Northamptonshire, Cobblers - (Not really!)

My ride in Northamptonshire, home of Weetabix, Carlsberg, Doc Martens and the British Grand Prix got off to a discouraging start. Its never ideal being woken by the sound of rain lashing against your window, but on the morning of a long ride its certainly not what you need to motivate you out of the bed! But not to worry the Met Office forecast on the iphone convinced me all would be good by the time I arrived at the Nene Whitewater centre, the start point of my 120 mile sojourn around the “Rose of the Shires”.

The Flag of Northamptonshire – the Rose of the Shires

With my kit laid out next to the bed and the bike and all the usual long ride essentials packed in the van the night before it was just a case of getting up, slapping on the chamois cream and kit then eating my breakfast and then I’d be good to go. Internet searches for Northamptonshire’s local delicacy had proved somewhat disappointing so I plumped for three Weetabix for breakfast to tick the try the local cuisine box first thing!

Weetabix – made in Burton Latimer since 1932

SatNav programmed – driving time 63 minutes, ETA 8am – nice early start I thought, but with extremely poor visibility due to the driving rain my mood was somewhat subdued as I neared Northampton and was about to get a great deal gloomier. Just four miles from my exit on the M1 the traffic slowed, then ground to a halt. Ten minutes later not having moved and with the numerous fire engines, ambulances and police cars passing, sirens wailing and blue lights flashing it was clear there had been a nasty RTA. The travel news reported a full closure and so there I sat for a full two and a half hours, the upside being the rain finally ceased and the clouds passed to leave a bright but chilly start to my ride when I arrived at the Nene Whitewater centre just before eleven!

Nene Whitewater centre – closed due to Covid-19.

Despite the late start I was confident that a dusk at 8:30pm gave me enough time to take the ride easy and enjoy the sights, I had emergency lights just in case.

The route I had planned was predominantly on country lanes with a few short excursions on cycle paths so I plumped for my Scott Foil road bike rather than my cross bike for this ride, little did I realise the roads to the South West of Northampton would be some of the worst I have encountered. The extent and severity of the potholes demanded constant vigilance and detracted from what would have been lovely quiet rolling lanes to otherwise enjoy.

I was quickly into Northampton town centre which was quiet due to Covid-19 restrictions, many businesses still not having re-opened to customers. The guildhall was an impressive building but otherwise it was pretty typical town centre fare and disappointingly I failed to find any of the giant shoe sculptures celebrating Northampton as the home of British shoemaking since the 15th century.

The Maule collective bar was unsurprisingly closed so like Leicestershire the local brew will be tested later following delivery of an online order of their Zest for life pale ale.

The potholed roads led me through numerous villages perched atop the small hills typical of the area, Rothersthorpe and Gayton were probably the most notable but although pleasant none of the villages had anything particularly notable about them .

Gayton village and Canons Ashby Manor House

As I turned North East at Byfield it became clear the next 100km would be spent plugging away into a nagging 25 km/h headwind. I was however suddenly blessed with a stretch of immaculate virgin tarmac closed off to traffic as the highways team finished off the road markings on the run down into Charwelton home to the oldest bridge in Northamptonshire. The small stone bridge with two pointed arches has spanned the river Cherwell here since the 13th century. Whilst I was stopped and downing a fruit salad gel a friendly gentleman from the house opposite asked if I was ok. Having explained my ride and my quest to ride a century in all 92 counties of the UK his first comment was “I hope the roads in the other 91 are better than the dirt tracks we have round here!” He went on to explain that the brand new tarmac I had just enjoyed had been installed following years of protests from villagers complaining that the trucks shook their houses as they bounced across the potholes nearby!

Packhorse bridge – Charwelton

Heading back up towards Northampton I was struck by a strange sense of having completely lost track of time, and was daunted by the thought of 120 km still ahead ahead of me, yet my legs felt strong and in general I had a feeling of being completely chilled out. Basically I was a complete hotch-potch of emotions and had no inkling as to why I felt so out of kilter. Whether the long motorway delay had played a part I’m not sure but I was struck by a wave of doubt as to whether I really had the energy or the desire to complete the ride as I returned close to Northampton just a few miles away from my parked van.

bleak stretch!

Birthplace of UK Radar

Heading North out of Northampton the roads finally improved and but for a bleak section of open farmland my mojo returned, despite it being tough work into the wind my head had cleared and once again I was loving the feeling of exploring new villages and countryside that although not spectacular, were quiet and pleasing on the eye.

Just outside Pitsford I picked up the Brampton Valley Way a 27 km stretch of traffic free cycling and walking path linking Northampton and Market Harborough, predominantly hardpacked gravel with ashphalt sections this is ideal family cycling territory suited to knobblier tyres but I had no issues with my Vittoria Rubino Pro Speed slicks on the 10 km or so that I traversed.

