As I mentioned yesterday Jos got a flat from a thorn which
we could not dig out. So this morning Jos’
tire is flat and low and behold so is my front tire. It took only a few seconds to find that I too
had picked up a thorn. I dug in my
sewing kit and came up with a seam riper which I used to dig out the thorn from
my tire and Jos’ tire.
The weather report was really bad and the BBC was issuing a
heavy rain fall warning. It was coming
down pretty heavy alright but rain has never really scared me off. We pulled on the numerous layers of rain gear
and I mounted my clip on fenders. This
proved much more difficult than it did at home when I test fitted them however
the bike was on the stand and this was kneeling down in the pouring rain.
After fixing tires messing with what clothes to wear and
fender messing about we were off. The
trail we road in on had turned from a nice packed dirt trail to a slippery mud
hole. Within a couple of miles we were
totally covered in mud. My clip on
fenders are packed with mud and I have to take them off. So now I am really getting pasted. After
about five miles my Garmin quit working as it seems to have developed leak and
the screen has a bubble of water under it.
Maybe I can dry it out.
There were a ton of really steep hills and it is raining
harder than ever. The wind has picked up
and is now a 15 -20 mph straight into our face.
I have to stay right behind Jos
and Patrick as I don’t have any navigation, which means I have to work a lot
harder than I normally would as I usually let them sprint on ahead and then
catch them at the next turn.
At mile 15 the lightening starts so we decided that we would
load bikes and sag into Buxton and have a nice hot meal. Another 25 miles (40
kms) in this just didn’t make sense. By the time bikes are loaded we are all shivering
as it is only 50 F (10 C).
Tonight’s B&B is a lovely Edwardian Town house just on
the edge of downtown Buxton. We have
beautiful main floor rooms (not on the fourth story). It is really surprising how your perspective
changes once you get a hot show and a hot meal into you.
Terry
ROADS I say, REAL ROADS!
ReplyDeletewow I thought this tour was gonna be a relatively easy one...but no, given the hills, heat and rain it is proving to be a real test. I have been doing a bit of riding, inspired by you. your ride out of turo where you did 35 miles of hill climbing in 5 hours has set the bar for me. if I feel tired, or start to whine, I think to myself...this is nothing compared to what you guys go through. my hat is off to you. you are all tough tough guys!!!
ReplyDeletealso, a shout out to agnes!
chris
Some days you win (Monday), some days you don't win (Wednesday). Best wishes for more winners. No shame in riding the van if the fun has run out.
ReplyDeleteKen C.
Holy smoke! Agree with Ken! Some days will be better than others. Have to admit that this didn't sound like a good day, though! Hoping for a better day tomorrow ( probably today's ride as you read this!). Thinking of you all! Hi Agnes! J&E
ReplyDeleteWow, you all finally had to deal with a survival day. Good decision calling for help and taking the rest of the day off. I figured this was going to be a rather tame ride in the park. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteResponding to some of the comments, LEJOG is a tough, tough ride. The toughest part is the navigation, Garmins are supposed to reduce the problem but riding in England is tough and turny. It is never a walk in the park, then you add in the rain, which is usually daily, sometimes all day, sometimes multiple times during the day it gets tougher. One of our riders, a Brit with a very dry sense of humor, stated about half way through our ride, that "I have had quite enough of rainbows." That pretty much sums it up, and things usually get wetter and colder in Scotland! 98% of my ride was on sealed roads, though some of them were simply two parallel strips of concrete with grass growing down the middle! I am with Cynthia, "Roads I say, real roads." Earnie
ReplyDeleteWow, challenges every day! Great call coming in out of the rain and not arguing with the lightening. You guys are tough but did not confuse dedication with stupidity! Bummer about the garmin. Hope you get it working! Stay strong and keep on writing and riding.
ReplyDeleteGail