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 News & Updates
Travel to Broughty Ferry Team Cycle 500 visit T5 LHR bar for some last minute preparation for the cycle! Support Team (Bob, Dot, Peter) arrive in Broughty Ferry, with the Bikes and good intentions, followed soon after by Brian, Martin, Andrew and Spinney, ‘THE CYCLISTS’. Family friends Maureen and Harry, bravely put us up, (put up with us?!). Day One – Broughty Ferry to Oxton (Via Dundee & Edinburgh – the long way as we found out!) Challenge puncture – Martin wins with a puncture after only 25 miles, Andrew a close second. Spinney & Bri decide not to participate in this particular challenge…yet. Plan 81 miles – Actual 97 miles (thanks Bri!) Summary 11.5 hours, 2 punctures, rain, lost in Edinburgh (as well as generally), hills, extra 16 miles, rain, hills, put up tent, dinner, sleep in field. Fantastic Day! Day Two – Oxton to Hedley On The Hill – 79 miles (of big hills) Hills – this sums up the day…..if you ever go near the Scotland & England border then on the A68 down to Corbridge we strongly recommend you drive…. Disaster strikes - First injury of the trip..Bri got a knee injury which puts him out of action after around 30 miles…will he be back though? Shock - Jelly babies run out of stock…team is in trouble… Fantastic evening meal at The Feathers Inn in Hedley On The Hill…also great to be put up for the night….sincere thanks…much more comfortable than the field! Cheers! Day Three – Hedley on the Hill to Harrogate – 76 miles of Hills and rain…thanks! Amazingly Bri is back with the team on the road…he also takes the accolade of king of the uphill battle. Highlight of the day - the end of the A68…goodbye and good riddance! – although there are some great views on that road….you have plenty of time to check them out as average speed going up the hills is barely above zero mph. Challenge of the day – 24 miles of Dice with death on the A1 or road kill waiting to happen Cycle 500 team received some uplifting support in particular from white van drivers. We noticed these fabulous individuals tended to greet us with horn-tooting and very unusual waiving gestures. Evening spent in Harrogate…great place to relax and recover! Day Four – Harrogate to Nottingham – 91 miles Disaster strikes Bri is stricken by Ibuprofen poisoning and needs to let the train take the strain to Nottingham…valiant effort to get as far as he did. Leeds – We all got lost there! Sheffield – We wonder if traffic managers travel using road numbers, for example if you travel along the A6135 you also seem to travelling along the A616 – are they the same road or different? After being on the bike for over 50 miles already that day it can be confusing. Summary – Rain, many miles, day extended by the various delays in Sheffield and unhelpful directions led to arriving at Dusk in Nottingham….fantastic to get there….the next day is a rest day…so time to get to the nearest bar! News Flash……… Finishing Party booked for Saturday 23rd August 2008, 12-5pm Location….The Emmbrook Cricket Club, Wokingham………All invited!! Day Five – Official Rest Day! Day starts at 7.30am…fire alarm goes off in the hotel . . . Strenuous exercise now in the groove – a leisurely walk around the centre
of Nottingham! At the end of the day off it was restful watching others doing
a bit of exercise – Day 6 Cycling Team strengthened(?) by arrival yesterday with heavyweight brother Simon and novice Martin F. Team sticks together to make sure all leave Nottingham successfully – didn’t want another Sheffield or Leeds experience again. Weather overcast, cool – just right for cycling?! Gourmet lunch provided by back up team – amazing what one burner and one saucepan can do - along with hot drinks. Three stops en route to Silverstone – not that the cyclists were looking for a race track to end the day. Si’s bike ride not enough of a challenge for him – riding on an inappropriate bike making it tougher for him - bike not as racy as he would have liked! OOPs!!! – wishful thinking (making good time – but . . .) all OK down to Northampton and then the road number disappears again and we all go the wrong way!!!! Simon takes the biscuit by going furthest the wrong way – in fact almost up to Kettering (didn’t he realise he was going north when he should have continued south?) But even worse to come – having travelled 25 miles to pick him up Tom Tom tells the driver to go south on the M1 instead of north – so we end up near Milton Keynes – and have to come back up the motorway again!!!! In the meantime Bob has given an excellent live interview on Radio Berkshire (feedback from family almost immediately - - someone listens to Radio Berkshire) saying how good it had been. All thankful that a bed had been found and tomorrow is the last day! Day 7 Puncture table – who will top it? |
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