I did suggest warm olive oil and some cotton wool but it all got a bit lost in translation...
mike e, from Hull mooted that he would like to 'do a ride' - and with that ride, try and raise some funds for a worthy cause. No, it didn't help at all that I thought he said " 'elp for Ear'oles"...
And there he was! Hull to Hyde Park Corner ready for the next 'Legg' of his marathon. Lots of friendly faces as Claudine, Woody,(well I can't possibly call her a Tarte can I? Can I..?) Luke and self rolled onto the Wellington Arch parade ground for the midnight mass...
And off! A bit of the usual revving up, but it was warm and dry - everyone seemed in good spirit as we rolled forward. (That damned Pastoral Symphony is back again..!)
Rolling through the 'burbs' with Big Steev and Matt useful outriders (subbing for Tim H and GrumpyGreg in their absence - you were missed boys...) - just in case the 'bus stop massive' got a bit lary, we attracted the usual collection of quips - all part of the fun indeed!
All by myself I had thought of a plan which involved getting up at 03:00 on Friday morning, doing a bit of work until sleep overtook me, getting a 'power nap' (cobblers!) eating and arriving refreshed for the sortie.
I was tired by Faygate - as usual, my planning was rubbish. Unable to get a wink of repose.
At the Cabin, mike e showed me his DIY GPS and pointed out the problems encountered up to that point.
Actually that was a good, homey café, with more signs than you could shake a stick at...all very efficient - lest the staff forget - or indeed the customers.
Very good!
After the Cabin, I couldn't stop yawning (nothing to do with the company, which was great, amusing and lovely) - probably all the way to Arundel, where normal daytime metabolism kicked in...
The flint path rocks! It made a change from rolling straight and true. It is only a bit of a shocker to think what a hinderance if my handlebars had decided to end their relationship with my bicycle at that point! And the Marathon + tyres? 'Bring it on' they say!
Plenty of lovely photos by others on here showing the tour to its conclusion - the Seafront, where I met my old friends Syd and Jan. Syd used to "take care of me" on rugby tours to Paris etc when I was a mere 18 year old.
So it was egg, beans, tomatoes, fried bread, tea and a couple of beers for breakfast - in that weather, at that place...the feeling wasn't going to get much better than that!
mike e inspired them to part with some beer tokens for his cause too!
"Got to go!" was the clarion call and after some equally lovely but hurried goodbyes it was off to London by Route 1. A29, A24 - bish, bosh - The Cenotaph! Then Kings X for mike and homeward for his co-equipiers.
We ambled past Butlitz - the main arena looking like an Anish Kapoor style sea urchin - hung a right and took the A29...for about five seconds, before piling into a garage for replenishment. Obviously garages were to play an important part in helping heroes on this day. (Roughly translated the cafe was nice, but a rip-off for cold drinks.)
This woman showed us exactly what she thought of mike cycling all that way..."Felpham?" No we didn't...
So off we jolly well blasted. mike e, Des O, MacB, redjedi, ilovebikes, Radius and yours truly.
The A29 is a lovely run. I know there are some who prefer to get their legs lacerated and tyres flattened by thorny b-road hedgerows but this was fairly quiet and a blast.
Speed set steady at 24 - 28kph, or 16mph I suppose and the sun beat down upon our backs.(That was once the dynamic duo had finished their jousting further up the road...
and fallen back to pull everyone along)
Des couldn't work out why he wasn't getting the better of that dark bike next to him...
MacB, after leading the train out decided to let the train lead him from Billingshurst and redjedi pulled us along to a turn off towards Kingston where we said goodbye...and then there were five.
I sat at the back doing nothing but watch as the pace got quicker and quicker, the garage stops assuming greater significance as thirst and hungry bungry took control. But it was ok.
Celebrations on reaching civilisation took place around Ewell, near to the birthplace of the FNRttC - so it was all rather touching. Old skills were deployed to relieve the bottles of their caps and we had a booze up in
the forecourt of Tescos garage. I suspect everyone was feeling a little bit pummelled by now - but there was a fair slice to consume before the arrivée at Whitehall.
Matt was cheering us on as we passed. He had got the train back for a long, lazy lunch and was strolling along..."Oh hi Matt - Cheers! Thanks!" were exclaimed, while under my breath I was muttering 'you lucky ba$t....'
On Radius' home patch now, and swift progress was made through London's flabby traffic as we approached Westminster - fast and furious is the ordinary way to describe it. A lovely ride with a nice bunch of guys is another.
The descent of Bury Hill and all that kamikaze traffic roulette at the end makes me think again of the handlebars...ultimately, the perfect time to fail me - well done my handlebars.
And the winner is:
Ride stats: Des, Andy, Jack & I did about 270kms (168m) +/- allez retour - mike e did all that + Hull to Colchester! Nutter!
