London - Saturday 17th May

Finally the day had come to go up to London to have my briefing for the trip and hopefully to meet some friendly mad cyclists!! It was also my eldest son - Dougal's 12th birthday who wanted to go to the Science Museum - as my meeting was in the next street this seemed like a great idea.

We went into the IMAX 3D Cinema while we were there and I have to say it was prettty amazing, even I was trying to grab the fish as they swam towards me - little Ted kept jumping up and down in his seat as the sea monsters came towards him - but he coped better than me!!

They also had fun in the hands on sectionwhere they could build bridges and stand on them and generally make a mess!!

I went off to my meeting at the Hoop & Toy pub where there was an excellent turnout - I met up with a few people - the chap sitting behind me was from Honiton! I met Andrew, Ray, Val, Kay and Janet from MS and various others so it will be great to have some friendly faces come July! We were told the last ferry leaves Dover at 11pm so as long as we make it by then we should be fine!

It seems to be pretty well organised with lots of back up vehicles and blood wagons to pick up people who are exhausted so noone gets left behind which is very reassuring! I am now very excited and can't wait for the next 5 weeks to fly by which I am sure they will.

Roll on July - after I have done a bit more training & ordered my euros!!

21st Dorset Downs 100km Audax

This was the ride that Pippa had unsuccessfully been trying to put me off!! Having done it I can now see why - Mamhead hill is easy compared to Bulbarrow Hill!

Having picked up Robin & Pippa we made our way to Dorchester for our (Robin & mine) hardest ride todate!! We started off from the carpark just beside the castle. Don was also there, so I set off with Don and left the Wheelers to it as I was still shattered from our trip up to London on the Saturday.

I also met up with a friendly chap called Alan who was pretty fast so we cycled together to the first information control in Loders,where we caught up with Robin, Pippa & Don again. We then cycled together as a group which was fun. Through West Milton to Hooke, Rampsham onto Holywell then followed the signpost to Maiden Newton into the lunch control at the Southern Counties Lodge Clay Pigeon Caravan Park (You wouldn't catch me staying there we could hardly hear ourselves think as it was so noisy with the quad biking circuit right next to the cafe!! But as you can see at least the loos were very posh! Having been pampered we then rode on to Glanvilles Wootton, Holwell, Kings stag to the next info control at Fifehead St Quentin where we all ate jelly babies to tackle the next hill (Bulbarrow!!)

Well I am not ashamed to admit defeat and walked up half of it but then so did Robin & Don so I wasn't alone!! But I did manage to get some cracking pictures of the views which of course I would have missed had I been grunting all the way up on my bike!!

Very happy smiling faces at the top of Bulbarrow Hill - and a very relieved Don arriving!!!

After that is was still fairly undulating - the B3143 to Dorchester was fantastic, it was just like a rollercoaster enough of a down to let you coast almost to the top of the next rise - awesome!! Then back to the Cafe for the end where we had a very refreshing cup of tea - unlike one chap who ordered two puddings - one of icecream & peaches and the other of pie both with lashings of canned whipped cream - yum yum (he soon polished them both off much to our amusement!) Maybe next year I will ride up Bulbarrow Hill (or maybe not!!).

Alveston Audax - 10th May

Audax no 5 - am getting into these now big time - This was a lovely ride 100Km of beautiful countryside. Robin and I went up to Bristol together as Pippa was resting before her crazy ride on Sunday of 150 miles in 12 hours with the Torbay lot!! (rather her than me!!)

The weather was fantastic and the miles just drifted by as we went through Itchington (no fleas!), Cromall to the Kilcott Valley and onto the first control at the Royal Oak Pub in Leighterton, where we had coffee in the carpark - no beer at this one! Then onto Tetbury to Oaksey - followed signs to Ewen (but never found him) and down a very steep hill to the Daneway Inn at Sapperton for the lunch stop. I was a bit nervous when I realized I would have to go back up the hill after lunch until I saw my answer - which one would you take?

But my fears were laid to rest when I actually started up the hill - I flew and when Robin stopped to wait for me he turned round and there I was "how did you get up here so fast?" my only answer was it must have been the pint of coke at lunchtime - the ultimate energy drink!!

We then trundelled on to Cherington and through the "Valley where time stood still" and onto yet another pub this one called the Hunters Hall Inn (must have been organised by a chap who likes his beer!) Then the last stretch towards Wotton where there was a really steep downhill which was ok until the section where the road surface was unmentionable, I really thought I was going to fly off my bike a few times! Then back to Alveston for the finish where we had another pint of coke to congratulate ourselves! 69 miles in 5.5 hours with average speed of 14mph (max speed 36mph - Wotton-under-edge hill!!) not bad eh partner!!

The best bit for me, at the end we met a very friendly couple called Mark & Louise who are getting married in July but Mark had done the London - Paris ride 6 or 7 years ago from Grenwich to Dover so that was great to chat to another mad person!!

Girls have fun too!!

On Tuesday 6th May I decided to have a day off cycling and went up to Taunton with my friend Caroline for a Ladies Day at the BASC (British Association of Shooting & Conservation) headquarters in "Smokey Bottom" (what a cool address) for some fun!

We had a ball - we got to try Quadbiking, Air rifle shooting and Clay Pigeon shooting - what a blast!

Do you think I could go to France on this?

Caroline is a mean shot with the guns so watch out boys!! Apart from a little sunburn the day was great we had a super lunch and a good giggle - definetly to be tried again sometime!!

Rotten Week

Have not been up to much this week as I went down with a viral throat infection - sounds scary but apparently there is nothing the Doctor can do - great! So I have been feeling very sorry for myself and did a bit of retail therapy where I went and ordered a new saddle - yippee hope this one is kinder to my bum!! Hope to be back on track next week - keep you posted!