That's more like it! After the rather miserable 300 km brevet (https://www.strava.com/athletes/706298/posts/5128969) I certainly hoped for some nice weather, and it seems the randonneuring gods heard me, because there was not a drop of rain on this ride to Røros and back to Trondheim through Tydal.



This time, instead of me trying to describe every detail of the trip, you have the chance to see for yourself, because I made a video!



Check it out here:

https://youtu.be/3mSCPAB0N_g



I will add a few comments, though. This is the only brevet I have completed twice, because this was the one that was upcoming one year ago when I decided to see if I had what it takes to complete such a long ride. That time, my only objective was to complete the event within the allowed time limit of 27 hours. I did it in 23 and a half. In other words, a resounding success. This time, however, with more experience, more fitness, less luggage (I carried a sleeping bag last year), a faster bike than my Bacchetta Giro 26, and a determination to be more efficient on and off the bike, I completed the ride in 19 hours and 10 minutes! How often do you improve your personal best on a ride by more than 4 hours?



I had actually planned to try for an even better time, but I had some headwind for 125 km between Støren and Brekken, and that made it seem pointless to try to push hard. Of course, I don't know whether I would have been able to go much faster if I tried, or if I would just have to pay it back later in the ride. When I turned north at Brekken, the following 100 km were incredibly nice, due to the combined effects of tailwind and lots of downhill.



At Selbu the time had become 22:00, and I was happy to find the petrol station still open so I could get a hot cheese toast and some coffee. The next 30 km were steep, dark, and a little cold, so I was once again happy to get to the petrol station near the airport. At that point, I only had the 35 km familiar home stretch on safe bike lanes left.



Following the 300 km two weeks ago, I felt a little pain above my left knee and in my right ankle. The knee pain disappeared after a while, but the ankle never healed completely. Early in the 400 km, I felt the ankle complaining a little, but luckily it never got worse. Neither did I have any pain anywhere else. Last year, having never ridden that long before, I had significant pain in knees and achilles long after the event, but today I could do my ordinary commute with no issue whatsoever. That is really promising, because that sort of thing is what I consider the greatest risk with regard to completing longer brevets and the PBP.



The ride is available here:

https://www.strava.com/activities/2379328677