- I spent nearly 42 hours cycling
- I covered 717 kilometres.
- I climbed nearly 18,000 meters vertically, which is over twice the height of Everest above sea level. Actually, that's very similar to last year's efforts, in the Alps
- The highest point on the trip was the Col du Tourmalet, at 2115 metres above sea level
- The ride with the largest height gain, of 2767 metres, was over the Aspin and the Tourmalet. That's quite a bit more than last year.
- I expended nearly 21,000 calories while riding, which is also rather more than last year
- My maximum speed while descending, naturally, was 66 kilometres per hour, a whole 1 more than last year.
- In total, I turned the pedals 138,108 times, again a significant increase over last year
All About the Bike
My Ribble Aero 883 performed faultlessly. With no maintenance, other than pumping up the tyres and lubricating the chain, it tackled the climbs without complaint. Di2 provided consistently slick shifts. The stiff frame, sensitive steering and awesome Ultegra brakes all contributed to a huge sense of confidence on descents. The bike could be placed accurately. Any missed apexes were entirely my own fault. The bike went were I pointed it.I typically had quite a bit of weight on the bike. I carried a compact camera, several CO2 cylinders, lights, pump, and up to 1.5 litres of water, together with an action camera.
I did expect the deep section rims to be affected by cross winds, and wasn't disappointed. However, the bike always remained controllable and the Mavic's did an excellent job of coping. Wind is something to bear in mind in the mountains. For anyone worried about it, a set of standard rims might be a good idea. I don't think I saw another rider on aero rims during the whole trip.
The Ribble attracted attention wherever it went. People often commented on how good it looked, and were interested in how it rode, who made it and how much it cost.
In summary, it's a brilliant bike. Thanks Ribble.
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