up. And I like to think that as I crossed each finishing line I had a big smile on my face. I really enjoy looking at the countryside I’m riding through: the scenery and landscape and the villages and towns and their history. That’s
what rewards the riding effort. And I love learning more about the places I’ve been to. I’ve also ridden with some great people – friends – and met some interesting people. People-watching comes a close second to looking at the landscape, as far as I’m concerned.
You wrote a blog about the rides?
Yes. I had started blogging before I rode from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2015 and have become quite addicted to it. The blogging was originally intended to be an alternative to writing up my diary. I never thought much about who might be reading it. Along the way I seem to have picked up quite a lot of followers and readers, which certainly doesn’t hurt my ego. I’ve also found that my approach to writing the blog has evolved as well. It’s become quite a good catalyst for some post-ride research to discover a bit more about some of the places I’ve ridden through. It’s also helped me to learn a lot more about Suffolk and East Anglia generally.
Which was your favourite ride?
That’s something I’ve thought a lot about. There are two rides that stand out. The Tour de Môn (Anglesey) (C#33, 21 August) was outstanding. As an honorary Welshman I’ve always enjoyed riding in North Wales and usually ride the Etape Eryri in northern Snowdonia each year. To ring the changes, I decided to ride around Anglesey this year and I wasn’t disappointed. My other favourite ride was the one I did in the Chilterns (C#31, 14 August). This is where I first started riding seriously when I was in my early teens, and was where I completed my first century. It was great to go back and immerse myself in a day of nostalgia.
How do you cope with the mental dimension of long rides?
Over the years I’ve taught myself not to think about the distances in negative terms. If you start off thinking that 100 miles is a long way to go, or how many hours it’s going to take, then you’re already on a slippery slope. Instead I try to focus on the places and the countryside I’m going to ride through, and look forward to seeing them. I also break the rides down into bite-sized chunks. For example, when I think of the last 30 miles I think of it as an afterwork ride on a summer evening. And to be starting an ‘after-work’ ride at 2 o’clock in the afternoon is a pretty good feeling!
Which was the toughest ride?
Probably one of the days I spent in the Fens (C#26, 29 July). A combination of strong headwinds and long, straight roads crossing flat, unchanging countryside certainly strained my mental strength as well as my legs!
Any regrets?
None! Well, that’s not quite true. I had set my heart on riding in southern Snowdonia the day after riding the Tour de Môn. Sadly, the weather was against me; it was so wet and foggy that it was too dangerous to ride. I went to Porthmadoc in my car, following part of the intended route, and the road was submerged under nearly a foot of water. I also regret not doing a ride from Edinburgh into either Fife or the Borders. I lived there in the 1980s. I did ride through Edinburgh in 2015, though, when I rode from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Why Bianchi?
At the simplest level, for most people a bike is an inanimate object, a machine for getting around on. If you’re a keen rider then the chances are that you will have a love‒hate relationship with your bike. For me, though, Bianchi take things to a totally different level. Their bikes have character and personalities. It’s something that not many people ‘get’. But when you do get it… wow! My love affair with Bianchi started when I was less than ten years old and saw a visiting Italian team riding celeste fixed-wheel track bikes in the early 1960s at an event in Trinidad. From that moment on I was smitten. If I’m going to spend so much time in the saddle, I want to share it with a friend who enjoys it as much as I do. I know some people will think this is a load of tosh, and I don’t really care. But look at a group of Bianchi riders. You’ll hear the usual chatter and banter. But then look more closely at them. There’s another level of (unspoken) communication going on too. It’s love, but not love as we know it. It’s ‘Passione Celeste!’
What do you plan to do next?
I’m going to carry on riding and blogging (www.captaincentury.com), so anyone who is interested can follow what I get up to. I’ve also asked Santa for a USA Road Atlas; just for looking at and dreaming about, of course…!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following is a list of sources, by no means exhaustive, that I referred to when writing this book.
Addy, Shirley M. and Long, Maureen, Suffolk Signs Books 1 to 5, A.L. Publications, 1996‒2005.
Belbin, Giles, A Year in The Saddle – 365 Stories from the World of Cycle Sport, Aurum Press, 2015.
Bettley, James and Pevsner, Nikolaus, The Buildings of England – Suffolk, East, Yale University Press, 2015.
Bettley, James and Pevsner, Nikolaus, The Buildings of England – Suffolk, West, Yale University Press, 2015.
Boulting, Ned, On The Road Bike – The Search for a Nation’s Cycling Soul, Yellow Jersey Press, 2014.
