Spring ride 300 SH to Nanjing

CONTEXT:
In 2015, Audax races, Pocari Boys 400 or F5 Challenge 400 tempted me to do more long distance rides this year. You always want more, don’t you?

So when Alex suggestion came up to ride 300km to Nanjing with Shaun, it did not take long for me to say yes. Plan is riding on Saturday and running the Nanjing 25km Mountain Trail on Sunday. I end up canceling the trail and Shaun canceling the ride. Good for us, I’m pretty happy only to ride; Shaun excels on the run while Alex-The-Machine makes a strong performance stretching the limits at both events.

Busy weekend, there are massive Shanghai crowds at Taiwan IM 70.3  and at Chongming 200, I can’t stay doing nothing.

THE CYCLISTS:
Alex and me. I am a bit anxious before going, he has done maybe a dozen of 300km+, mostly solo. Will I be able to keep up? I am not scared about the distance, but indeed about the pace.

GEAR AND NUTRITIONS:
This time, no heavy bag rack for me, I take a camel bag which I removed the water container. This is the occasion to see what my new bike can do (well, more, what I can do on my new bike, thanks Ridley New Giga Bike).

Weather forecast says 6 degrees in the morning and 18 degrees during the day. I decide to ride with long pants, three long sleeve layers and one light windproof jersey.

For very long ride, gels and energy bars are not enough right, better add something substantial that you like. The chicken burgers without salad without sauce made the job for our F5 Challenge 400, so I choose this option again, plus two packs of cookies, 5 gels and two bottles of water. Alex chooses to take 6 packs of tasty M&M cakes and bananas. Fully packed, we are almost self-supported and we only need to find water refill station.

  
THE COURSE:
Shanghai – Suzhou – Wuxi – Changzhou – Nanjing. Only fast roads, not very scenic … mostly flat till you reach Nanjing area, then it becomes up and down, not very steep but quite challenging with 240km in your legs, not mentioning the wind.

We won’t use the navigation mode of the Garmin Edge 520 to save the battery. Alex remembers the route more or less from his past rides, and we will do the rest with the smartphone. Starting 5am, we expect to arrive at Nanjing at 7.30pm.
THE RIDE:
* 0-90km, Cold and fast: We meet at 5.15am. wow Alex wears short pants, he is gonna freeze. We slowly get out of the city center, it’s no longer 6 degrees anymore, the Edge displays a real feel temperature of 1,5 degrees … We ride side by side. On the road to Suzhou, the pace gets higher and higher, Alex leads at 35 up to 40kph, humm … I’m not gonna be able to keep that for 300km. There is almost nobody on the road and we arrive to Suzhou pretty quickly.

A first break before 8am at a Suzhou convenience store for water refill. Both of us don’t drink enough, not even half bottle is used for 90km. I try Alex cakes, definitely need that for my next long ride.

* 90-130km, Warm and stronger: We leave Suzhou, heading to Wuxi. I regained energy after the Suzhou break, I don’t feel like struggling anymore so we can alternate the lead, cruising at 33-35kph. The wind rises, we try to keep this speed but again, we don’t think we could last the 300km like this. Moreover, Alex needs to run 25km trail the day after. We decrease the cruising speed to 31-32kph, it doesn’t look much reducing but at least we feel more comfortable.

Arrived in Wuxi, we make a break at the 135th km, it’s only 10am or so and we have done already that much! So no need to push anymore we should arrive at Nanjing before the time expected. We enjoy the sun by the river, M&M cakes and my first burger delights me.
* 130-180km, Long flat roads and sun: Temperature significantly increases, sunglasses on, I take off the windproof jersey. Edge says real feel 20 degrees, can’t hope for more! The wind seems gone for a moment, the ride is smooth, the weather is nice, we devour kilometers without raising an eyebrow cruising at 32-33kph. The navigation is perfect, Alex remembers the way pretty clearly. Just the traditional statement in China “oh, but there’s no road anymore” requires some detour.
 
Passed Changzhou, at the 180th km, our legs require a break, we try to look again for a nice place along the river bank to stop, but after 10 long seconds of searching… we slump along the road next to truck drivers, not very sexy, but that will do, who cares, I want my burger!
 
* 180-240km, Endless roads: On the road again. The sun gradually disappears and leaves a strange grey sky. It is still almost straight on but we switch to phone navigation, the mileage is already enough and we don’t want to do more. At some point, we keep on eating up kilometers on an endless straight road, it feels that Nanjing is getting further and further, I ask Alex if there is any turn, or do we change road anytime soon? nope, same road for 40km he says. Damned!

Finally at the 244th km, we decide to stop at a petrol station for water refill. Little chat with the gas station attendant who is very curious to see two cyclists riding all the way from Shanghai instead of taking train. Longer break than excepted, good, we need it, and the worse is to come.

* 240-300km, Harsh series of hills and the wind: Only 60km left, but a succession of little hills makes it much longer. I follow Alex advice and I try to compare distances with what I know (ok, 50km is only HQM drinkstand right? I can do that!). Temperature gets down and I am happy I still wear long outfit.
The wind goes so strong, and our proud 30kph cruising speed decreases to roughly 25kph, in uphill we even draft at 19kph… insane. We need another two breaks at a bus stop and in the middle of nowhere in the plains to rest. I eat my last burger, only thinking about the feast I should have for diner.
Finally at 5pm, we enter Nanjing city center like two heroes totally forgetting about sore legs, only 10km to go but we feel like flying. Even though our average speed passes right under 30kph only 5km from the hotel, but anyway, we finish.
That day on the road is over. Eventually, I am happy about my performance, it took me 80km to get comfortable but after that we could alternate the lead fairly. It is great to start the cycling season with this kind of trip. Thanks Alex for the initiative and for the navigation, great day, great ride!

THE RIDE IN FIGURES:
Moving time 10h10 – Break 2h15 – 6 stops – avg speed 29,9kph

Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/526924081