I am back, it was a tough day, one of the toughest rides ive ever done I think.
Congratulations to DTB and Flyaway, you should have few doubts about your bike fitness after todays ride.
Ive never seen so many punctures on a ride in all my life, over about 5 miles along a lane through some woods, there were cyclists stopped every few hundred yards, in some cases, two or three together changing flats. Apparently they had some Halfords teams on the course and they alone helped with 78 punctures.
It was horrific. It took me a very long time. I was wet and cold and absolutely miserable and I just wanted it all to be over. I did not enjoy a single bit of it. Battling into the wind for 30miles almost had me crying. I did fix one guy's snapped chain though. He was at the top of a hill on the Pilgrims' Way, totally exposed and the weather was trying to decide if it should hail instead of just raining, so I took pity on him having to wait for the mechanic. Good thing I had my little chain breaker!
Hey Flyaway, well done on the ride and the rescuing fellow cyclists!
I had a cry too - at eighty mile checkpoint I popped into the loos and bawled for ten seconds - proper shaking sobs. Released a lot of tension and felt better. Then had two slices of cake, a banana and a caffeine gel, all of which helped. It was a very tough ride, and pretty lumpy too!
Made harder by my decision to pour boiling water over my hand at 56 miles, resulting in hand being wrapped in clingfilm by St Johns Ambulance (very Blue Peter) to stop it rubbibg on bike glove, lol.
Comments
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz morning
It hasnt stopped raining and I might melt
I expect they have found a cake shop somewhere
How was it FB, was this the first year ? How's it compare to Bala/The Vit ?
Congratulations to DTB and Flyaway, you should have few doubts about your bike fitness after todays ride.
Ive never seen so many punctures on a ride in all my life, over about 5 miles along a lane through some woods, there were cyclists stopped every few hundred yards, in some cases, two or three together changing flats. Apparently they had some Halfords teams on the course and they alone helped with 78 punctures.
I did fix one guy's snapped chain though. He was at the top of a hill on the Pilgrims' Way, totally exposed and the weather was trying to decide if it should hail instead of just raining, so I took pity on him having to wait for the mechanic. Good thing I had my little chain breaker!
Hey Flyaway, well done on the ride and the rescuing fellow cyclists!
I had a cry too - at eighty mile checkpoint I popped into the loos and bawled for ten seconds - proper shaking sobs. Released a lot of tension and felt better. Then had two slices of cake, a banana and a caffeine gel, all of which helped. It was a very tough ride, and pretty lumpy too!
Made harder by my decision to pour boiling water over my hand at 56 miles, resulting in hand being wrapped in clingfilm by St Johns Ambulance (very Blue Peter) to stop it rubbibg on bike glove, lol.