This bike ride was a new experience for me because I have never cycled in a group of more than 8-or-so people, whereas today we rode en masse in a long trail of a few thousand; I have never ridden in aid of a charity; and I have never done more than a 20-mile cycle in my life, so was slightly unprepared for this 37-mile undertaking.
With carbs loaded and rucksack packed I was just about ready to head to up to London by 9 o’clock this morning. By the time my three friends had joined me it was time for us to leave, ensuring we didn’t miss our 10:30 start time. We set off with the last wave of cyclists but soon caught up with others resting or enjoying the view. The first few miles of our ride were beside the Thames past Hampton Court Palace, which made for a gentle introduction to what was an, at times, fairly challenging ride. Further on we took B-roads through heavily forested areas and also skirted major A-roads.
About 20 miles into the ride my crank started to come loose so we had to stop at a bike mechanic's van to tighten it, stopping my pedal falling off. This took 30 minutes overall, so I was a bit stiff when we had to get going again. From this point on I was also beginning to get very hungry, which made the end of the ride particularly tough. I should have packed more food.
Luckily the last 3 miles of the journey were mainly downhill, which served as a bit of light relief. By the home stretch the adrenaline had kicked in and we managed a sprint finish.
Today was a fantastic experience and we’ve already agreed that we will do something similar again.
Today’s Food and Drink
Cereal and orange juice
Cereal bar
Banana
Cereal bar
Burger and chips (The first and only food we found in the finish area)
Pint of beer (By the river in Windsor)
Chicken curry with rice, naan bread, and an onion bhaji (I was glad of a large meal today)
Rhubarb yoghurt
No comments:
Post a Comment