Day 1 – 86.7 miles, 15.7 avg speed, friking ages to get there!
It’s a little after 6 o’clock in the morning and after a restless night, a good breakfast and a bit of last minute packing Simon arrives and we’re about ready to go. Problem number 1 We realise that Simon’s back wheel has gone down – oh well, no problem we’ll stick the Garmin(cycle sat nav) on Sonny’s bike and take that for the time being (Please note – at no time at all did I believe or have ever believed that a Garmin will repair a flat tire as Faye may suggest). Problem 2 haven’t had time to sort out the Garmin so not really sure of where we are going. Unfortunately, we do not have time to spend sorting this out because we’re meeting the very kind person from Faceo who sponsored us £500 so the girls will have to do it!!
So, despite a few initial problems, I have my tights on, we’ve had our pictures taken and we’re ready to go.
We started pretty well and we’re in high spirits until 12 miles when Andy hit a pot hole and punctured his tube. It’s at this point we realise that Simon “hasn’t had time” to put the puncture repair kit on his bike. Fortunately, I have one, a bit old I concede, but since Faye hasn’t collected the car yet we have to try and fix it rather than wait. One thing I am missing is sandpaper – Andy has a plan though not to fear! While Andy was “sanding” his inner tube on a rough piece of pavement I found the sandpaper in his saddle bag! So puncture fixed and off we go.
20 miles and we stop to buy some drink etc in Towcester and speak to Gemma who tells us they’re still having problems sorting out the Garmin. Ok, well we’ll push on and see you in Milton Keynes.
Milton Keynes approaches after some uneventful cycling but the girls haven’t done all the things that we left them to do (thanks again girls) so we went off to Dunstable – missed them here too so off to St Albans.
Had a nice unhealthy lunch, set up the Garmin and set off for the last 20 miles. It was at this point that we realised the Garmin isn’t as accurate as we’d hoped, but it gets worse!
Hitting London finally we end up on the North Circular where car drivers follow the ethos that beeping makes cyclists go faster. At least Garmin told us we had arrived – we had not.
A quick phone call and a 45 minute wait and we’re still stood in the same place trying to find out where this fricking hotel is. Eventually we decide to continue but Andy has a puncture and this one we can’t fix so we opt for the pavement – very slowly! That is until a very unhelpful, short, fat, stupid, pain in my ass woman decides to stand up from the bus stop and lean against it to block our way and tell Andy “I’m not moving. You’ll have to go around me.” When we pointed out we had a puncture and we’re travelling extremely slowly she started moaning. At this point I am ashamed/proud to say I released a torrent of abuse in her direction till she was shocked in to silence momentarily until she released her own as we cycled over at a break neck speed.
So we’re staying in the YMCA, we might get stabbed, Simon is power napping (this has been edited for the benefit of Faye’s parents) and we’re all out having a few beers. Possibly not the brightest idea but seems like a good plan right now, although my third pint of Carling tastes pretty good.
Tomorrow, we cycle to France although I’m not entirely sure if that’s Jack or not?
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