vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Seemed to waste it on a BBQ so I went out and did my first imperial century in three years disguised as an over distance 150km DIY Audax. 106 miles in eight hours of pedal time. Selby - Hull - Beverley - Driffield - Garrowby Hill - York - Selby
The ride wasn't without incident.
One snake bite puncture on the York Selby cycle route nine miles from the end of the ride.
The replacement tube exploded and shredded itself before I had chance to refit the wheel. The tyre wall was separated from the bead for three inches by the explosion.
The second spare tube turned out to be for a 26" wheel and I was on a 700c wheeled bike.
I had some duct tape wrapped around my bike pump body and I fashioned a tyre bood from the tape. I wrestled the undersized tube into place and gingerly completed the last nine miles of the ride.
Five miles from the end I had an awful feeling that I hadn't seen my car ignition key in the external pocket of the pannier. A search of the pannier confirmed my worst fears. I conjured up all sorts of scenarios when I was repairing the puncture involving the key ending up in the grass on the York Selby cycle route.
I decided to press on as going back to search would be a futile exercise.
I got back to my car to find the ignition key where I left it. Sticking out from the lock on the driver's door.
The incidents didn't detract from the enjoyment of the ride and there was a marked performance improvement on the long drags. Weight loss is probably the biggest contributor to my improved hill climbing.
I'm now browner than a brown thing or, rather, bits of me are.
The ride wasn't without incident.
One snake bite puncture on the York Selby cycle route nine miles from the end of the ride.
The replacement tube exploded and shredded itself before I had chance to refit the wheel. The tyre wall was separated from the bead for three inches by the explosion.
The second spare tube turned out to be for a 26" wheel and I was on a 700c wheeled bike.
I had some duct tape wrapped around my bike pump body and I fashioned a tyre bood from the tape. I wrestled the undersized tube into place and gingerly completed the last nine miles of the ride.
Five miles from the end I had an awful feeling that I hadn't seen my car ignition key in the external pocket of the pannier. A search of the pannier confirmed my worst fears. I conjured up all sorts of scenarios when I was repairing the puncture involving the key ending up in the grass on the York Selby cycle route.
I decided to press on as going back to search would be a futile exercise.
I got back to my car to find the ignition key where I left it. Sticking out from the lock on the driver's door.
The incidents didn't detract from the enjoyment of the ride and there was a marked performance improvement on the long drags. Weight loss is probably the biggest contributor to my improved hill climbing.
I'm now browner than a brown thing or, rather, bits of me are.