Bryson, Bill, The Road to Little Dribbling, Transworld Publishers, 2016.
Carter, Mike, One Man and His Bike, Ebury Press, 2012.
Cossins, Peter, The Monuments – The Grit and the Glory of Cycling’s Greatest One-Day Races, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.
Fotheringham, William, Fallen Angel – The Passion of Fausto Coppi, Yellow Jersey Press, 2010.
Hoban, Barry with Wilcockson, John, Watching the Wheels Go Round, Stanley Paul & Co., 1981.
Hoban, Barry, Vas-y-Barry!, Pedal Press, 2015.
Marchesini, Daniele, Bianchi – Die Geschichte der groBen italienischen Fahrradmarke, Delius Klasing Verlag, 2005.
Mills, A.S.D., A Dictionary of British Place Names, Oxford University Press, 2011.
Mitchell, Nick, The End to End Cycle Route, Cicerone, 2012.
Pye, Adrian S., A Photographic and Historical Guide to The Parish Churches of East Suffolk, ASPYE, 2008.
Pye, Adrian S., A Photographic and Historical Guide to The Parish Churches of Central Norfolk, ASPYE, 2010.
Rendell, Matt, The Death of Marco Pantani – A Biography, Phoenix, 2007.
Sidwells, Chris, Best 100-Mile Bike Routes, HarperSport, 2014.
Suffolk Federation of Women’s Institutes, The Suffolk Village Book, Countryside Books & SFWI, 1991.
Taylor, Mark, The Untold Story of the Martyr-King and His Kingdom, Fordaro, 2014.
Thomas, Geraint, The World of Cycling According to G, Quercus Editions, 2016.
Warren, Simon, 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, Francis Lincoln, 2010.
Warren, Simon, Another 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, Francis Lincoln, 2010.
Wills, Dixe, Tiny Churches, AA Publishing, 2016.
I also drew on several cycling magazines for inspiration and ideas. I’ve been reading ‘Cycling Weekly’ (aka ‘The Comic’) for longer than I can remember, and certainly since the late 1970s. With the relatively recent explosion in the popularity of cycling there has been a parallel explosion in the number of cycling magazines on newsagents’ shelves. My monthly read of choice is ‘Cyclist’ and I especially enjoy their accounts of rides in the UK, in Europe and further afield. Each month they are a rich source of ideas and inspiration for me.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is about my rides, the places I have visited and about my bikes, my beloved Bianchis. But above all it is also about the people I have ridden with and met along the way. The full story would be incomplete if I didn’t mention and thank them here as I cross the finishing line.
Andy Brown, Geoff Hill, Nick Law, Michael Robinson and Vicenzo Tippins are kindred spirits. We met on the great Land’s End to John O’Groats adventure, discovered that we got on well together and evolved to form Team Super Six. Thanks to Nick we now have some rather fetching team kit which even includes a splash of the celeste. Riding with them has always been a pleasure and a privilege.
Closer to home Daren (Nairo) Morgan joined me on more rides than anyone else. A relatively new
cyclist and fellow Bianchista, his good humour and the odd card trick have turned many good rides into great rides.
All of this really started because of Martyn Ryan’s ACT Cycling Tours van. If it hadn’t overtaken me that June day then I probably would never have gone to John O’Groats and this book would not have been written. So, big thanks, Martyn for the hand sling.
Riding the Bianchis is only part of the story. Ensuring that they continue to be rideable is massively important, and in this I have been very fortunate to have the support of the team at Madgetts Cycles in Diss. To Uncle Mick and Cousins Sean and Tony you have got me out of a hole more times than I can remember, and always with good humour.
As I hope I have explained in these pages, Bianchis are more just than bikes to be ridden. They are works of art to be admired, enjoyed and celebrated. The Bianchi Owners Club UK (BOCUK) is the just the perfect place for this. I can’t think of any other bike brand that enjoys such a strong reputation. Whenever I have ridden with my extended BOCUK family, I’ve had a blast.
There are lots of other people who have helped, supported and encouraged my riding over the last few years. You know who you are and I hope you know how much I value this.
I like to think that Edoardo Bianchi who in 1885 started this movement, would be delighted with the way his legacy is cherished and honoured today.
‘Passione Celeste!’
NOTES
* * *
1 The organisers, Always Aim High Events, have since added a fourth route, the Xtrem. This involves riding all three routes – 226 miles with over 13,000 feet of climbing. Up to 18 hours are allowed to complete the ride.
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