Rotary Club of Epworth and
the Isle of Axholme
District 1270
The training continues!
The training for the coast to coast continues with a little more urgency as Friday 13th June is now looming closer.
On Sunday 26th April eleven riders met up, but due to our usual organisation, at different places (planned) and different times (not planned). The first group meeting at 2pm finally left at 2.20 where we went on a quick loop to meet the rest of the party at 3pm. We then set off with the aim of getting some photos for the just giving site and other publicity. Simon W then kept up our great record fifty yards after setting off not looking where he was going too busy talking suddenly found a parked car looming up at him. He proved his breaks worked perfectly stopping very quickly however his skill at getting his posh cycle shoes out of his pedals was not as rapid so he ended up in a heap on the floor scratching his new go faster bike in the process. He was however alert enough to be back on his feet and looking as nothing had happened before anyone had chance to record the event on camera.
We then continued without hitch to West Stockwith via Dave Parslow’s elongated route, unless you were the group which cut off about 2 miles by going by the most direct route, from Gunthorpe to the pub. Having learnt our lesson from the Easter Monday ride four of our number led astray by myself and Iain this time did not spurn the refreshment available four pints later we were ready to continue. Special mention should be made of Neal who rode from Westwoodside to West Stockwith pulling two children in a trailer at an impressive speed. He was relieved to be met there and not have to pull them all the way back.
Summer eventually arrived so after much nagging about the state of my bike with the help of Ruth and Luke and a pressure washer 3 months of layered mud was duly washed from my bike. It was going to be much easier riding now half the weight had been removed.
On a warm sunny Saturday afternoon a group of 5 set off from Epworth, we soon were issued a challenge by Simon to ride up the steep part of the disused railway embankment, naturally we let him show us how it should be done, he proceeded to end up in a heap, in a nettle patch, half way up blaming a loose boulder. We walked up leisurely pushing our bikes. At the top however the track had in the last two weeks of warm weather suddenly turned into an overgrown jungle so we had to endure hawthorn and wild rose branches at face height and nettles on our unprotected legs. At the end of the track Simon continued his record and promptly fell off when he stopped.
Progress across country was rapid eventually coming onto a nice quiet flat road. At this stage the others started disappearing into the distance as I peddled like crazy feeling as if my legs had gone out on strike. After half a mile of feeling like I was riding up Everest I ground to a halt. After much inspecting and confusion discovered the downside of my nice clean bike the front brake had locked on. Instantly on freeing the said disc brake I was soon heading down the road to catch up the others who had kindly stopped. On reaching them I was informed that the problem of the brake ceasing on had been encountered before when their bikes had been washed I was not impressed. My bike will stay dirty from now on!
Time has rapidly disappeared and we are now one week away from the start of the expedition, frantic preparations are in motion as we use it as excuse to buy yet more gear. Bikes are getting serviced and the weather forecast will be compulsory viewing next week as we wait to discover whether it will be basking in sunshine or drowning in the constant rain and howling gales as a head wind.
Andrew Gatecliffe
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