Chuffed to pick up FKT for the SDW Classic Route (Eastbourne to Winchester) in 9 hours 8 minutes.

I had a longer FKT in mind that I was hoping to have a bash at this summer, but delays meant I missed the longest days and the opportunity (next year!). Getting this route done, after doing the SDW in the opposite direction last year, seemed like the perfect backup.

It was a tough day out, with unrelenting heat and unrelenting bumpiness, but I managed to keep a fairly constant pace with minimal stops to finish just over my target time of 9 hours (my sub 9 got scuppered by a festival blocking off the route, meaning I had to add a loop on 😢!)

I rolled into Winchester, cooked and hungry. No big fanfare just total satisfaction that you’ve emptied the tank.

The Reflex managed the terrain flawlessly and nice to show its not *just* a race bike!

It was a real privilege to return to Battle on the Beach as Number 1, and I was excited to do my first race on the beautiful new Reflex. 

It was a very different event to last year, with 3 outward beach legs into a stiff headwind, followed by dusty singletrack.  There was some serious talent on the startline, and whilst I did what I could to retain the title, sadly it wasn’t to be as I crossed the line as 4th female. 

I’m looking forward to more races on the Reflex to show what it can do.

Reilly Reflex 
Strada Gravel Ultra Plus wheel set
Panaracer GravelKings X1 45c front and rear
Shimano 1 x 11 Di2 
42t chainring, 11-42 rear 
170mm cranks 
38cm wide one piece bar stem

6th PLACE OVERALL
A hard ride in a small but seriously strong Elite women’s field. Rolled over the line with a 6th place, just one spot off an Elite World Champs qualification.

I had to dig deep in this race, for one reason or another I wasn’t at my best. It’s never good when you feel fatigue in the first 500m! A bit of a mental battle to start that 2nd lap, but ultimately it was a good result for me, and well worth it - the course was fantastic.

And that marks the end of my “summer” season, my first foray into the world of gravel racing. I’ve learned plenty and excited to go into 2025 a little more prepared. A massive thank you to Reilly Cycleworks for their support - I’ve been lucky to get to ride tHe Gradient - not a single issue at a race and a huge amount of confidence gained on the descents. The Strada wheels and Panaracer Gravel X1s kept me rolling all season without a single puncture (something which is basically unheard of in these races!)

6th Place Overall

A really enjoyable, hard fought race in a top quality field. I felt great for the first half of the race, and with hindsight probably got a bit excited and did too much work, attempting to push the pace when I should have been saving my matches! My old road race style of ‘on the front or off the back’ seems to have followed me onto the gravel!

Eventually, our lead group of 8 started to splinter as the strongest riders
pulled away. After that, it was a case of riding my own race and squeezing out
every last watt to hold off chasing riders.

Initially I wasn’t sure how I felt about my ride, but on reflection it’s a result that I’m pleased with. Sometimes it’s easy to forget who you’re racing against - it’s probably the only time I’ll be racing side by side with a Paris-Roubaix winner!

XS Gradient
Strada Gravel Ultra Plus wheelset
Panaracer GravelKings X1 TLR (45c front, 22psi, 40c rear, 26psi)
Setup tubeless with inserts
Deda alloy gravel bar, 12 degree flare
90mm Reilly stem
Shimano GRX 1 x 12 groupset
42t front, 10-45 rear