Nightrider is a unique 100km challenge which see those taking part cycle through the streets of London in the middle of the night.
Personally, I think this challenge was far harder than the
half marathons I have completed in the past, probably due to my complacency at
the start of training when I thought that because I would be sitting on a bike,
it would be far easier. This was not the case which I quickly realised when we
began our long training rides.
The starting area at Alexandra Palace
We arrived about 45 minutes before our 12.05am start time at
Alexandra Palace. We felt good, albeit it little tired and chilly from the wind,
however once we were underway, speeding down the hill, we quickly forgot our tiredness and
the cold.
Now, I know I don’t have the greatest knowledge of our
Capital, only really visiting London once or twice a year, and despite having
looked at the profile of the ride beforehand, I was of the understanding that Alexandra
Palace and Crystal Palace were the only killer hills – this was not the case!
As soon as we got to the bottom of Alexandra Palace hill, a kilometre or two from
the start, the first big incline began. Some riders were already beaten,
dismounting to walk to the summit, however we kept peddling.
About 15 kilometres in we reached central London, dodging
traffic and revellers enjoying the night life. As we approached Piccadilly
Circus, passing all the exclusive nightclubs we hit a traffic jam! Joining the
queue we were surrounded by London buses, taxi cabs, tuk tuks and the most
amazing car showroom – Porches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bentleys to name a
few. Slowly we edged forward and made our way to the river, cycling alongside
the Thames and crossing it numerous times.
The amazing sights of London by night
Normally when I’m in London my time is limited because of what
is known as The Last Train Home so I have never really seen the spectacle that
is, London at night. Seeing all the historic and iconic buildings lit up and
shown at their best was truly amazing. Especially as there was little traffic
and no crowds, it did feel like we were being let on in a little secret that nobody
else, apart from our fellow Nightriders, knew about.
Onwards and soon upwards we peddled. At about 30km we passed
the WaterAid offices in Durham Street and shortly after began the climb to the
top of Crystal Palace. The majority of the incline through residential roads was relatively
gentle and I could keep up with a comfortable speed, then, with about a
kilometre or two to go, the real climb began. Again, I managed this mini challenge
with relative ease which was a huge boost to my confidence.
Shortly after we reached the top the decent began and we
took our first pit stop at the 40km mark. After a 20 minute rest and having
taken on board some sweets, energy drinks and doused our sore muscles with pain
relief gel, we continued.
The pit stop at Crystal Palace
Similarly to the decent of Alexandra Palace hill once we
reached the bottom we were faced with another hill, although this time the
hills kept coming. I lost count of how many there were and they were beginning
to take their toll on my legs – the burning sensations I experienced on our
last long training ride were kicking in. The wind had also picked up; as we
passed through Blackheath it felt at times as though we were being pushed backwards.
The new day was dawning and as it did the realisation that
we still had a long way to go. Descending towards the Thames again, we stopped
just shy of Tower Bridge for our 60km pit stop. Further fluids and sweets were
taken on board, and another application of our pain relief gel before we sat
back onto, what was swiftly becoming, the most painful seat you could imagine.
Sitting on that again seat was worth it though, cycling
across Tower Bridge with barely anyone else around is now a moment I will
remember forever. I have always marvelled at the London Marathon runners
crossing that landmark and wondered how amazing it must be, now I have some understanding.
We then turned towards Canary Wharf, cycling through
residential roads before reaching the financial hub. Shortly after leaving
Canary Wharf, we made it to our final pit stop with 16 kilometres left.
Canary Wharf
We were stiffening up, struggling to move, wanting to sit
but our only seat caused immense pain. Five minutes relaxing on the grass
stretching out made a huge difference. The mood here was different to
other pit stops, much quieter, however the smell of various pain relief gel was
stronger than before. We were not the only ones suffering, many other cyclist
were succumbing to the heady mix of Voltarol and Deep Heat too!
After a short break we began our final push. I noticed that
everyone’s speed was far slower than before. A small boost was had when we
joined a group where one cyclist was playing Bob Marley music through a speaker.
It was that little extra kick I needed.
Slowly we approached Alexandra Palace. I knew I would
struggle up this hill and I certainly did. The burning in my legs was extremely
intense as we climbed the last 500 metres, but for the first time, we had a few
spectators cheering which was an energy boost in itself. I had to pause a
couple of times as I climbed, not wanting to walk after a 20 second break I
would continue until I reached the summit where John was waiting.
We crossed the finish line together at about 7.30am and
collected our medals. I must admit, there were a few tears - a mixture of happiness,
achievement, relief, pain and complete exhaustion!
The finish
This is an amazing challenge which I recommend people try. You
see the magnificence of London in a unique way. However, as you can tell from
this blog, it is tough, but as we prove, you don’t need to be a top cyclist
with expensive equipment to complete it. As we cycled we saw people on a whole range
of bikes; fold up, tandems, mountain, hybrid, road and bikes that are so old
you wonder how the wheels are still turning.
Twelve hours since we completed the challenge, I ache all
over, even my arms are painful which is surprising since they didn’t really go
much! However, it is a pain I am enjoying, we have raised a huge amount for
WaterAid which makes every ache feel worthwhile.
Would I do it again? Ask me in a few weeks when I can walk
and sit with ease again!
My husband and I undertook this challenge to raise money for
WaterAid. If you would like to retrospectively sponsor us, just click here.
