80K Woodcote CX

So my first airing of our new cycle jersey took place last week at the cyclocross sportive at Woodcote. I have done a few sportives over the years but not one that would take in both road and off road sections.
I chose to ride my Salsa Vaya as clearly by virtue of the events name it was suited to a CX type of bike. A quick change of spec from the weekly commuter to the weekend race machine certainly had the required effect, turning it's normally docile but dependable character into a nimble yet comfortable off-road m/c with the benefit of being able to maintain a good speed whilst on road.

Commuter

Racer!

The week leading up to the event had managed to stay dry, this combined with a good hard frost and clear skies meant that most of the early off-road excursions were fast and dry. The route really was spectacular combining rolling hills, picturesque valleys with plenty of quaint little villages. I was aiming for a gold standard, which was something in the order of 3:45 for my age group....old! All was progressing well until I had a puncture at around the 55K mark, and due to a number of administrative issues (Old self adhesive patches that weren't adhesive and a pump with an intermittent ability to inflate the tyre) meant that I lost in the region 20 mins repairing it but more worryingly I left myself with no other options should I get another puncture. The remainder of the course was as enjoyable as the 1st and now with a warming sun the off-road sections were much softer, wetter and looser but the bike felt great throughout. The last few miles was a bit of a time trial affair to make up for lost time but finally I came in at 4:00.
Fantastic well organised event with lots of detailed information and good course marking. It was ran by the 'cycle events organisation',  who also run the Trail Break and Southern sportive events.
The event's web page is here http://www.cxsportive.com/