Shortly after leaving the Brampton valley way and having passed through the traditional villages of Maidwell, Clipston and Great Oxendon I came upon Naseby Battlefield and Prince Ruperts Viewpoint. It is here where in 1645 King Charles and Prince Rupert brought the Royal Army up to the ridge from Market Harborough. The ridge offers a wide view of the Welland valley and holding it obviously provided a strong tactical advantage for the impending battles but from a scenic perspective it was a little disappointing though it is very accessible with wheelchair access, bike racks and an information board so worth a quick visit when passing.

Rupert’s view over the Welland valley

Heading on, my thoughts turned to the feature climb of the day, nothing too daunting but Rockingham Hill gets a spot in Simon Warrens best climbs in the Midlands book. Scoring 3/10 with just over 1km of climbing at 6% and a maximum of 12% gradient it deserves its place in the rankings due to its pleasing aesthetics including the castle that bears its’ name and a street lined with quaint thatched cottages that take your mind of the effort required to crest it. The gradual early slopes are blessed with a near perfect surface which deteriorates slightly as you kink left onto the steepest section but nowhere on this climb are you forced to stay in the saddle to maintain traction.

Cresting Rockingham Hill also finally brought the headwind section to an end, turning East towards Oundle meant a cross tailwind would now provide a little assistance but unfortunately due to the delayed start this was not going to be enough to get me to my planned cafe at Beans Coffeee Stop in Oundle before closing time. Corby town came and went pretty quickly displaying signs of regeneration underway on Weldon Road home to the Tata Steel works. A rescue flapjack and water was bought at a village store in Upper Benefield shortly before I entered the picturesque town of Oundle, nestled on the banks of the river Nene this historic market town has been an inhabited settlement for thousands of years with discoveries of Bronze age, Iron age, Roman and Saxon materials commonly found in this area.

Sadly too late for the Cyclists favourite cafe in these parts

Leaving Oundle I only had 50km left to ride and all with a tailwind but today was not to be a day for good fortune. To be fair the next problem was entirely my own fault. As I put my bike in the van the previous night I was struck by the thought that perhaps I should charge the Di2 battery, nah it wasn’t that long ago I remember thinking, it will be fine. Schoolboy error! As I pushed off from Oundle and tried to click into the big ring – nothing! Fortunately Di2 goes into battery saver mode and spares what charge is remaining for the rear derailleur to maintain a wider range of gearing until the battery finally drains, but with a blessed tailwind and numerous little rollers to enjoy having access to my 53 tooth big ring would undoubtedly have made getting back to the van before dark a far more enjoyable task!

The run down to Wellingborough from Oundle was good cycling country with more quaint villages and fine roads to be enjoyed.

Leaving Wellingborough I passed through the sprawling water filled gravel pits that make up Billing Aquadrome leisure park before taking in the two villages of Little Houghton and Great Houghton, here once again Covid-19 prevented me from sampling the local ale at the oldest pub in the county – The Old Cherry Tree would be closed for another two weeks at least.

As I rocked up at the van after a long but not terribly arduous day in the saddle the Garmin proudly announced I had completed 199km, I couldn’t leave it at that could I, a return trip to the Nene White water centre and back clocked up the 200km and I happily stowed the bike in the back of the van and tucked into the remaining slice of Shirl’s delicious barmbrack to see me on my way home.

It had been a strange kind of day, trouble on the M1, shocking roads to start with and a 100km headwind section that played tricks with my head, but on reflection Northamptonshire will fall in the pleasant but not particularly spectacular bracket with lots of picturesque and quaint villages but no one attraction standing out to really grab my attention.

Kit and Gear review

Stolen Goat – Orkaan tights and Climb and Conquer jacket. Difficult choice this one, with the weather not very spring like and the temperature hovering between 7-10 deg C and plenty of potential for the wet stuff I plumped for the Climb and Conquer jacket. At times I feared this might have been too cautious and I would overheat but with the ever-present wind chill factor it proved to be the right call.

Scott Foil – My trustee road bike may not forgive me for the potholes in the South West of the region and the gravel on the Brampton Valley Way but other than a front wheel pinch flat it was as ever, a comfortable all-day ride.

Rotor Q Oval chainrings – “Ugly!” I hear purists say, but in my very unscientific opinion my 53T-39T oval chainset has never given me any shifting trouble, no dropped chains and placebo effect or not I’m convinced I fatigue less when using it on long rides.

SPOK’D – Not exactly kit or gear but on a day when at times I wasn’t feeling the two wheeled love the fitness benefits training with the online coaching app SPOK’D has given me over the last 12 months were a godsend. Using SPOK’D has made my cycling training smarter more consistent and much more structured but at the same time has allowed me to fit a structured training plan around my lifestyle and my preferences rather than the other way round. https://www.spokd.com/

The ride in numbers

200.00 km

2120m Elevation gain

8hrs 51 min moving time (22.7 km/h)

9 gels

2 Flapjacks

0 coffee stop

5 bottles of water

0 beers

1 puncture

92 CCC – Northamptonshire | road ride | Komoot

Finally if you got a spare quid in your pocket my justgiving page to raise vital funds for the Midlands Air Ambulance is now live Keith Jones is fundraising for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (justgiving.com)